Wednesday, March 3, 2010

We are here to educate!

Here at ServiceMaster of Portland we are not only notorious for our expertise in WATER & FIRE CLEAN UP but also for our spectacular continuing education (CE) classes. Over the years we have primarily offered these classes to insurance professionals in order to help them maintain their insurance licenses. However, we have realized that there are many other professionals out there that could benefit from our classes as well! We have recently begun to offer CE classes to Real Estate professionals and Property Management staff!
We want to help Real Estate agents maintain their licenses while gaining valuable knowledge on how to prevent and respond to damages that may affect the listed properties of valued customers. We want to help Property Management companies avoid liability issues and lost revenue by training their staff how to prevent and respond disaster that may strike multiple properties.
We offer courses on Mold Prevention, Water Damage Restoration, Smoke & Odor Clean-up, Oregon Law, Flood, & Ethics. These classes have gone through the strenuous approval process to become accredited by the Oregon and Washington State departments of insurance.
Please contact us at 503-234-0707 or visit us ServiceMaster of Portland online for more information or to enroll in our renown courses!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Restoration or Replacement





Following a fire or water damage, restoration is beneficial for both the insurance provider and policyholder. However, there may be instances in which replacement is more appropriate and effective.




Consider restoration when:

  • Restoration costs could be less than 60% of replacement costs

  • Restoration is faster and more convenient than replacement

  • Restoration results are satisfactory
Consider replacement when:
  • Replacement is faster and more convenient that restoration

  • Restoration is not successful

  • The insured demands replacement (within reason)
When you are face with damage in your home or business, remember the professionals at ServiceMaster of Portland can help clean up the damage NOT clean out your wallet!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Vacant Homes Beware



Accordingt to USA Today a record 1 in 9 homes are vacant. How many of you or your clients have property on the market and are struggling to get it sold? Homes that are vacant are often not well kept. A vacant home is more susceptible to theft, vandalism, and during the winter, water pipes freezing and breaking. As you know, some insurance coverages expire after a home has been empty for 30 days and in today's market this is not uncommon. Avoid a claim or an unhappy customer that was "never told" what to do with a vacant home and is faced with an uncovered loss. Advise your clients to buy the proper endorsement and take the nessecary precausions to prevent a loss from occuring. If a loss does occur choose a company you trust to clean up the damage: CALL SERVICEMASTER FIRST!