Are you Ready for the Snow Season?

Are you totally prepared for a big storm and the effects it can have on your property, business, and bottom-line sales? No matter what, snow removal is a necessary evil when it comes to operating a restaurant. There is strategy involved with snow removal. If you practice sensible techniques, you will reduce injury, property damage, and will increase customer satisfaction, ultimately resulting in increased profits.

Snow removal has existed since the Middle Ages; early methods involved using a shovel or broom to remove snow from walkways and roads. Prior to the automobile, communities in the northern regions of the United States used animal drawn snow rollers. The first winter service vehicles compressed snow covering, which eased passage for sleds. Some communities even employed “snow wardens,” whose job it was to spread or “pave” snow onto areas which were still exposed, allowing sleds to pass.

Due to the increasing size of cities and smoother surfaces, danger came to automobiles and pedestrians. The earliest patents for snow plows date back to 1840, and there is documentation of use in 1862 when the city of Milwaukee began operating horse-drawn carts fitted with snow plows. Their use quickly spread to other cities.

The first motorized snow plows, developed in 1913, were based on truck and tractor bodies. The first plow that directed snow into a truck was invented in 1920, called the “snow-loader” by Barber-Green. These machines allowed the mechanization of the snow clearing process, reducing the labor required for snow removal, which increased the speed and efficiency of the process. Once the automobile came along, plowing alone was insufficient for removing all snow and ice from the roadways and parking lot areas. In came the gritting vehicles, which used sodium chloride to accelerate the melting of the snow. Early attempts at gritting were resisted, as the salt accelerated rusting, causing damage to the metal of automobiles and the sides of buildings, along with the shoes pedestrians wore. Nevertheless, as the number of accidents increased, many cities throughout the United States used salt and sand to clear parking lots and increase safety. However, once environmental awareness increased throughout the 1960’s and 70’s, gritting once again fell out of favor, as the environmental impact of grit was discovered leading to the development of alternative de-icing chemicals and more efficient spreading systems.

In today’s environment, there are many factors to look at prior to making decisions for your property. Finding the right winter service provider for your restaurant can be tricky. Whether you are looking for a provider to shovel the walks or clear your parking lot, there are many things to consider. Before making that first phone call, ask yourself the following questions:

• What services do I require: shoveling, plowing , snow removal or de-icing?
• Do I want a provider that is equipped to handle high accumulation storms?
• Where do I want the snow to be placed after it is shoveled or plowed?
• What about flower beds, fire hydrants and mailboxes; what do I want from my vendor for plowing, salting and de-icing?
• When do I want my lot plowed: 2″, 3″, 4″ levels, ice storm?
• What type of equipment do I need from the provider?
• Does my business have the correct insurances in-place to cover any liability imposed by an accident on the property?

Once you know the answers to those questions, ask yourself these additional ones:

• Am I truly satisfied with my current vendor and the way they bill my company? Am I only billed once a season? If that is the case, rethink your program.
• Am I satisfied with the current level of service?
• Does my current service provide me with a Certificate of Insurance, naming my business as the additional insured with respect to the work performed?
• Does my vendor have the financial position to survive economic slow downs, fix and maintain snow removal equipment, carry the necessary de-icers, and provide the staffing necessary to service my property?
• Can my provider handle an unexpected storm or equipment breakdown?
• Is my current service level for snow plowing, de-icing, salting, sanding, and shoveling lowering my exposure to potential litigation, due to slip and fall accidents?
• Is my vendor on site within two to four hours when snow or ice reaches the target inches directed in my current program?
• Is my vendor available 24/7/365?

If you answer no to any of these questions, then you need to look deeper into your current program. Keep in mind that a long-term mutually beneficial relationship with your service provider is always in the best interests of the restaurateur.

When selecting a vendor, there are many things to consider including:

• How long has the vendor been in business? No matter what, you need a company that has the knowledge, wherewithal, and up-to-date products, equipment, and technology.
• Does my vendor belong to a professional snow industry or organization? Belonging to SIMA (Snow and Ice Management Association) proves the provider has an interest in quality and most likely will keep abreast of industry changes, technology and challenges.
• References – you should compare the size of your property against another entity (who has the same size of facility as you do) within the hospitality industry, to assure the vendor has experience and can do the job on-time and correctly.
• Estimates – if the provider does not inspect your property, do not use that vendor. The vendor should take notes to assure everything is on paper. You will also want to take notes on how this vendor will approach the job; note any existing damages, and be real clear as to what they will provide. Be sure the vendor knows what you want done.
• Will the vendor provide you with a contract? If so, you will want your legal counsel to thoroughly scrutinize pricing, services and payment terms. Also, be sure you know the cost of additional services should they be required, such as stacking of snow or hauling away the snow.

