January 2016 – DKI – Disaster Kleenup International

Complete DKI Has a Rising Star

January 29, 2016 –
DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced that one of its member companies, Complete DKI, of Pensacola, FL., has a “rising star” among them. Ashlee Carpentier, business development manager for Complete DKI was named one of Inweekly’s Rising Stars of 2016.

In the last eight years, Inweekly launched Rising Stars to reco AshleyRising gnize young leaders, under 35 years old, in their professions and the community of Pensacola. They have celebrated more than 400 men and women who represent a wide range of professions, including doctors, lawyers, artists, teachers and small business owners.

Carpentier has worked with Complete DKI, restoring homes and lives, for three and a half years, and looks forward to continuing to build her career.

“I love it. I love the people I work with; I love our clients, and I love making a difference after a person has experienced a disaster, like a flood or fire,” said Carpentier.

About Complete DKI

Complete DKI is a leading restoration contractor in the Pensacola, FL area with 10 years of experience in disaster restoration. Providing restoration services to commercial, insurance and residential clients, the team is fully insured, licensed, and is registered to do business in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties in Florida and Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year using the most up-to-date technologies and quality professionals with superior skills and certifications, their customers count on Complete DKI when things appear at their worst. For more information, please call 850-225-5354 or visit www.completedki.com.

About DKI
DKI, headquartered in Chicago, is the largest disaster restoration contracting organization in North America. DKI Franchise Member companies provide full service restoration to their customers: emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mold remediation, complete reconstruction and much more, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. DKI returns damaged property to its pre-loss condition quickly and efficiently, delivering complete satisfaction to our consumer, insurance, and corporate customers. For more information about DKI, visit our website at www.dkiservices.com and download DKI’s Red Cross Emergency App www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/emergency-app.

Spreading the Valentine’s Day Love Around the Office

Jan 27, 2016

By: Chelsea Haley, DKI Ventures, LLC

With next month surrounding Valentine’s Day and Random Acts of Kindness Week, we got to thinking – How do these occasions tie into employee retention, business growth and customer satisfaction?

Gratitude and Appreciation

All too often we focus on things we can improve upon; negativity tends to overshadow positivity.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 64 percent of Americans who leave their jobs do so because they don’t feel appreciated. Employee appreciation affects performance, engagement and health. A study by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania showed that those employees who receive words of gratitude from authority perform 50 percent better on average than those who are not verbally praised.

Try improving your employee retention, job performance and passion in work by showing a little appreciation. Thanking your employees for a job well done or completing all those last-minute assignments before they leave for the day might put a smile on their faces and increase their work performance for the following day. Happy employees also better your customer’s experience and improve satisfaction.

Volunteering Efforts

Getting involved in your community and philanthropy efforts shows your company cares about the needs of your community and that you’re willing to contribute to improve those conditions. It’s a great way to network and build your customer base. Exposing your company in a positive light can make a customer more likely to purchase your products or services. According to Nielsen’s 2014 Global Survey, 55 percent of online consumers are “willing to pay more for products and services from companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact.”

Furthermore, volunteering is also a great team-building activity. Building employee interaction outside the office is important to get to know one another, to build that camaraderie environment. Executing a proper team-building activity, one that focuses around your company’s core values, such as volunteering, can help build a positive environment.

DKI Stuffs Their Bellies for the Red Cross

January 21, 2016 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, announced they gave back to the American Red Cross, through the local Potbelly Sandwich Shop’s fundraiser on 2830 S. Highland Ave. in Lombard, IL.

Yesterday, the sandwich shop ran a “Half-y Hour” fundraiser from 11:00 AM until 9:00 PM. For any orders placed during this time, the shop gave back 50 percent of their earnings to the Red Cross.

The DKI Corporate Team in Elk Grove Village decided to forgo packing their lunches for work yesterday and, instead, order from Potbelly.

“It was a small way DKI could give back, and get a full belly at the same time,” said VP of Operations Bill Robinson.

To learn more about the Red Cross and its initiatives, visit www.redcross.org.

