CLAIMS PREVENTION & PROCEDURE COUNCIL ...helping to reduce claims costs in the moving and storage industry by providing professional education and networking opportunities!
Who Is The Next CPPC Executive ?Director?
October, 2007 NEWSLETTER
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President’s Message "/!2$ /& $)2%#4/23 October is the month of Halloween with its ghosts and goblins. 02%3)$%.4 'ENE 3HONTERE 2EP Personally it is one of the biggest events of the year around my 3HONTERE 2ESTORATION place. My daughter has had annual parties for several years. The party with its hayrides, horse rides, and bucket rides (ask me 3HONTERE %ROLSCOM when you see me) make the ghosts fun. The CPPC has been deal- 6)#% 02%3)$%.4 ing with its own version of this with the Executive Director’s $EBORAH 7ILLIAMS )NSURANCE position being ghostlike. There is no one person handling the du- 5NIRISC ties but the entire Board of Directors is covering this position and DWILLIAMS UNIRISCCOM the duties of the position. Please don’t hesitate to contact us by any means as we have them covered. Thank you to the current 3%#2%4!29 'UY %NDSLEY 2EP Board for their efforts to get us through these times. ,ONE 3TAR 2ESTORATIONS The process of replacing the Director is in full swing and has #LAIMS LONESTARRESTORATIONSCOM been quite a thorough process set up. We may have decided 42%!352%2 on a new Director or at least be in the closing stages of hiring a !LAN 2 *OBE 6, new Director by the time you read this. We have done our best !TLAS 6AN ,INES )NC EXT NOT to replace our CPPC ghost with a CPPC goblin. The com- ALAJOBE ATLASWORLDGROUPCOM mittee went on a worldwide search for candidates. We received interest from 14 states as well as international interest. The can- $)2%#4/23 $ORI "LEDSOE -VG3TG !GENT didates came from inside the transit claims industry as well as #OVAN 7ORLD 7IDE -OVING strong interest from outside the claims and restoration industry completely. The committee set up a strong screening process to DORIBLEDSOE COVANCOM bring forth the most suitable and qualified for the CPPC. There -ARK #ALDWELL 6, are some that could be reading this that show interest. I want to 5NITED 6,-AYmOWER 4RANSIT thank you for your interest and concern of the CPPC. The screen- MARK?CALDWELL UNIGROUPINCCOM ing process was not an easy one and the strong list of candidates made it a difficult one. I am confident that a strong new Director $ON &UESS 6, will be chosen to lead the CPPC into the future as the Transit .ORTH!MERICAN 6AN ,INES Claims educating association. Please watch our Web site for the DONFUESS 3)26!COM first notification that we have a New Director
,INDA (AMILTON 6, !LLIED 6AN ,INES As I looked through this process I could not help but notice that this is not so different than hiring a repair company for the first ,INDA(AMILTON 3IRVACOM time. You are risking your company’s reputation and your own $ON +ISTNER 2EP job responsibilities on a firm representing your interest on a par- +ISTNERS &ULL #LAIMS 3ERVICE )NC ticular claim. You have to decide from the information that is put forth by the firm itself. You use your peers’ experiences if you DONKISTNER GMAILCOM have that advantage. You may only be able to phone ”interview” $AN -ANNING 2EP the firm. Quickly you need to decide if you have a goblin or not? -ANNING #LAIM 3ERVICES Will the firm be able to represent my interest the way I need? $AN-ANNING -ANNING#LAIM3ERVICESCOM Will they become a ghost and you will have to start the process over? -ITCH 4REIDER 2EP #OMPLETE &URNITURE )NTERIORS In deciding the new Director we have not been under the time ClmORIDA CmRRCOM restrains a typical claims settlement is under. I am very confident we will make a wise decision that will advance the CPPC and its -ARK 7EATHERSBY 2EP #RAFTSMANSHIP BY 7EATHERSBY members. I look forward to announcing to all of you who our new director is. Until that time, don’t hesitate to contact the of- MARKWEATHERSBY MSNCOM fice with your CPPC needs. YOUR Board of Directors is here to 34!&& serve. CPPC CLAIMSNETORG Gene V
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7ELCOME TO THE Claims Prevention & Procedure Council’s October, 2007 Newsletter
This month:
President’s Message ...... Page 3
CPPC Mailbox ...... Page 5-6 0LUS OUR USUAL FEATURES Bringing New Ideas To The Table ...... Page 8-10 Ask the Computer Guy by Guy Endsley ...... Page 27 What’s Happening in the Claims Department at SIRVA ...... Page 20 Sweet and Cynical ...... Page 39-41
New Members ...... Page 34-35 From the other Side of the Desk by Dan Manning Dealing With Antiques ...... Page 36 What Are All These Changes .....Page 42 Are You Connected With Atlas CMS ...... Page 37-38
The CPPC Newsletter is published monthly by the Claims Prevention ,ETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE and Procedure Council, Inc., P.O. Box 1117, Newburgh, IN 47629, USA. All rights reserved. Subscription rate $20.00 per year included in an- ENCOURAGED 0LEASE SEND nual membership dues. Advertising rates upon request. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the membership, staff and/or Board of Directors of the CPPC. All material YOUR THOUGHTS TO THE #00# published herein are the sole opinion of the writer and should not be construed as the opinion or policy of the CPPC or the company which OFlCE AT CPPC CLAIMSNETORG employes the writer.
#00# OFlCE HOURS ARE DEADLINES for submitting articles and advertisements is the first day of the month before the issue month (Jan. 1st for February issue, Febru- FROM #34 ary 1st for March issue, etc.)
