Our Morning WIP Meetings

6/2/2022 (Permalink)

Our WIP meetings allow all departments to catch up with each other.

Excellent customer service is the backbone of our business model.  It is our guiding star.  To help maintain this high standard, every morning at 8AM, we hold a company wide Work In Progress (WIP) meeting.  This meeting keeps all departments up to date on all current jobs.  Keeping everyone on the same page means that any of our customer’s concerns, whether voiced the day before or in an after-hours call, can be addressed as soon as possible.

These meetings also help monitor the progress of our jobs and set up accountability for the day.  Fostering open communication allows us to act on the newest information, whether our Job File Coordinators need to send out new release forms or our Production Team needs to act on a brand-new leak. 

Most importantly, however, these WIP meetings are an opportunity to come together as a family.  To greet each new day with the strengthened support of each other.  We are blessed to have an amazing team, and everyday we give thanks to that.  These are the values and ideals our customers can expect when they hire us for a job.

Hurricane Season 2022

6/1/2022 (Permalink)

Never underestimate the destructive power of a hurricane.

Today marks the first day of summer as well as the start of the 2022 hurricane season.  While our area doesn’t usually experience hurricanes, the past couple of years have shown that the tail end of some hurricanes can reach us.  Suffice it to say, it is always best to be prepared, because even the tail end of a hurricane brings torrential thunderstorms and potential flooding.

First off, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predict that the 2022 hurricane season has a 65% chance of having above-average hurricane activity.  This is based on several climate factors, such as the ongoing La Nina and a warmer-than average sea surface temperature in the Atlantic and Caribbean.  Also, if we look at the trend over the past several years, we can expect these storms to last longer and hit harder. 

We encourage everyone to keep an eye on the weather forecasts this season.  We will also be updating our blog on any potential news to keep us all prepared on the latest.

We Offer Unparalleled Service to Commercial Business

6/1/2022 (Permalink)

Commercial jobs can be huge undertakings, but we always make sure to first accommodate our client's business needs.

It takes a lot to successfully run any business, but water damage can be particularly devastating to the service industry.  That is why we make sure to go out of our way to accommodate their business needs.

For example, we recently received a job from a local hotel.  Several pipes from their bathroom had burst, leaking water throughout the first two floors.  Multiple hotel rooms were affected including a large, carpeted hallway.  Hotel management was rightly concerned with how our work mitigating the damage would affect their clientele.  Our work would have to close down large sections of the hotel and since the first floor and lobby was also affected by the leak, management decided they couldn’t have us working during normal business hours. 

To accommodate, we made the decision work from 10PM to 6AM every day.  This allowed the hotel to still greet and book new customers during the day while giving us the proper amount of time to make sure everything was completely dry.  This is just one example of our commitment to going above and beyond for our commercial clients.

How Do We Dry a Water Heater Leak?

5/31/2022 (Permalink)

Flood cuts allow us to completely dry areas affected by water damage.

Many of our customers have little to no experience when it comes to mitigation.  We get many questions everyday about how we do what we do.  In an effort to pull back the curtain on our process, we’re going to detail one of our recent jobs in this blog post.

In this particular case, a water heater on the first level of a house had a major leak that pretty much affected the entire floor.  Luckily, the owners had installed water resistant floor tiles, so the floor didn’t retain any of the water.  The drywall, however, was not so lucky.  Using our moisture meters, our Production Technicians found substantial moisture readings behind the walls.  The readings were high enough to require us to make a two-foot flood cut in almost every wall. 

A flood cut removes the bottom two feet of drywall, not just to remove irreparable damage, but also to allow us to aim our air movers and dehumidifiers directly behind the wall.  When done right, this ensures all potential moisture is removed and no pesky mold forms.  Once we were able to completely dry all the walls, our Construction Team went in and replaced all the cut-out drywall and baseboards.  Then we matched the paint job, so all of the rooms looked just as they did before the leak.

Hopefully, this helps you understand some of the steps we take to mitigate your water damage.  It’s one of the many ways we make any disaster “Like it never even happened.”

Employee Testimonials

5/26/2022 (Permalink)

Why do our employees enjoy working for SERVPRO? Here's some of them in their own words.

We pride ourselves in providing our customers the very best service, but that’s not possible without providing our employees with the very best and supportive work environment possible.  Don’t take our word for it, though.  Here are some of our employees’ experiences firsthand:

“SERVPRO is well-known for offering great services to our community in time of need with restoration. As much as they care about their customers, their employees are treated even better. They offer a great family culture with respect and room to grow. They value their employees by showing how much they care with little things such as Birthday Celebrations and Team bonding Events. They work hard to make sure everyone feels part of the team and welcomed.  I really enjoy coming to work daily and love the wonderful team that SERVPRO has created.” - Amanda Escobar

“I like working here because I get the opportunity to show my potential. I like that I'm part of the team and that my work feels appreciated. I look forward to work every day and continuing to grow within the company.” - Francisco Rodriguez

“I enjoy working at SERVPRO of Alexandria because the culture of the company is amazing. The owners of the franchise really go out of their way to show appreciation for their employees often. From celebrating individual birthdays, to staff lunches, they are always making sure that they are creating a very pleasant work environment for everyone. I appreciate that the on boarding process is very organized. Every new hire receives a development plan which helps to track your progress and achievements. The company's online training programs are great. I find the modules very helpful. I can always refer back to the training programs for any questions that I may have. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy working at SERVPRO of Alexandria!” - Kendra Owens

“I enjoy working at SERVPRO of Alexandria because I feel very welcomed, and I look forward to working with my fellow employees. Best job in the world!” - Yennifer Bustillo

