Natural disasters are one of the most devastating things that can happen to a business owner. Not only is their business, which has their blood, sweat and tears put into it, affected, but chances are they live fairly close to their business so their homes and lives are also affected. This can amount to an immeasurable amount of stress and grief for the entire business and the community it resides in.
While it is impossible to stop mother nature from doing her damage, there are ways to limit the stress and confusion that can occur for your business directly after being hit by a natural disaster. Having an off-site backup is one way to ensure you do not lose any crucial data. Backups that you keep on a drive in your office can burn, have water damage, or blow away while an off-site backup that stores all of your company’s information is located on the cloud, safe from the elements.
Confirmation and clarification of what your insurance covers is another important thing to follow up on. Businesses should be aware of what their insurance will cover and if they need to up their insurance to support them during times of disaster. And finally, lawn care software. Lawn care software is probably nowhere near the top of your brain when thinking about a natural disaster and how to make it through, but it actually can be a life saver.
One of our customers was directly affected by Hurricane Sandy last October. While everyone was safe and faired pretty well against the storm, no one could get into the office due to extreme flooding and routes that were too dangerous. This threw the company for a loop when it came to reaching out to customers about the status of the business. Luckily, our customers had HindSite and were able to use remote access to see their entire database. This allowed them to get in contact with customers and inform them of their situation, reschedule any upcoming appointments, and send well wishes.
Lawn care software stores all of the information you will need right after a natural disaster strikes. You have complete customer information, tech’s schedules, and any other important data needed to ensure that your customers are aware of where your business stands, and are not left in the dark.
We know that in Colorado, homes and businesses have been evacuated for the safety of the community while the state works to control the forest fires. This can make it extremely difficult to update customers and inform them when a business plans to be up and running. Most lawn care software companies also run on mobile devices, allowing other members of the company to access necessary information. Techs are capable of accessing their mobile field service software to check their schedule and where their customers are located to provide the appropriate response. The office can see any reminders that may have been set up to go off during the unplanned disaster, allowing them to take the appropriate action. And you, as the business owner, can reach out to clients either via email or mail and inform them of your company’s situation and showing your support.
Already have techs out in the field using their mobile devices to complete work orders and better serve customers? Check out our Quick and Dirty Technology Checklist to ensure your business is not hampered by unexpected technology failures.
By eliminating paperwork and utilizing remote access through a lawn care software program, field service businesses are still capable of having access to their information, even when they cannot leave their homes. They also don’t have to stress about their paperwork being blown away or burning into nothing, meaning once they are able to get back to the office, they can get right back to work.
Natural disasters are impossible to plan for and extremely hard to recover from. First and foremost, is the safety of those around you. Once the initial shock has passed, it will be time to get back to business and get everyone back on their feet. Lawn care software is just one tool you can utilize to make life’s unpredictable and terrifying moments more bearable.