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CPPC Mailbox
Introducing the New CPPC Mailbox. We invite you comment back on your article while I was thinking to respond to articles in the Newsletter; give us your about it. Your information on the “POD” situation is side of what has been presented; give us another way not up to date. Atlas launched a very similar product of looking at what was presented, or take this oppor- the beginning of this year after doing some testing tunity to ask additional questions on a printed article with their version of the “POD in 2006. It is called or another topic all together. Send your responses or the “ACCEL” program and it is based loosely on the comments in writing to CPPC. P.O. Box 1117 New- “POD” concept. It is container moving. The differ- burgh, IN 47629 or by email to [email protected] ence with the Atlas program is that the agent is still with “CPPC Mailbox” in the subject line. It would be responsible for all handling of the shipment. Typi- helpful if you advised the name of the article you are cally the “POD” concept is a self-pack and unpack referring to if applicable. Let’s get started. and the customer does all the handling or servicing in and out of the container. The purpose of the At- Pam Larson of Olsen Brothers Inc., in Rolling las Program and the associated container is to allow Meadows, IL, writes in response to Dan Manning’s for a quicker shipping means for the customer. We article in the August Newsletter entitled: “The Sky have some accounts that are very supportive as this is Falling” gives them a shorter shipping window in most cases for those smaller shipments. The Atlas agents have Dan, made a commitment to this program and the con- Turn off the alarms, PODS are not taking over. You cepts it is based on, time sensitive shipping with full might have heard about a little problem with the service handling. With our program, Atlas is still pro- housing market? That is why business is bad for the viding the overall hands-on service to the customer movers as well as the repair firms. Maybe next year with all packing, unpacking and handling in and out will get better? Unigroup (United/Mayflower) offers of the container. There is definitely a market for this a “POD” type program called SAMS, but the initial container shipping program and other similar “POD” investment for a small agency is a bit steep. Agents services in our industry. are lucky if they can afford to get in on it. I’m sure it will prove itself very valuable. I agree with you Gus Hoogers with Furniture Care of Rochester, NY on advertising on television. Even some small busi- writes in response to Dan Manning’s “From the nesses in our area can afford advertising packages on Other Side of the Desk” article in the July issue: cable. Maybe it is just too difficult to figure out whom to have the customer call? In all honesty it would be Dan, a nightmare for the van lines to take calls from angry When I get a work order from an insurance agency agents that agent so and so is getting more leads than or van line, the inspection, estimate, research & re- us etc. Maybe they prefer to just leave it to the local porting fee is always included as a separate line item agents if they want to advertise via television. In my on the final invoice regardless of whether repairs are area anyone can go take a 10 week course on tele- involved. If the work order is for ‘inspection and es- vision production at their local cable company and timate only’, the invoice will accompany the report. learn how to make the commercial. The invoice amount will vary depending on the num- ber of items involved and the amount of research in- Alan Jobe with Atlas Van Lines, Inc., writes in re- volved to provide the adjuster with enough informa- sponse to the same article. tion to make a decision.
Dan, I agree with you in stating that invoicing for ‘time I read your article on “The Sky is Falling” and had to spent’, at various levels depending on the quality of
CPPC - 6 # 0 0 # the ‘time spent’, is the only way a repair firm can stay We have been seeing some contracts that assume re- in business. Time is money. sponsibility for electronic malfunction with no sign of external damage. Some contracts actually assume Gordon Fiddes, President of Image Restoration, Inc. liability for climatic changes! Unbelievable! When in Portland, OR, writes in with a general question we repair the furniture that failed because of climatic to our membership. changes, we clearly state that we do not guarantee our repairs for future climatic changes, because some Mostly, I would be interested to get feedback from of the wood in the furniture that warped (or cracked) repair firms and moving companies about different is likely to continue doing the same thing (because standards that movers have (between companies) it probably was never properly kiln dried in the first and how repair firms deal with differing standards. place). This is just the tip of the iceberg with the potential co- lossal changes that we could be facing as an industry However, I know there is a constant push for the mov- with the Tariff de-regulation. ers to obtain a National Contract by making promises theoretically discussed in some corner office high up Within the last couple of weeks, I handled a large in a building that is out of touch with reality. So, we inspection in which the movers requested a repair (repair firms) keep track of the requirements for each estimate report without details of the damage, just assignment, applying different principles to diverse estimates! In my galaxy, if the report does not detail shippers because we want to preserve the National what will be fixed, I guess that means we just keep Account for the movers and let the shipper know that fixing everything until the shipper is satisfied, even he/she is cared for. Every day we push to restore the if it means refinishing everything! The detail in our image of the moving companies, but my conclusion reports is not just there to define the mover’s liability. is that different moving companies will want differ- It is also there to detail what the repair estimate is ent images as they angle for divergent clientele. The based on fixing. tariff law change in January will begin to make this blatantly obvious. It just hit me that this is going to become a much larg- er problem next summer and fall. When movers start Just my take on the subject, but would be interested writing their own tariffs, the bedrock of the industry in knowing others opinions or comments on this sub- will become fluid, and the standards will be shifting ject. What the carrier’s see in the future and if they radically by the time claims are being handled next have any insight for us in the field. season. I predict substantial change in the moving industry, which will drastically affect the claims end of the business, especially when it comes to the way movers assume and deny liability. So now is the time to start discussing this topic.
