When a winter storm is about to blast in, everybody needs to be ready.
As a property manager, you’re a key player in making sure everybody connected to your site is well informed and prepared.
“Communication is key,” says David Keffer, branch manager at Level Green Landscaping. “You need to communicate with everybody from your tenants to your clients to your security guard to your engineer.”
Keffer shares some tips on how to do it — and how Level Green helps.
“When we’re working with a client, we have a snow removal plan in place,” Keffer says. “We start planning for snow in July.”
We make sure you know that plan. So share the information, Keffer says, with tenants, employees and the delivery companies and others who regularly visit your property.
“When will we start plowing?” Keffer says. "Where should they park? Where will we pile the snow? Tell them not to park near entrances, handicap spaces or storm drains.”
“Make sure your property is in shape before a big snow event,” Keffer says.
That means talking with your maintenance staff about any property needs before a storm.
“Are there potholes or trip hazards that would impede the snow removal process?” Keffer says. “Get those taken care of before a big snow event.”
Are your storm drains clear of debris? Clogged drains will flood, then freeze, becoming treacherous in a big storm.
“You don’t want any build-up of snow on your roof,” Keffer says. “That can lead to a catastrophic collapse.”
Make arrangements to have excess roof snow cleared as it piles up.
“Will your staff be helping with snow removal?” Keffer asks. “If they’ll be running snow plows or snow blowers, are they all running properly? Are they serviced and ready to go?”
If you ordered your own ice melt products, do you have enough?
“We often see people run out during a big storm,” Keffer says.
“Who’s in your building 24 hours a day?” Keffer says. “Think about security guards or other people who have to stay on the premises. Maybe there’s a dialysis center on site that people access at all hours. Maybe there are deliveries 24 hours a day.
Be sure the people know the snow removal plan.”
And be sure they’re safe and warm.
“Don’t forget about your people,” Keffer says. “If you have employees who have to stay on site during the storm, is there someplace for them to stay warm? To get food and rest?
“Are there hotel rooms nearby for people who can’t get all the way home?”
“Will we be pre-treating your property with brine to delay build up of ice and snow?” Keffer says. “You need to let people know.”
You don’t want the areas blocked by cars.
Which leads us to…
“Nothing’s more disheartening to a snow removal contractor than a big empty parking lot with three cars parked right in the middle of it,” Keffer says. “Sometimes people decide to leave their cars at work all night. Be sure to tell them if they want to do that, to park them all together off to one side of the lot.”
Will your business be open during the storm? Or closed up tight? Communicate your plan to anybody affected.
“People prefer all different types of communication,” Keffer says. “Some like email, others like texts or phone calls.”
One Level Green client sends out email blasts with important information before snow events, he says.
“I like email blasts,” Keffer says. “They really grab attention.”
“We meet with our clients about their snow removal plans in late summer or early fall,” Keffer says. “We draw up maps of their property. How many people will we need? What types of equipment? Where will we pile the snow?”
Then, once snow season hits, our communication really plows into full gear.
“We’ll keep you in the loop,” Keffer says.
Five days before a predicted weather event, we send an email about the impending weather.
Then, 48 hours before, we call or email with an update. Another call goes out 24 hours ahead.
You’ll know our exact plan of attack.
Then, we keep you updated throughout the storm. Crews take photos of their progress with their cell phone cameras that account managers can forward to keep you posted.
And because we tell you, you have all the information you need to tell your tenants, customers, delivery people, employees and anyone else who needs communication updates.
Sure, it’s up to you to communicate with key people before a snow event.
But if you’re a Level Green customer, we’ll do half the work for you, by providing you with all you need to know about our snow removal plan.
If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers. Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia.
Contact us at 202-544-0968. You can also request a free consultation online to meet with us one-on-one.
We’d love to hear from you.