Essential businesses are currently seeing a surge in traffic during a time when most of the world is slowing down. But with increased visitors comes new challenges, including the need for new and more frequent maintenance services. To keep up, you need providers who are not only able to perform work, but who are equipped with necessary defenses. Now is the time to ensure your provider network is stronger than ever.
What will you do if your provider is sick or closed due to COVID-19?
Essential businesses are busier than ever, and the need to properly maintain their facilities is increasingly important. Concurrently, many smaller businesses, including some service providers, are struggling to stay open. If you work with a single HVAC provider and it is closed due to COVID-19, do you have a back-up? What about a back-up to your back-up? In these uncertain times, it is crucial to have a bench of secondary and tertiary providers at the ready.
Do your providers have the necessary documentation to continue services in the event of a shelter-in-place order?
As most states continue to operate under shelter-in-place orders, there remain questions around what activities are and are not allowed. The work of service providers aids in ensuring the safety, sanitation, and continued operation of both residences and essential businesses. To enable uninterrupted service, providers should be equipped with letters of authorization in the event they are questioned by local authorities while on-site. A letter of authorization is a document that permits the provider to carry out a service. Even with this document, all service providers should continue to abide by local law enforcement directives.
Have your service providers been educated on the precautions they should take while performing services?
When bringing providers into your properties, you want peace of mind that they are following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the health and safety of themselves, your customers, and your employees. And in the case of residential properties, the service providers are entering homes. In either instance, it’s important to arm them with the guidelines and best practices they should be following related to public health, hygiene, and protective equipment. We’ve put together a complete list of tips and best practices that all service providers should be following.
SMS Assist is committed to supporting our communities during these challenging times—and always. Get in touch to learn more about the ways we can help you.