CPPC - 7 # 0 0 # Bringing New Ideas to the Table The Daughter of Famed Furniture Maker George Nakashima Burnishes his Legacy By Caroline Tiger, New Hope, PA Printed from Fortune Small Business Magazine June 2007
In the finishing building at THE NEW HOPE, PA., death, as most family businesses do. Only 30% make compound built in 1944 by master craftsman George it to the end of the second generation, according to Nakashima, a workman rubs tung oil mixed with Professor John Davis of the Families in Business pro varnish into the surface of a gorgeous ten-foot- long gram at Harvard Business School (exed.hbs.eud/pro black-walnut dining table. When it’s ready the $25,000 grams/fib). Half of that 30% survive to the end of the work will be shipped to London. third generation. “Very often the founder of a business has some real skills, “says Davis. “ The question in the This table started as they all do, with the client mak- next generation is; “What skills do you need to keep ing an appointment with Nakashima Inc. (nakashi- things going?” mawoodworker.com) creative director and co-owner Mira Nakashima-Yarnall, who is counting her late MIRA TOOK A DRASTIC PAY CUT AND SHORT father’s work by reissuing his designs and producing ENED THE WORKWEEK TO FOUR DAYS TO AVOID new ones of her own. She hasn’t had time to design LAYOFFS. any new pieces since her Redwood Collection debuted last fall at the Perry Rubenstein Gallery in Manhattan There’s no doubt that Mira inherited her father’s de (perryrubenstein.com). “Not consciously, at least,” sign ability. She earned an undergraduate degree in she says. These days she’s focusing her efforts on chip- architectural sciences at Harvard and a master’s de ping away at the New Hope studio’s year-and-a-half gree in architecture from Wasada University in Tokyo backlog. In 1970 she moved into a house across the street from her parent’s home/studio and joined her father’s busi Not long ago Mira was concentrating more on saving ness. He was an old-school Japanese authoritarian the business from collapse. Just a year after his 1989 with traditional ideas of gender roles. He often con retrospective at the American Craft Museum in New sulted the experienced craftsmen in the wood shop York City, now the Museum of Arts & Design (mad- but he didn’t seek Mira’s input. In fact, he fired Mira museum.org) George Nakashima died at the age of so many times for voicing her opinion; she lost coun 85. One by one, clients called to cancel or request a - once she strayed away for an entire year, (she stil deep discount on 3 1/2 years worth of back orders. lived across the street though). “I remember my chil- Mira, along with her mother and brother, considered shutting down production and turning the place into a repair and refinishing shop. It looked as if the Na- kashima story would conclude with its founder’s
CPPC - 8 # 0 0 # dren getting used to it,” says Mira, 63 sitting in the ing table went for $204,000 at Boston-based Skinner’s Japanese-style studio her father built four decades (Skinnerine.com). In December a 1988 Arlyn dining ago. “They’d sense my mood when I came home from table sold for a record $822,400 at Sotheby’s (sothebys. work and say, Oh, no he fired you again. “He was com). more patient with trees than he was with people. Mira recalls the way he’d bristle when a client requested al- The current clamor for his pieces would probably terations. He’d say, “You’d better go to Macy’s.” alarm Nakashima, who believed that people should live simply and tread softly. He gave the impression The son of Japanese parents, George Nakashima grew of living a solitary existence - just him and the trees. up near Seattle and graduated from MIT with a de- “There was this myth that he was doing all the work gree in architecture. During World War II, he and his by himself,” says Mira. That myth left out Mira, her wife, Marion, along with baby Mira, were forced, like mother who was the company’s bookkeeper, and Mi- thousands of other Japanese Americans, to spend a ra’s brother, now a co-owner, as well as the studio’s year in an internment camp, this one based in Idaho. 15 woodworkers. In actuality Mira had been draft- It was there that he met a traditional Japanese carpen- ing all the blueprints since the 1970s. By 1990 she was ter and decided to abandon architecture for furniture more than prepared to continue her father’s legacy, making. Nakashima embraced hand craftsmanship but word of his brilliance had spread so far that it ob- and saw furniture making as a means of paying hom- scured her decades-long contribution. When he died age to wood. He once wrote, “The woodworker’s re- everyone figured the studio would shut down. Mira sponsibility is to the tree itself, which has sacrificed brought ads in Interior Design and Architectural Di- to live again in the woodworker’s hands. He had gest to show that the company was still in business, what he called “long dialogues” with a board, some- but the cost became prohibitive. Mira, her mother and times meditating on it for years before it revealed its Jonathan Yarnall, who joined the studio as a wood- essence. He was one of the first furniture makers to worker in 1974 and married Mira soon after, took celebrate wood’s imperfections, enhancing the texture drastic pay cuts and shortened the workweek to four of the grain, knotholes, worm holes and cracks. days to avoid layoffs.
Nakashima’s work was popular during his lifetime, Just when Mira thought the hundreds of slabs of but that was nothing compared to its popularity now. wood sitting in the lumber shed were destined to rot, Around 1994 interest began to spread outside the the James A. Michener Museum in Doylestown, Pa. Northeast and across the U.S., and then, more recent- (michenermuseum.org), asked her to design a George ly, to Europe. Each year brings new auction records. Nakashima Memorial Reading Room. She made some In June 2006 a 1973 English burl-oak-and-walnut din- of her dad’s signature pieces - four Conoid lounge
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CPPC - 9 # 0 0 # chairs with cantilevered seats and delicate turned much of their times goes into training new employ- spindles, and a claro-walnut free-edge coffee table. ees. Succession is a pressing issue. Mira was hoping that her son, who spent part of last year at the stu- When the Michener’s PR person learned that the stu- dio, would take the reins. But their styles clashed. She dio was doing poorly, she sprang into action. She got joined a local business forum to learn how other family so much press for us.” Mira says, “ it was almost em- businesses resolve such crises, a counselor tried to me- barrassing.” Mira also got buzz from Zen Modernism, diate, but ultimately there was no fix. Because it looks a 1994 joint show at Moderne Gallery in Philadelphia as if the operation won’t remain a family business, the (modernegallery.com) owned by dealer Robert Aibel, forum suggested that Mira appoint an advisory board of her new designs alongside vintage pieces of her to guide the studio into the future. For now, she infor- dad’s. mally consults colleagues, including the studio’s ac- countant, who recently urged her to hire a young de- NAKASHIMA’S FURNITURE IS “MORE THAN THE signer to be groomed as her successor. She’s pleased PRODUCT,” SAYS MIRA. IT’S THE THINKING BE- that some younger employees are committed to her HIND IT”. father’s philosophy. One, who had done stints as a set designer and an acupuncturist, came onboard after The new publicity was the push needed to jolt lovers sending her an e-mail that contained a moving recol- of fine furniture into realizing that the studio was still lection of his childhood visit to the Nakashima room in business. A 1998 show, again with Aibel, spread the at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org). news farther afield with gushing pieces in the New Mira contacted him when a job for a woodworker York Times and Architectural Digest. In her self-effac- opened in the chair department. “He’s very into the ing way, Mira credits the successes to others. Dealer philosophy,” she says. “I think he understands what Aibel disagrees, “She wouldn’t be where she is now if my dad did and why he did it. That’s important. It’s she hadn’t hung in and kept working”, he says. more than the product. It’s the thinking behind it. V “This just made it happen faster.”