Finding the right service provider can be difficult; however, vendors should be competitive, maintain liability, workers compensation, automobile insurances, be reliable, and do what they agree to contractually. They should keep their equipment operable and have the resources to purchase parts and supplies during the winter months. They should have experience in management and be totally committed to service and quality.

Winter service vehicle drivers in the United States should hold a Class B or Class A commercial driver’s license. Types of equipment used for plowing hospitality facilities can include, but are not limited to: dump truck; de-icier (brine comprised of environmentally friendly composite); gritter – also known as a sander, salt spreader or salt truck (used to spread grit, a mixture of sand and rock salt), straight salt – light ice, (10 grams per square meter should be dropped, while thick snow can require up to 40 grams of salt); in some cases magnesium chloride (in Oregon) is used; snow blower (consists of a rapidly spinning blade which cuts through the snow, forcing it out of a funnel attached to the top of the blower); snow melter (works by scooping snow into a melting pit located in a large tank at the rear of a vehicle); snow plow (mounted hydraulically onto a pickup, 4-wheel drive, , allowing them to be raised, lowered, and angled to better move snow); power brushes (uses rotating wire bristles to smooth surfaces); standard shovel – (where most injuries take place).

It is important to understand the different pricing mechanisms as one can be fooled into paying too much. It is imperative you understand how much it will cost you to clear your lot to the specifications set.

Also, it is important you state to the vendor upon their inspection what guidelines you require for the property.

• Specifiy that the work will be performed on an “on-call”, as necessary, or after 2 to 3″ of snowfall.
• Make quantifiable statements such as, “lots will be plowed prior to 9:00 am or parking lot will be plowed when snowfall exceeds 2 inches.
• Be very specific about the requests for additional work to be performed (salting, sanding etc.) Experience shows, I have found many vendors charge for services not requested. Therefore, specify this information upon signature to any contractual agreement.
• Specify the amount of sand or salt used for the number of plowings during a given period.
• Where is the sand, salt to be placed; where do you want to put it? Be specific. Where do you want the snow stockpiled (to prevent melt water runoff into traffic areas)?
• Which areas are most critical to clear (handicap ramps, stairs, downspouts, etc.)

Per hour/Per Truck – Inexperienced service providers most often use this type of pricing; it simply makes the bidding process easier for the customer. This method attests to a tremendous trust level between you and the vendor. In my experience as a professional, I have seen many unscrupulous providers pad hours on to a job to increase revenues. The only way to stop this is for a work order to be signed by a facility manger when the vendor starts the site job, and again signs out when the job has been completed.

Per Push – This type of pricing requires considerable expertise, as the vendor must know what their equipment capabilities are in order to correctly price the job. It should also be noted, all responsible contractors have a clause in their “per push” contracts that allow for additional charges in the event snow accumulation exceeds a certain level. Also note, if a service provider has to plow a particular site more than once during the snow event, you are subjected to additional charges.

Per season – this type of pricing is normally contracted for three years and is tied to other services; including but not limited to: landscape maintenance, parking lot sweeping or complete grounds maintenance. The pricing for this type of service is predicated on the average number of snowfalls during the contractual season. This type of arrangement provides the customer and the vendor the benefit of average based pricing. Customers can win or lose. For example: in those years when there are above average snowfalls, the customer does not have to worry about the increase in cost, as they will continue to pay the agreed upon monthly payment.

Per Inch – Reserved for very large accounts, this type of pricing covers areas throughout the United States where snowfall totals vary from nothing one year to 65 + inches the next. This type of pricing contract typically is slated for airports and universities.

In order for you to be successful during the snow season, be sure to do the following:

• Check weather reports daily through the snow season by going to the following websites: www.erh.noaa.gov; www.weatherunderground.com; and www.weather.com.
• Take pictures before the winter storms begin; notate all damaged areas. After the season is over, take pictures again and compare. Make sure this information is provided to the vendor.
• Keep a log each time the vendor provides services: snow plowing, salting, sanding and shoveling and note:
  • Who performed the operation and what piece(s) of equipment were used.
  • The duration of each storm and the amount of snow & ice deposited.
  • Maintenance problems the service provider is indicating such as potholes and irregular surfaces that are beyond the control of the snow plowing contractor. If there is any damage done, be sure the information is in written form and provided to the vendor.
• Inspect lots and areas that have just been cleared to be sure all instructions provided to the vendor are kept.
• Make sure the vendor is there on time to limit any and all delays for your customers gaining access to your restaurant.
• Keep a camera on hand to record accident specifics or unusual conditions present at the site.
• Keep a complaint log listing who (customer) complained about what and when they complained about it. This will protect your liability, and potentially save you huge amounts of money.
• Hold onto the log book for at least three years.

If you lack the time, opportunity, and resources and simply wanted uninterrupted business and a safer environment, hire a management company to do it for you. Savings can be great and frustration reduced.