About DKI
DKI, headquartered in Chicago, is the largest disaster restoration contracting organization in North America. DKI franchise member companies provide full service restoration to their customers: emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mold remediation, complete reconstruction and much more, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. DKI returns damaged property to its pre-loss condition quickly and efficiently, delivering complete satisfaction to our consumer, insurance, and corporate customers. For more information about DKI, visit the website at www.dkiservices.com and download DKI’s Red Cross Emergency App www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/emergency-app.

Are you using social media to improve your customer service?

Jan 18, 2016

By: Chelsea Haley, DKI Ventures, LLC

Social media is becoming increasingly more popular as a means for people to contact and connect with businesses. In 2014, Accent Marketing conducted a survey of 1,000 consumers nationwide, showing 72 percent of consumers only want to interact with a business through comments on social media platforms, as opposed to the traditional telephone or email communication. Furthermore, a quarter of Millennials and more than half of Baby Boomers, studied, find customer comments, posted on a business social media platform, helpful.

So, are you using social media to improve your customer service efforts and increase customer retention? Here are some strategies to apply:

Be Where you Customers Are

Research which platforms your customers use. Then, ensure your business has a page on those platforms, so you can build a direct connection to your customers. It may be helpful to begin searching Facebook and Twitter, as Facebook’s and Twitter’s users currently consist of 58 and 19 percent, respectively, of the entire adult population (Pew Research Center). Accent Marketing found that 82 percent of social media users prefer Facebook as their source for a company’s information or services. 30 percent of these users prefer Twitter for interaction with businesses.

Before You Start

Before you do anything on the social platforms you choose, make sure your page or profile is properly branded. Provide your contact information, including phone number, email and physical or mailing address, as well as, photos and posts relevant to your brand and industry. Don’t forget to include your company’s official logo, tagline, color scheme if appropriate, and anything else that help’s tell your brand’s story.

Find Your Voice

Designate a team member (or a few team members, depending on the size of your marketing department) as your social media contact. This member should properly reflect your brand’s tone of voice, be consistent with the customer’s tone of voice and know when and when not to use emoticons or industry-jargon.

It’s important to be consistent with your messaging and voice to properly represent your brand. However, it’s also important to maintain the proper tone for the social platform you’re dealing with. For example, on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, your messaging might be more a bit more casual or succinct than on LinkedIn. Each platform serves a slightly different need, and it’s important to be aware of this and address your audience properly as pertains to each platform.

Be Engaged and Respond Promptly

If you receive comments, complaints or feedback on your social media pages, respond immediately. Even if you have to research a topic further, make a point to acknowledge the customer. Among The Social Habit respondents, a panel of over 3,000 American social media users who have ever attempted to contact a brand, product, or company through social media for customer support, 42 percent expect a response within 60 minutes. Unfortunately, this also applies to comments received during evening hours and on weekends. According to a Garner study, failure to respond to comments on a business’ social media platforms can lead up to a 15 percent increase in churn rate for existing customers. Be sure to have a plan in place to address feedback promptly and properly.

To Respond or Not To

Because of the lack of restrictions on posting to social media, some comments have gaps in the information and/or aren’t legitimate. It’s important to know when to respond to a complaint and when to delete it. Though, never ignore it; this may only stir the pot. Always contact the person at hand, but it’s not always appropriate to handle the complaint on a public platform. For example, a simple, “We’d love to resolve this for you, though we need more information. Please send this to [email protected] and we’ll contact you ASAP,” shows other consumers, exposed to that post, that you care about your customers and their satisfaction.

The Steam Team/TST Restoration Renews Franchise Membership with DKI

January 15, 2016 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced that The Steam Team/TST Restoration, of Austin, TX, has renewed its franchise membership with the DKI network.