Publicity is no longer a problem. Art and interior de- sign publication regularly feature her pieces. Mean- while, Mira’s managerial style is evolving. An em- ployee recently complained that his co-workers were upset about her constant request for input. They’d be happier, he said, if she just told them what to do. In other words, be more like her dad. But she’ll never be that. As creative director, she runs a more democratic shop and she’s much more accommodating of client’s requests, even though she can afford to turn away business. The studio’s annual revenue climbed steadi- ly from 1998 to 2004, when it leveled off at around $1 million. The studio raises prices a bit every year; the 2007 prices list has new pieces ranging from $750 for a single stool to $34,000 for its largest dining table and higher for custom orders. At first Mira felt threatened when the vintage market started to catch on, but now she realizes it’s a boon. “The prices of the vintage piec- es are so high, say’s Mira “that ours seem reasonable in contrast”.
THERE HAVE BEEN NEW CHALLENGES IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.
Many of the original craftsmen have retired. Only three of the current ten learned under George, and
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CPPC - 11 # 0 0 # Remember…if it smells like a bad claim, it probably is By Tom Kuhns – West Interior Services, Inc. – PA Next, make the delivery but don’t make it to the ship- Over the past few years my company and I have been per’s home. You can easily make arrangements to involved in several claims involving shipments that have the shipment delivered to another facility and were damaged by mold, mildew, gasoline or some have prior arrangements made for the owner to be other strong mal-order. These damages have been present at delivery, along with representatives of the caused by a variety of reasons, but I would like to ad- moving company or their designated claims handling dress the claims from a perspective other than the ac- representative. The most logical approach is to deliver tual physical damages to the shipper’s personal prop- the shipment to the warehouse of a repair/restoration erty. service that is experienced and familiar with the han- dling of cleaning, deodorization, restoration or other We’re living in an age of environmental awareness, necessary measures of remediation for any goods individual allergic sensitivity and a very heightened in the shipment that are considered salvageable. A level of general health concerns. professional restoration firm can also assist with the assessment and evaluation of items that might be My claims service business is located in a medium damaged beyond restoration and could require cash size market of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the sur- settlement. There are several highly skilled and high- rounding areas of Western Pennsylvania. Just in this ly trained professional companies located all over the medium market I have experienced and been directly country that are equipped and trained to handle situ- involved in the handling of claims where the shipper ations involving mold, mildew, smoke odor, gasoline has been exposed to potential detrimental health and odor or other severe contaminates. The firms that are home environmental problems as a result of the de- trained and equipped to handle these situations gen- livery of known contaminated shipment to the resi- erally belong to one of the trade associations for their dence. I have tried to educate claims adjusters and profession. These trade associations publish rosters claims managers regarding the substantial risks and of their members showing their geographic locations exposure of delivering contaminated shipment to and skill levels. This information is readily and regu- the residence, however, it appears that the message larly available through our office. is being ignored or misunderstood by the majority of claims handling professionals in our industry. There At our CPPC seminars and conventions we often hear are claims managers and attorneys that belong to our the questions asked “What can we do about claim association that could readily tell you about court prevention?” Well, here is a recommendation to pre- cases and claim settlements, reaching as high as 6 or vent “big ticket” claims from getting out of control. It 7 figures, that could have been avoided and a com- makes no sense to expose the shipper and their family mon sense approach to the claim when this kind of to a known potential health risk problem. I had an situation occurs. Plain and simply stated… DON’T adjuster say to me recently that she had the driver de- DELIVER CONTAMINATED GOODS TO THE SHIP- liver the mold and mildew damaged shipment to the PER’S RESIDENCE. owner’s garage as her way of handling the exposure potential. This was a 2 car garage attached to the I realize that there are a lot of reasons for needing to house. It had a wooden door that goes directly form get the shipment off the truck and in the possession the garage into the home. Do you think the mold and of the shipper. There are a lot of ways to accomplish mildew odor found its way into the home? If you an- this without exposing the mover to substantial finan- swered yes, you’re absolutely right. It then gets into cial risk and liability. First, always make the shipper the air handling system and travels throughout the immediately aware of the situation as soon as it be- entire house. comes known to the driver, agent, etc. Concealing the problem until delivery could easily be construed as If you need any additional information on this sub- negligence on the part of the mover and its represen- ject, please feel free to contact me at 1-800-860-8815. tatives. You don’t want the shipper being surprised at Remember…if it smells like a bad claim, it probably delivery. is. V
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CPPC - 19 # 0 0 # What’s Happening in the Claims Department at SIRVA By Linda Hamilton
At Allied Van Lines, we are excited about the changes sion of the northAmerican claims into CMS. Many that have been made this year in our Domestic Claims north American claims adjusters have been process- Department. ing Allied claims in CMS to enhance their knowledge of the system so they will be ready for testing and Our focus for 2007 is working as a team with our going live in early 2008. Our claims team at the Ft agents to provide a more proficient way of doing Wayne, IN campus will be focusing on reaching the business “Better Together.” We continue to enhance same paperless goal next year. There will be one our communication amongst each other so that our system to assign repair services to new claim assign- customers will receive the utmost in customer ser- ments and a central area to handle any payments that vice. Our commitment to this goal will be projected are filed by a repair firm online in CMS. The efficien- throughout the remainder of this year. cies should be significant.
