Keep scope, expectations in sync

By Douglas Freer, CSP

Many contractors claim to provide “the best service” around. What does this mean exactly? How does your customer know that you are any different from the three competitors who came peddling the same claim? If the statement is made with any with more passion and conviction, does it make it any more true or believable? If other variables (including pricing) are the same, who should the prospect believe—you or your competition? How will you make your case?

Service expectations
“Service” can cover any number of aspects, and a prospect that’s looking to change providers will evaluate your professionalism, communication style and other personal or company attributes during the sales process. The prospect’s experience in this regard is somewhat tangible and will draw conclusions from these interactions. What a prospective customer can’t readily experience is the type or level of service that you will provide.

The “best service” claim invariably relates to performing the scope of work that is outlined in your agreement. The customer’s satisfaction with your services is based on his expectations, which begins with the scope of work. With scope playing such a key role, it is important to answer the following:

• How did you arrive at the scope of work that will be performed? Did the customer provide it in a request for
proposal (RFP)? Is it your scope?
• Did you customize the scope to
the customer’s specific needs based on observations and conversations?
• Did you test the scope to see whether it fit the prospect’s needs and budget?
• Is the scope realistic?
• Will the customer be satisfied if you actually perform to the written scope?

Delivering on expectations
When meeting prospective customers, you will need to answer questions, overcome objections and convey competency so they have confidence in your claims 
to meet their expectations. Your “best service” claim will be evaluated on at least two levels:

Performance during the storm. Your ability to get to their property and clear it, regardless of storm conditions, within the expected time frame has much to do with capacity, routing and storm management. Customer comments and complaints typically focus on poor service during the storm event, which comes from service that is too little or too late. How soon you are able to get the property back to 
bare pavement after a storm event is 
directly related to how you manage the site through the event.

Post-storm site conditions. After the event has passed, the condition of your customer’s property becomes a secondary, but very important, consideration. If temperatures remain below freezing for an extended period and there is no fresh snowfall, how much snow and ice will your customer live with until the next thaw? Have you cleared the primary areas completely and thoroughly? How you have cleared the site in previous storms, and where you stack and store the snow, impacts the site long after the snow stops. How complete you are in your service is a matter of having the right equipment, training your operators and having the time to do the necessary work.

Refining scope
When discussing your prospective customer’s needs and expectations, show examples of what you are describing in your scope of work. By using pictures and/or video, you will likely deepen the conversation about the details and unveil the customer’s true expectations. Work to refine the scope of work and snow response plan to reflect the equipment, staff and materials necessary to efficiently and effectively manage the site to their expectations.

Customer RFPs and scope of work often contain conflicting statements. Be careful about accepting the scope of work at face value without discussing what the details will mean for the site, both during and after a storm event. Balancing the scope of work with the customer’s budget is an important step to making sure that your relationship has an opportunity to make it past the first season.

The time invested up front will pay dividends later. Demonstrate to your customers and prospects the value you provide by explaining the reasoning behind the processes you have in place to properly and efficiently perform your snow services. A little client education will go a long way toward improving their perception of you as a snow professional.

Attention to detail can help clarify scope
As the snow and ice professional, it is your job to make sure your prospective customers understand what the scope of work really means for their sites. Attention to detail and communication with the customer can go a long way to ensuring you meet service expectations—and that the scope matches those expectations. Whether it’s placement of snow piles, sidewalk work, cart corrals or the mess left behind once the snow has melted, talking with them about how you intend to leave their site may uncover additional concerns they did not realize they had … and open the door for you to sell them on the value of the service you offer.

Foot Traffic
The first picture below shows where snow was shoveled off the walks and to the curb, leaving a ridge of snow that customers must cross to get from the lot to the walk. The second picture below shows a somewhat clear walk against the building with snow piled on the concrete parking bumpers. Both of these are service failures. If the store staff is being tasked with the sidewalk clearing, it is a good opportunity to upsell your sidewalk services to ensure the safety of their customers.

The third picture below was taken the morning immediately after a snowstorm. The sidewalk, parking bumpers and the space between is clear, with snow plowed and piled away from the building. If no precipitation continues, the walk will be dry and clear regardless of refreeze conditions. How will the first two walks fair when conditions for refreeze occur?

Cart Corrals How does your company handle cart corrals? Are they left full of snow, or is snow pushed and piled around them? When corrals are not serviced, carts accumulate in the drive lanes and become a hazard for drivers and pedestrians. Do you specify and price your work to include the necessary labor to properly clear corrals? What is the value to your customer for this additional work and attention to detail.

Traffic Flow Snow was pushed from the aisle to the left across the entrance and piled into the exit lane at this shopping plaza. The snow blocks traffic flow, forcing vehicles into oncoming traffic to exit. What happens when the pile gets larger? Will it block site lines? The curb line is obstructed and will remain so until the snow completely melts. How long will traffic be diverted around the pile, causing congestion and possible accidents? Did the plaza owner know that the contractor would store snow in the entry/exit lanes? Why did the contractor do this? Was he inexperienced? Did he not care? Did he have the wrong equipment for the job? Whatever the reason, it’s clear the specifications for this site did not include stacking/storing snow in this location.

Handicapped parking areas What should handicapped parking areas look like after service? The details count, particularly in areas where people are walking. Stairs, ramps, walks, curbs, bumper stops and curb cutouts demand extra attention to eliminate snow and ice buildup. Any remaining snow and ice can cause potential for slip/fall accidents for weeks after a snow event.

Awnings How do you treat overhead awnings in your scope of work? Are they included? Finding snow on our clean walk one night, we are now more diligent about clearing the awnings during a snow event. It is less work to manage it proactively than to be called back by the customer to clear the snow that has fallen, or to learn that someone slipped on the ice that was created after the snow fell from the awnings and refroze.

Reduced Parking Space Stacking snow around light poles reduces space in adjacent parking spaces. The snow pile will continue to thaw and refreeze, providing for slick pavement in the surrounding area. By relocating the snow piles out of primary parking areas, slip and fall risk is reduced. It doesn’t take any more time to clear the snow away from the light poles during a snow event than it does to pile snow around them, so why do it?

Post-Event Services What services do you include after the snow season is completed? Do you return to repair damaged property including turf, landscape elements and curbs? Do you include sweeping debris from where snow piles have melted? Address this in your conversations with prospective customers to better understand their needs and expectations.

The 2 pictures below were taken at retail locations the morning after a large snowfall event. The first picture shows a sidewalk that has been cleared; however, snow has been piled against support columns and the curb line, and large amounts of compacted snow remain on the walks. These walks are cleared and have been treated with deicer, but has the work been completed satisfactorily and according to the scope? The second picture shows all snow cleared away from the building and bumper stops. While not perfect (some compacted ice remains on the walkway), which picture does your prospect envision when they include sidewalk clearing in their scope of work?

All photos by Douglas Freer, CSP. Douglas Freer, CSP owns Blue Moose Co., Inc. in Cleveland, OH. Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .