Every winter, business owners across the country face a familiar challenge: snow. Although it might seem simple enough, dealing with snow removal for your business can involve more than you initially think. Whether you’re tackling snow removal on your own or hiring a professional service, common mistakes businesses make with snow management can lead to frustrated customers, hefty fines, or even dangerous situations.
Think about it – icy sidewalks, blocked parking lots, and slippery walkways create headaches for customers and safety hazards for employees. Understanding these common pitfalls can help you proactively plan your snow removal strategy for this winter, especially before the holiday season hits when customers will be out shopping.
Planning & Preparation – Avoiding the Last-Minute Scramble
Often, business owners put off winter preparations until the first snow falls. Procrastination isn’t your friend. Without a snow removal plan in place, businesses find themselves reacting to storms rather than strategically navigating them.
Neglecting Timely Planning
Think of it this way, do you want your first call to a snow removal contractor to be during a blizzard when they’re already overwhelmed with other clients? Planning ahead allows you to establish contracts with snow removal companies in advance, securing their services and solidifying a plan before the first snow falls, even if it’s during the winter season when an employee unexpectedly quits.
Take the time to meet with a few different commercial snow removal companies. Reach out to a snow removal contractor before the rush of the season and see what each one brings to the table. A thorough plan goes beyond simply agreeing on a price. It should outline crucial details including:
- Prioritized areas for snow and ice removal.
- Frequency of snow plowing and ice management services.
- Snow removal and ice control methods.
- Communication protocols and updates.
Poor Salt Management: From Overkill to Environmental Impact
A crucial element of snow management that often trips businesses up is salt management. Sometimes it’s using the wrong kind or applying too much salt. Both of these scenarios can have unintended consequences.
Understanding Your Salt Options
Did you know there are several different types of de-icing salts, each with advantages and drawbacks? For instance, calcium chloride is great for extremely cold temperatures, but sodium chloride is a cost-effective solution in more moderate conditions. Take the time to research the best type of de-icer for your climate and budget.
Salt and Environmental Responsibility
Using large amounts of salt to clear walkways or parking lots might seem like a good solution, but overuse has significant downsides. Besides potentially damaging your landscape, salt runoff pollutes local waterways. Neave Group, a reputable snow removal and ice management service, strategically applies salt based on pavement temperature.
They utilize “a specific amount of salt when the pavement temperature is higher than 30 degrees and then increase that amount as temperatures drop until it’s roughly 15 degrees, which is when the salt is no longer effective” – prioritizing effectiveness without unnecessary overkill. It’s also important to minimize the damage from excess salt runoff. Installing silt fences along landscaped areas is a good step to consider. These considerations are key to environmental responsibility, reflecting well on your business’s commitment to sustainability.
Common Mistakes Businesses Make with Snow Management: Operational Oversights
Once a plan is in place and the first snow falls, operational oversights are where many businesses drop the ball. These common snow removal mistakes often slip under the radar but can have just as many downsides as a poor plan.
Overlooking Employee Safety
Relying on untrained employees to clear snow isn’t a good move. For instance, Today’s Homeowner states that shoveling snow incorrectly is a real concern, leading to injury and even death from exhaustion, existing heart problems, or simple falls. To avoid workplace injuries and associated liabilities, you’ll want to train your employees on proper snow shoveling techniques and implement clear safety protocols for slippery conditions. You might even consider providing personal protective equipment, such as sturdy gloves and non-slip footwear.
Insufficient Equipment and Training
Trying to remove snow from your entire business parking lot with a couple of snow shovels isn’t a viable plan, but it’s a blunder many companies make. If you are going to handle snow removal on your own, think about investing in reliable snow removal equipment like snowblowers, plows (if you have vehicles to attach them to), and consider whether a sidewalk machine would be beneficial. Proper training is critical if you expect employees to operate these pieces of equipment, so budget for that as well.
Not all snow removal equipment is the same, and choosing the wrong tools for the job is a significant mistake that costs you time, money, and potential damage. Evaluate the needs of your specific property to make informed decisions about the right snow removal equipment for the task. Do you need a simple snow plow, or do your property managers require more specialized equipment?
Underestimating the Workload:
Just because you handle a light dusting of snow one week doesn’t mean your crew will always be prepared. A larger storm could be right around the corner. The volume and timing of snowfalls can be very unpredictable. A huge snowstorm that arrives before your typical snow season begins might lead to upset customers, missed work deadlines, or hazardous conditions on your property.
If you opt for a DIY approach to snow management, think about creating a backup plan, such as having an agreement with an alternative snow removal contractor for scenarios when you are stretched too thin. Communication helps in these types of scenarios, and this way you can ensure that if snow falls on a weekend, it won’t impede customers from getting to your business.
Dismissing Client Feedback:
Even something as simple as snow management can offer opportunities for amazing customer service. Communication and addressing concerns are essential elements of snow removal, not just manual labor.
Here are a few steps you can implement to turn this necessary task into a customer-centric win. First, stay proactive with communication – update clients about snow removal schedules or any service interruptions caused by inclement weather. If there are any specific snow-related requests or challenges on their property, make it clear they have an open line of communication with you. These details demonstrate to clients that their satisfaction is a top priority. If using a snow removal service, you’ll want to select one with a transparent and timely communication system to guarantee they prioritize these aspects, too.
Common Mistakes Businesses Make with Snow Management: What’s Your Next Move?
Knowing the common mistakes businesses make with snow management is the first step toward crafting an efficient strategy for this coming winter. Remember, the biggest key to avoiding common snow removal mistakes is proactive snow removal planning, regular safety training for staff, and prioritizing client communication. Now is the time to make this happen, ensuring you can sit back and enjoy those winter snows while keeping your customers, employees, and your bottom line safe and happy.
Conclusion
It might be tempting to view snow removal as a simple task that only comes into play when winter hits. This thought process is precisely where the common mistakes businesses make with snow management stem from. These pitfalls can lead to serious safety hazards for your employees, frustrations for your clients, and unexpected costs you hadn’t accounted for in your budget. You can steer clear of these challenges with proper planning and attention to the details of snow management. It’s well worth it.