A huge accomplishment by the Allied Domestic Another accomplishment by the Claims Department Claims Team was to reach the goal of going “pa- was the integration of the International Claims De- perless.” The capacity of our Claims Management partment into the same department as the Domestic System (CMS) allows the administrative and adjust- Claims Department located in the Westmont, IL cam- ing teams to proficiently work most claims issues pus. Focus and changes are being made throughout through this system. All claims documents received the transitioning stages of incorporating day-to-day are now scanned into an imaging system, and the functions amongst the administrative and adjusting documents can be viewed at our corporate offices teams and as we move forward an emphasis will be and at each agency. The adjusting teams have dual to also incorporate the International Claims into CMS monitors to enhance their efficiency in working each as well in the future. claim through CMS as well as viewing the shipping documents for each customer’s move at the same Of course we have a “wish list” of enhancements we time. With the elimination of a claims file folder, we would like added to CMS, and we are working dili- cut down on cost of paper, folders, time spent pull- gently to continue to review our system and imple- ing and locating file folders, shuffling paperwork in ment these enhancements as we move forward. order to complete the claim … and we save trees. Al- though many people were apprehensive about tak- In our business, proficiency in our daily tasks is a ing this approach to handling a claim, we decided to must and CMS is helping us to reach that focus as we move forward and have reached our goal almost 6 move ahead! V months ahead of schedule. As a surprise to quite a few, the transition was painless. Announcing yet another new We are currently working in the test phase of our next CPPC innovation: enhancement to CMS where we will enter and pro- cess all pre-claim notes in CMS. The pre-claim notes contain important information regarding the cus- tomer’s potential claim, delay situations, and tracing and of claimed missing items. These enhancements will provide less paperwork and the ability of all to be aware of what is happening on a customer’s claims issues. These factors will provide efficiencies for the will now be accepted as options internal staff and will also be a plus for communicat- ing with our customers. for all CPPC payments. You ask... we deliver! As we move forward, we are also focusing on the fu-
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Jonathan M. Heisey 1-719-252-4022 email: [email protected] 1414 East Chama Dr. Pueblo West, CO 81007
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These units can be placed anywhere on a vehicle with the !SK THE use of the built in magnet. Although this unit cannot pro- vide real time tracking, it can provide a complete history. It logs date, time, speed and even altitude. The unit only #OMPUTER activates when it detects movement. This saves on battery power and also allows the unit to log the length of time 'UY spent at every stop. With regular use, the two AAA batter- ies will last about a week. If the batteries go out, there is no BY 'UY %NDSLEY loss of data.
,ONE 3TAR 2ESTORATIONS The retrieval of data is easy. As shown in the photo, there is a standard USB connection under a protective cap. Simply plug the unit into your computer and down load the data. Once the data is downloaded, accompanying software will Let’s Go There . . . provide reports and maps on the unit’s activity. Reports are provided in .html format. This allows the program to set I was having a conversation the other day with a colleague the text as active links. When clicked, the links will place about our concerns we had with the efficiency of service the vehicles activity on Google Earth (example shown in routes. We had both recently deployed trackers in vehicles image 2). You may also choose to have the entire route and were comparing our finds. Although it is truly unfor- played back as a moving record. tunate, occasionally, we may have to deal with a dishonest employee or an unruly teenager. In business, it is in the in- terest of the company to maintain service efficiency. Also, are employees using company assets for personal use? Are they driving safely? With a teenager, it is simply their safety in reference to where they are going or if their driving reck- lessly.
There are many systems out on the market which offer a large range of features. Some systems offer live tracking Other advantages relate to cost. These units can be had through your internet service provider. With these systems, from Land Air Sea at a cost of around $230. Also, they can you may even set up warnings for such things as when a be moved from one vehicle to another which allows flex- vehicle leaves a designated geographic area or when speed ibility to spot check vehicles as needed. limits are exceeded. These same systems will also allow you to disable the vehicle. These are great features, however There is always a downside. The erosion of trust within generally considered excessive. Other disadvantages are a company is a delicate issue and should be handled ap- these systems generally have a higher initial investment for propriately. One should also check their local laws in the the equipment, installation, and monitoring plan subscrip- application of such equipment. Certainly your company tions. manual should cover such devices, their use and related policies. There are, however, simpler systems. One widely used is a small portable unit, which isseen in image one. If you think you are a possible candidate for tracking, there is hope. There are also similar devices which jamb gps tracking equipment. Just plug them into your car’s power point (cigarette lighter) and you will be hidden. These little scramblers will run you about $200. If your cell phone has tracking features, you may be out of luck and track able.
Thank each of you once again for your feedback and sup- port. Please contact me with any questions or suggestions at [email protected]. ~Guy Endsley Lone Star Restorations© V
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The on-site furniture repair experts, proudly serve the Southeast.