“I love working at SERVPRO of Alexandria because we treat each other with kindness. Never a dull moment, very family oriented. We push each other to strive high and encourage one another to reach our goals.” - Jennifer Rodriguez

“I really enjoy working at SERVPRO of Alexandria. I’ve been able to learn new skills, grow as a professional, and challenge myself daily.  I have been encouraged to provide my input on things, and my opinions have always been appreciated. Most of all, my coworkers have become an open and close family to me.” - Jose Cortez

“I like working at SERVPRO of Alexandria because I am learning new things, my co-workers are very nice and help me to learn my position. I also like the owners Bill & Jennifer as they are very understanding and friendly.” - Patricia Gomez

“I like working here because my co-workers work as a team, and we have fun together.” - Carlos Garcia

“I like working here because of the people, environment, and overall mission. Everyone is pleasantly kind and willing to lend a helping hand. The environment is consistently positive and the teamwork in each department is very motivating as we work through all situations together. This job is also very rewarding since we assist clients through a time in need and get them the best quality service. There are also many opportunities to learn and grow within this company which drives everyone to improve in their field/department while embracing what everyone uniquely brings to the table.”- Maria Fuster

We Can Clean the Mess Left by Your Fire Emergency System

5/20/2022 (Permalink)

One of the many areas of the factory that was covered in white powder that we cleaned.

We respond to all manner of fire related emergencies.  From large kitchen blazes to contained cigarette fires put out quickly, we have the experience and expertise to mitigate and reconstruct any damage.  Sometimes, we even get calls for an overly sensitive fire emergency system.

For instance, a small fire at a commercial factory set off their relatively new fire emergency system.  Instead of just focusing where the fire was, the system spread fire suppressing foam across the entire facility.  After it had disintegrated, the foam left a thick white powder that covered everything.  In short, the clean up of the powder far outstripped the clean up of the actual fire.  It was nothing our team couldn’t handle, though, and the factory was as good as before in no time.

Obviously, its better to have a sensitive fire emergency system than one that doesn’t work at all.  However, if you can check, at least once a year, that your system is properly calibrated, you can save a lot of time and money on potential clean up.

We Mitigate and Repair Damage from Heavy Rainstorms

5/18/2022 (Permalink)

Heavy rainstorms can clog storm drains with debris.

As the Spring season continues, we are starting to see more and more rainstorms pop up.  If you’re not prepared, they can cause severe flooding damage.  Just like this job we recently received. where a storm drain right outside this family’s basement was clogged by storm debris.

The clog caused a massive amount of water to pour into their basement, completely ruining their wood floors and leaving four-inch-high water line marks on all the walls.  Our Mitigation Team had to tear up all the wood floors and make a two-foot-high flood cut in all the drywall to ensure all the moisture in the basement was removed.  Our Construction Team then went in and installed brand new wooden floor panels, new drywall and even a new door to their basement bathroom.

While we were able to leave this basement better than it was before the storm, it goes to show how devastating heavy rainstorms can be.  You can never be too prepared.  And if you find yourself in a similar situation, gives us a call and we will make it “Like it never even happened.”

Electrical Fires Are No Joke

5/16/2022 (Permalink)

Even the TV was melted in this electrical fire.

We here at SERVPRO encounter many different fire damage emergencies, from gas stoves improperly turned off, to faulty heaters.  Arguably, electrical fires can be the most sinister.  They are mostly preventable if you take the proper precautions, like not overloading any one outlet or not running cords underneath carpets.  Sometimes though, they just short out, like at this job we finished recently.

When the wall outlet on the second level bedroom of this townhouse blew, it started a fire that consumed the whole floor.  The walls, ceiling, and floor of each room suffered massive damage and were beyond repair.  Our mitigation team was forced to completely gut the entire area, stripping away everything to just floorboards and studs.

The only precaution that may have avoided this disaster is making sure that every ten years, a licensed electrician checks the home’s entire electrical system.  Aside from that, you can always count on our mitigation team to clear out the damage, and our construction team to then rebuild it.

Flooded Church Facility? We Can Help!

5/16/2022 (Permalink)

The scope of this job was huge!

We here at SERVPRO pride ourselves on the ability to tackle all types of water loss.  Big or small, we have the experience and expertise to make any disaster “Like it never even happened.”  That includes a recent job we finished at a local Church.

When one of the toilet valves on the second floor busted overnight, water poured through the ceilings and affected more than fifteen rooms on both levels.  From offices to stairwells to even the children’s daycare center, water pooled up everywhere.  In total, we used more than thirty high powered air movers and three refrigerant dehumidifiers to completely dry and remove all of the water. 

Water losses of this size don’t happen often, but rest assured, when they do, we are primed and ready to respond as fast as possible.  We certainly have the ability and capacity to help any sized commercial organization.

Have A Commercial Water Loss? Call SERVPRO for full service!

5/10/2022 (Permalink)

Our Construction Team updated the damaged floor tiles with this beautiful hardwood floor!

We pride ourselves on the ability to respond to water disasters of all sizes.  From a small single-family home basement leak to a hotel sprinkler system malfunction affecting multiple floors, we have the expertise and equipment to fully mitigate all water damage.

For example, when a local condominium in-door pool leaked due to a faulty valve, the entire basement floor hallway and offices were flooded.  After being called out to the site, we successfully removed the water and dried the affected areas.  It was apparent, however, that the tile flooring was damaged beyond repair.  Our Construction Team then came in, completely removed all of the tiles, and replaced them with a beautiful hard wood floor.

When all was said and done, we not only made the pool leak “Like it never even happened,” we upgraded the look and feel of the space.  If you have a commercial building in need of water mitigation and construction, we can offer you the same full service!