By continuing its DKI franchise membership, The Steam Team will continue to utilize DKI’s 24-hour call center, its DIAMOND® claims tracking technology, and other tools to enhance its ability to serve its insurance and corporate customers. The Steam Team also gains access to DKI’s training seminars and workshops to ensure they remain abreast of all changes in this rapidly evolving industry. In addition to being able to use DKI’s technology and training capabilities, The Steam Team can also continue using the DKI branding in its marketing efforts, participate in its various co-op programs and leverage DKI’s corporate marketing efforts.

“We are delighted that The Steam Team will continue to be a part of the rapidly growing DKI network,” said DKI President Dan Cassara. The Steam Team’s commitment to quick response, superior workmanship and outstanding customer service reaffirms DKI’s position in the marketplace as ‘The Source for Quality Restoration.’ We look forward to continuing our rewarding association with The Steam Team.”

Company owner, David Marquardt, is pleased The Steam Team meets DKI’s high standards for continued franchise membership, as DKI has always stood for excellence in the industry. The opportunity to work in partnership with other quality firms in the DKI network has allowed The Steam Team to expand their scope of services, has introduced them to new markets and helped ensure their continued success.

About The Steam Team/TST Restoration

As the only locally owned, full-service cleaning and catastrophe management company in the greater Austin area, The Steam Team serves homeowners and businesses with a wide range of cleaning and restoration services and prompt, expert, guaranteed service. To learn more, call (800) 880-7785 or visit www.thesteamteam.com.

About DKI

DKI, headquartered in Chicago, is the largest disaster restoration contracting organization in North America. DKI Franchise Member companies provide full service restoration to their customers: emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mold remediation, complete reconstruction and much more, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. DKI returns damaged property to its pre-loss condition quickly and efficiently, delivering complete satisfaction to our consumer, insurance, and corporate customers. For more information about DKI, visit its website at www.dkiservices.com and download DKI’s Red Cross Emergency App www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/emergency-app

Never Cruise in Winter

Jan 14, 2016

By: Chelsea Haley, DKI Ventures, LLC

According to Global Workplace Analytics, 3.7 million employees (2.5% of the workforce) now work from home at least half the time. Some of these remote employees include sales and contracting, which requires frequent, sometimes long-distance traveling. While cruise control can be an advantage to relieve stress while driving long stretches, it can be very dangerous during winter/freezing, wet weather.

A driver should always have control of their vehicle and be prepared for the unknown. When cruise control is activated, it can give a driver a sense of security and they may not be on constant guard. In winter or wet conditions, a vehicle has a tendency to hydroplane, which can be damaging if proper techniques are not applied. Furthermore, the effects of hydroplaning can worsen while in cruise control mode, since to deactivate, the driver must apply the brakes.

The best advice for driving in wet or freezing conditions is to disable your cruise control and decrease your speed. If you start to hydroplane, do not apply the brakes. Simply, remove your foot from the gas, grasp the steering wheel with both hands and steer toward the direction of the skid. Once you have control, you can re-center your vehicle.

For more winter driving safety tips, visit the National Traffic Safety Institute.

Cousino Harris’ Annual Play it Forward Returns to Levis Commons

January 13, 2016 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced that one of its member companies, Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup of Ohio and Michigan, successfully ran their sixth annual “Play it Forward” used toy drive on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at Levis Commons.

The Play it Forward toy drive collects and recycles outgrown toys for underprivileged children. Toys are sorted by age group and category, then washed and properly cleaned to remove any bacteria. Cousino Harris provides the people and equipment to help collect, transport, store and clean and sanitize all of the toys.

This year, three 40-foot box trucks were filled between 12:00 and 4:00 PM Saturday. Cousino Harris will clean, sanitize and sort these before distributing among different children’s organizations.

Over the years, sanitized donated items have been delivered to organizations such as Mom’s House, Family House and the Aurora House, as well as, to families that live in LMHA Housing and children active in the Lucas County Children Services program.

If you have unused toys that you’d like to donate, but you didn’t get the chance to come out to Levis Commons Saturday, you can drop off your toys at Cousino Harris in the next few weeks at 26901 Eckle rd. between 7:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. on weekdays. There is also a need for volunteers to help sort and clean the toys before they are delivered. This is a great opportunity for students, churches, service groups or anyone looking to donate time to a worthy cause. Please contact Shelly Konz at 419-931-2054 or [email protected] for more information about dropping off toys and/or volunteering.

About Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup

With a full service team of skilled craftsmen and technicians, Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup is equipped to tackle any size reconstruction and/or remodeling project, whether residential, commercial or institutional. Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup is proud to be able to be involved with projects from beginning to end. For information please visit us at www.cousinoharris.com or call 419-874-9500.

J.C. Restoration Volunteers to Produce 100,000 Life-saving Meals

January 12, 2016 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced J.C. Restoration, Inc. (JCR), one of its members, along with hundreds of community members, will work to feed thousands of starving children in the developing world.

Through a partnership between J.C. Restoration and Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), volunteers will prepare 100,000 life-saving meals at a FMSC MobilePack event. The MobilePack will take place June 3, 2016 at the JCR campus: 3200 Squibb Avenue, Rolling Meadows, IL.

Community members can support this MobilePack by making a donation to cover meal costs, or by volunteering to package food at the event. Donations may be given immediately, and volunteer registration will be available six weeks prior to the event. To learn more, visit www.jcr24.com or www.fmsc.org/MobilePack.

About Feed My Starving Children

A Christian non-profit founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children tackles world hunger by sending volunteer-packed, nutritious meals to 70 countries, where they’re used to operate orphanages, schools, clinics and feeding programs to break the cycle of poverty. Last year, FMSC welcomed nearly 900,000 volunteers to pack more than 229 million meals. The Minnesota-based charity spends 92% of total donations directly on feeding the hungry and has earned the highest four-star rating from Charity Navigator for ten consecutive years.

About FMSC MobilePack
MobilePack events enable children and adults across the United States to pack FMSC’s life-giving MannaPack™ meals. Churches, businesses, community groups and schools in more than 35 states have hosted these food-packing events as a way to foster teamwork and unity, while making a real difference in the fight to prevent and reverse malnutrition. FMSC provides guidance and logistics. Local donors and volunteers provide funds and labor to pack the meals.

About J.C. Restoration
J.C. Restoration is one of the fastest growing independent restoration companies in the Midwest. Since 1982, JCR has been successfully restoring damaged properties in the greater Chicagoland area for thousands of Home and Business Owners. JCR offers complete emergency mitigation and restoration services for properties affected by Water, Fire, Smoke, Storms, and Mold. Our Emergency Response Teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week– with vehicles fully stocked and ready for immediate dispatch. Restoration Services Include: Building / Structural Damage, Water Damage, Fire Damage, Emergency Clean-up, Certified Mold Remediation, Contents Restoration, Document Restoration, and Commercial/Large Loss Services. To learn more about J.C. Restoration, please call 800.956.8844 or visit www.jcr24.com.

About DKI
DKI, headquartered in Chicago, is the largest disaster restoration contracting organization in North America. DKI Franchise Member companies provide full service restoration to their customers: emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mold remediation, complete reconstruction and much more, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. DKI returns damaged property to its pre-loss condition quickly and efficiently, delivering complete satisfaction to our consumer, insurance, and corporate customers. For more information about DKI, visit its website at www.dkiservices.com and download DKI’s Red Cross Emergency App www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/emergency-app.

DKI Donates Food and Funds to the Chicago Area

January 5, 2016 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, announced it successfully collected over 280 pounds of food for its food and fund drive, supporting the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Among the Chicago population, as many as one in three individuals struggle with having continuous access to food. The Greater Chicago Food Depository, a nonprofit food distribution and training center, helps provide food to these underprivileged communities.

Throughout the last month, DKI corporate collected over 280 pounds of physical non-perishable donations, as well as enough monetary donations to provide an additional 247 meals to the food depository and support their area.

“I am so proud of our entire team’s participation and support! Together, we can help end hunger in the community,” said President and CEO Dan Cassara.

To learn how you can help, visit www.chicagosfoodbank.org.

Month: January 2016