Alabama Serving Madison County Steve & Corinne Healy p 256/882-9298 f 256/882-9298 www.4furnituremedic.com/AL/21169 Serving Jefferson & Shelby Counties Butch Rowell p 205/982-0029 f 205/982-0043 [email protected] Arkansas Serving Northeast Arkansas & the Bootheel of Missiouri Furniture Medic of NEA p 870/215-0312 f 870/239-6951 [email protected]
Georgia Serving Cobb County Tom Sukalac p 770/819-6881 f 678/669-1645 [email protected]
Serving St. Simons, Brunswick, St. Mary’s & Amelia Island Wayne & Ginny Caldwell Louisiana p 912/729-6061 f 912/673-6235 Serving the New Orleans metro area [email protected] Bob Satterlee p 985/845-7949 c 985/237-3266 Florida [email protected] Serving the Miami metro area North Carolina Jerry & Helen Doyle Serving Polk County p 305/666-2125 f 305/234-6565 Robert Brewer [email protected] p 864/574-2030 f 864/574-1966 Serving Winter Park [email protected] Andy Geraci Virginia p 407/382-3470 f 407/695-3114 Serving Greensboro, High Point & Serving Fairfax & Prince William [email protected] the surrounding area Counties Tom DelVecchio Robert T. DeMay Serving Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, p 336/454-5529 f 336/454-0317 p 703/339-9736 f 703/339-9738 Lee & Northern Collier Counties [email protected] [email protected] Parker/Haywood www.furnituremedic-nova.com p 941/473-4180 f 941/475-5308 South Carolina [email protected] Serving Central Virginia Serving Greenville Bob Borkovec Jeff McCall Serving the Tampa metro area p 540/586-8998 f 309/402-2617 p 864/235-6812 f 864/235-6813 [email protected] Kim & Lisa Logan [email protected] p 813/503-4772 f 727/863-7133 Serving Fairfax County [email protected] Serving Spartanburg Thomas Holmes Robert Brewer p 703/451-8035 f 703/913-3225 Serving Panama City and p 864/574-2030 f 864/574-1966 surrounding areas [email protected] Janet & Charles Reed Serving Stafford & Spotsylvania p 850/770-9928 f 850/770-9927 Tennessee Counties Thomas Holmes c 850/819-4034 Serving Franklin, Brentwood & [email protected] p 540/288-2255 f 703/913-3225 Murfreesboro [email protected] Serving Niceville & surrounding areas Jerry Uhrine David & Pauline Richard p 615/368-3159 f 615/368-3169 Corporate Headquarters p 850/897-3335 f 850/897-6607 [email protected] Serving the US, Canada & the UK [email protected] Memphis, TN Serving the greater Memphis metro area p 800/877-9933 Serving Tallahassee Bill & Carl McCrary www.furnituremedic.com Dell Moore p 901/753-8211 f 901/755-9874 p 850/893-5500 f 850/877-8800 [email protected] [email protected] Serving the Memphis metro area Serving Broward & Palm Beach Counties Rick Bach p 901/405-9464 Tom Fleckenstein [email protected] p 954/750-2468 f 954/972-5970 p 954/340-3278 [email protected]
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www.ManningClaimServices.com
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$ID ! 0OTENTIAL #USTOMER *UST 0ASS 4HIS !D
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CPPC - 33 # 0 0 # 8FMDPNF/FX.FNCFST
Mr. Handyman Mr. Handyman Mr. Handyman of Winter Park of NE Sacramento County of St. Paul Northern Suburbs Daniel Hamlin Joseph Watkins Steven L. Brown 5066 Dr. Phillips Blvd. 7405 Greenback Lane, #273 1310 E. Hwy 96, Suite 103 Orlando, FL 32819 Citrus Heights, CA 95610 White Bear Lake, MN 55110 Phone: 321-251-8208 Phone: 916-676-2602 Phone: 651-426-8701 Fax: 321-251-8222 Fax: 916-242-9299 Fax: 651-426-8702 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Mr. Handyman Mr. Handyman of Hilton Head Mr. Handyman of Greater Peoria LLC of East Central Pasco County Ronald Power Marcelo Isaak Kevin Koeberle 49 Browns Cove Road, Suite #3 8510 N. Knoxville Ave. #306 35126 Meadow Reach Drive Ridgeland, SC 29936 Peoria, IL 61615-2034 Zephyrhills, FL 33541 Phone: 843-645-5510 Phone: 309-550-5137 Phone: 813-333-0774 Fax: 843-645-5509 Fax: 309-282-6021 Fax: 800-985-4184 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Mr. Handyman of Pasadena Mr. Handyman Mr. Handyman Jaime Ramirez of Lawrenceville & Athens of Northwest Sacramento 150 E. Montecito Ave., Suite B Napier Minor Robert Mihalus Sierra Madre, CA 91024 1351 Jennings Mill Rd., Suite D 3031 Stanford Ranch Rd., Suite 2 #345 Phone: 626-836-4674 Bogart, GA 30622 Rocklin, CA 95765 Fax: 626-836-8907 Phone: 770-995-5585 Phone: 916-435-5003 [email protected] Fax: 706-207-2450 Fax: 916-632-7199 [email protected] [email protected]
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Mr. Handyman Two Men And A Truck Two Men And A Truck of Northwest Ventura County Eric Misic Mike Lally Rod Goodman 3215 Mathew Ave, NE, Ste. A 5306 Bardstown Rd. 2186 Eastman # 103 Albuquerque, NM 87107 Louisville, KY 40291 Ventura, CA 93003 Phone: 505-872-8787 Phone: 502-454-6999 Phone: 805-658-8057 Fax: 505-872-0692 Fax: 502-491-8989 Fax: 805-830-0475 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Two Men And A Truck Weathersby Guild – Central Ohio Mr. Handyman Mike Koehl Donna Paul of San Marco/Southside/Jax 5404 Bandera Rd. Ste110 2118 Lake Rd SE David Webb San Antonio, TX 78238 Lancaster, OH 43130 3800 Atlantic Blvd. Phone: 210-280-1961 Phone: 740-746-0213 Jacksonville, FL 32207 Fax: 210-680-1961 Fax: 866-435-8005 Phone: 904-398-7450 [email protected] [email protected] Fax: 904-398-398-7455 [email protected] Two Men And A Truck Charles Allen IV Mr. Handyman of Greater Cypress 2980 Gillespie St. Stephen Desselle Fayetteville, NC 28306 14090 FM 2930 Rd., Ste. G-325 Phone: 910-426-6683 Tomball, TX 77377 Fax: 910-426-6684 Phone: 281-357-4263 [email protected] Fax: 281-351-0200 [email protected]
CPPC - 35 # 0 0 # Dealing with Antiques Ken Larbes same set that has been refinished would be worth close Professional Furniture Service Inc. to the $4,000.00 to $5,000.00 it was worth with the orig- inal finish. Now if you are looking at a dining room One of the first things and maybe the hardest thing set worth $40,000.00 to $50,000.00 it becomes a new to deal with antiques is getting past all the things the ball game where you would want to not refinish un- customer has seen on TV. The Antique’s Road Show less there was no other option. If you do repair/touch although very entertaining will not apply in most cas- up or work on antiques there are some general rules to es. Unless you are dealing with a very high dollar an- follow no matter what the value of the piece. First al- tique the rules of should I keep the old finish so as to ways try to repair the antique with something that can not have a loss of value do not apply. A better rule of be reversed such as a burn in rather than a wood filer thumb is do I want this piece in my house for all my such as bondo or other hard wood filers. Always try to friends to see as it is or should it be refinished or recon- repair the piece and not make new parts such as legs, ditioned to look good in the house. A very high per- doors, and ornamental pieces. Always try to use the centage of the time the antiques we are dealing with finish that was on the piece originally. Generally un- are something that has been in the family for years. less some major repairs are done to the antique there is Maybe a dining room set that has no great value but no or at least very little loss of value. If it is an antique might say be worth say between $4,000.00 to $5,000.00 it will have places that have been damaged and maybe dollars with the original finish in very good condition. repaired, it will be part of the history of the piece. V If in very poor condition with the original finish would be worth $1,000.00 to $1,500.00. I would guess that the
CPPC - 36 # 0 0 # Are You Connected with Atlas CMS? By Brandi Ames Atlas Van Lines, Inc. Trainer, Customer Service Department
Calling all vendors, are you currently working with With CMS, there is no sign-on or password that needs Atlas Van Lines as a vendor? If you answered yes to be remembered, we all have enough of those al- to this question, read on for additional information ready. The link is encrypted to the vendor id that has regarding the new web-based system that Atlas Cus- been assigned to you by Atlas. No other vendor can tomer Service is now using. access your site in CMS. The link can be saved as a favorite on your web browser or you can create a As of June 2007, Atlas has implemented a new claims shortcut to your desktop. To create a shortcut, for system. While there are always those pesky bugs, we have a more efficient system than before. The exter- minator has been called, and with the appropriate enhancements in the future, we should get most of those bugs eliminated. We call the system “CMS”, Claims Management System and was developed to allow our users direct interactive access to review and process claims.
As a vendor in the Atlas system, you will have access to CMS via a link in your assignments from Atlas. We are sending all new assignments through email, if we have a valid email address in our system. If you have an email address and you are receiving as- signments via a fax, please contact us today to get this updated; or connect into the system using the link provided at the bottom of the assignment. Once you are linked to Atlas, you have the ability to verify your vendor profile and confirm all information is updated and accurate.
CMS is best used with Internet Explorer 5.0 or great- er. If you are using another provider and experience difficulties, please contact a member of the Customer Service Staff at 1-800-638-9797 or at [email protected].
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CPPC - 38 # 0 0 # Sweet and Cynical
Dear Sweet and Cynical, movers might not even think to consider when they are reviewing the costs they are presented with from How do we investigate the validity of some of the a vendor. Sometimes sitting in an office, the view charges that vendors are charging these days? As a gets a little clouded and the wheels of imagination small business partner, it seems at times we are truly start to run wild. You begin to see these “let’s get rich over paying for what would appear to be a simple quick schemes” that vendors must be plotting with repair. What are we missing from this side of the ta- their decision to increase their fees. No way that a ble? simple inspection can run from the bare minimum to past the cost of an expensive dinner for 4. Obvi- Yours Truly, ously those working at the higher end of this scale Wondering in West U.S. must think their reports are gold and anyone want- ing them is going to pay through the teeth. Well, I personally can tell you that is not the case. I know Dear Wondering, from a recent conversation with several vendors, that there are very few out in the field that are laughing Well, this is a very interesting question. Especially all the way to the bank with their over inflated fee of late you may have noticed some charges rising schedule. from various vendors. The initial factor that is being shared is the rising fuel costs and the impact that may The reality of the situation involves a large number of be having on a vendor’s daily work. factors. A single man shop with little or no over head charging minimally for a basic inspection can derive Others may have a totally different reason for their choice in raising their costs.
The important factor I find is based on a working relationship and open communication with anyone you are conducting business. Some of your movers have specific guidelines that vendors must stay with- in, others have none. Just the same, some vendors charge for certain things while others include them in their general fee. We could all go back and re-live the picture cost issue of a few months back, but lets not.
A vendor’s fees can be based on a lot of factors that
CPPC - 39 # 0 0 # just as much profit from his work as a larger vendor ate for the cost tied to it. If not, buyer beware. with a mass operation that is charging several times the same amount for the inspection. The comparison This girl has you covered, Mrs. Sweet. has to go way beyond the actual fee being charged. As someone seeking the services of any vendor, you Well, Wondering...... it is that time isn’t it? The time truly need to understand what you are dealing with when the economy slows down and everyone spends and with whom you might be working. It is impor- all their time looking at each other and thinking about tant that you know the vendor well enough to know whether or not they can do without you, or if they if you are choosing the service that best fits your par- could get away with beating you out of $10 on your ticular needs. The old adage you get what you pay for next invoice. has merit; but you also need to know when you need what, so you are being smart by what you are paying Just maybe what “we” are missing from that side of for as well. If all you need is a bare bones inspection, the table is a shred of insite and perspective on how then choose the firm that is going to give you that and much it actually cost to operate a small business. at a cost that is acceptable to you. There is nothing wrong in negotiating that direct with the vendor, es- I do realize that we are dealing with some difficult pecially if you do not need the norm with all the extra times when it comes to business expense. bells and whistles. Fuel cost is up, and business is down for both the car- I agree that any report should be sufficient to accom- riers and the repair firms. plish what you need; but let’s face it; sometimes you need a lot of extras for some accounts than you do for However, the wisest of business people are not going others. The better working relationship and lines of to use this hiccup in the economy as an opportunity to communication you have with the vendors you are take advantage of the people they owe a portion using, the better you will understand what you are paying for with any service they are providing.
Knowledge is power for anyone. It is time you open up those lines of communication and stop guessing what might be truths or falsehoods. If you don’t know or don’t understand fees you are being charged, or question their validity, then call and clarify and stop wasting your time wondering if the fees are appropri- ate.
An inspection by a vendor involves more than just the 15 to 60 minutes involved in the actual inspection. In a mass operation, that fee is also covering the recep- tionist answering the phone and setting the schedule, it is covering the general operation of a facility, it is covering the expense and operating costs of a vehicle and then it is also covering the time of the actual in- spector and the report process.
The larger the operation, the more that money has to cover. But with your larger operations you can also have more options of coverage for a job as more peo- ple could be available to handle, over that of a one man shop. Know your vendors, know their strengths, know your needs and then you can make an informed decision and know what you are getting is appropri-
CPPC - 40 # 0 0 # of their livelihood and successes. And that goes both tions like this one. ways! Too bad...... if you had shown up we could have gotten If you are not sure about a charge, call the company together and asked for a raise so we wouldn’t have to and ask them why this particular repair is so costly. price gouge each other to get it! You might learn some new things about finishes you can share with your friends. Just joking.
Some repairs may cost more because of the liability I know.....I know...... that will cost me an extra 5.00 to that is involved in repairing the piece, moving it, or 6.00 per picture! Sorry Mrs. Sweet, I just had to say the nature of the damages. it......
Most repair companies are eager to share the techni- In closing, I do think the old bat.... I mean Mrs. Sweet calities in repairing it, but be prepared. Some of them covered this question pretty well. I am not certain I will keep you on the phone forever with the most bor- answered any of it, but I sure did enjoy not answer- ing correspondence and explainations you have ever ing it. heard. It’s enough to drive me to drink! Signed, Cynical V Speaking of drinking, I am guessing that you didn’t spend any of those screaming pennies you’ve been pinching going to the New Orleans Workshop and finding out a little more about this topic. They did have some repair demonstrations and plenty of op- portunities to ask loaded and totally one sided ques-
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&ROM cides to get only 4 of the 10 items repaired; well, 60% of our PU/Del. fee goes out the window. We would THE /THER need to go back to the insurance or moving company 3IDE OF to recover fees. The long and short of it is, we started incorporating a PU/ Del. fee as I see that as separate THE $ESK labor. If you repair a chair (take it apart, reinforce it) and it cost $250 to do that then that should be the cost to repair the chair. If you need to drive 40 miles to "Y $AN -ANNING -ANNING #LAIM 3ERVICES take an item back to your shop then 40 miles to de- liver it back then I don’t think a Pickup / Delivery Fee is inordinate. What Are All These Charges? By the same token, fuel charges, travel time – I don’t know about that, it’s something my company has Manning Claiming Services like other repair firms, on never done. Apparently, a lot of firms do. The stan- occasion, are called in to provide a 2nd opinion on a dard price of fuel has gone up but I do feel that this claim that someone else had gotten involved with. shouldn’t be incorporated into the repair cost of a piece or the pick up & delivery fee. We recently received an out of state claim that some other repair firm was assigned to. The other firm had I guess I’m probably opening up a can of warms here, denied a couple of items; those denials were based on but it seems like each individual repair firm has their inherent vice. The claim rep provided us with photos own policy when it comes to the moving & insurance of the items that were in question as well as the other companies when they are doing a claim. Some repair repair firms report. While the claim itself wasn’t ex- firms feel these fees are necessary, as they should as traordinary in any particular sense, the other repair independent business owners. firms report was quite good. The one thing I did find But, although the cost of business is going up, we extraordinary were all the charges at the end of the also know the amount of business is going down. report. This repair firm had listed the normal charges to repair the furniture and then there was a charge My question is really to the adjusters / claims reps – what for travel, a $2. per photo charge, a $15 fuel surcharge do you really want to see? Do you want to see these plus a pick up & delivery charge. After all those fees hidden? Do you think these fees are fair? Should charges were added up the state sales tax was piled there be travel time charges? Fuel charges? Pick up on top of it all. I thought to myself that’s a lot of charges. & delivery charges? V I’m wondering, is this the standard? Is this OK with most of the adjusters? There were so many charges my head was spinning.
The question is – what is acceptable and what is not accept- able to adjusters as far as charges go in a report.
It’s been my experience that some companies don’t like to see the photo charge (they like to see it hidden inside the repair total). Other companies don’t like to see a travel fee (they want to see that hidden) and other companies don’t want to see a pick up & deliv- ery fee (they want that hidden as well). For years we never charged a pick up & delivery fee. We would build that into each item on an estimate but that came back to bite us on a number of occasions. EXAMPLE: Say there is a 10 item claim. The insurance or mov- ing company cash settles with the shipper for the cost to repair the 10 items quoted. Then the shipper de-
CPPC - 42 #LAIMS 0REVENTION 0ROCEDURE #OUNCIL PRESRT STD 0/ "OX .EWBURGH ). U.S. POSTAGE PAID Evansville, IN Permit No. 3221