Answering aN Emergency Call

We currently have an answering service that is taking calls that come in. They are able to sift through the emergency and non-emergency issues. By the time it gets to us, it will be a real issue that has to be dealt with.

How to deal with emergency issues

If an emergency, solve the problem now! Also have the tenant call 911 if it's a safety emergency. No approval needed if it's a maintenance emergency, just get someone out there fast to stop the problem and the following business day we can continue on a permanent solution.

Examples:

• Broken window; board it up

• Leaking toilet/shower; instruct tenants to turn it off and use another one or if only toilet have them turn it on only when they need to use it (knobs behind the toilet)

• No power; call electrician or PG&E

• Gas smell; tell the tenant to call PG&E ASAP!

• Smoke or fire; call the fire department

• Sewage backup (call Thrifty Rooter)

• Hot water heater stopped working; have them check the pilot light, then you call plumber (We usually like Thrifty Rooter).

  • PG&E will respond very fast to light a pilot light for free.

• Heater out (if very cold drop off space heater until further repairs can be made)

• Roof leak (get a tarp on it asap, roofer)

• Flood; call Carpet Restoration Services for water extraction and drying.

If water is leaking or sewage backing up (in tub or toilet) call Thrifty Rooter for immediate response.

If significant water or sewage gets in the unit call DUSTIN at CRS for after hours extraction. 530-592-7919

Many times both vendors (plumber and water extraction) will be required.

Emergency items are considered items that cannot wait until the following business day/hours. They usually are related to active leaks, broken windows or security, or clogged toilets/overflowing. Thrifty rooter has a on call line for plumbing related issues.

Once you make contact with the tenant

• Determine if this is really a maintenance emergency. Determine if this can wait until business hours to resolve.

• The goal is to stabilize the situation, and deal with later. We don't need to fix the problem, we just need to stop it from getting worse. The problem can be fixed later when we have time to evaluate it.

• Make sure there is not a safety issue, if there is call 911

• Call your vendor of choice to remedy this issue. You can look in the phone book and start calling. Look for 24-hour on-call vendors. The goal here is to get this resolved as soon as possible.

• You don't need approval for expenses, just get the issue stopped as soon as possible as long as it is reasonable. If it is going to be over $500, please attempt to stall until you can get a hold of Ryan or the owner to discuss.

• You may need to arrange to get a key to the vendor. However, many times the tenant is home so they can let the vendor in.

Notify the BROKER on his cell phone 530-519-1044 if it is a significant issue! (tree falling, water leak, flood, fire etc). Insurance may need to be notified.

How to record an emergency

• Create a task in Service Fusion, including:

  • Summary of what happened

  • Hours you spent working on this (You get paid 1.5x times for emergency work so be sure to add another .5 to your timelog)

  • Explain vendor overtime rate, if applicable.

  • If you respond (physically) it's a minimum 1 hour, so please input 1 hour if you spend just 10 minutes fixing a problem.

  • Any follow-up work needed by RepairPro or outside vendor

• Mark Task as HIGH priority

• Send email to client (IPM/Locale) with the following information regarding the emergency call:

  • Who = Which tenant

  • What = What happened, what steps have been taken, is the issue resolved, what still needs to be done, what is the estimated timeline

  • When = When did it happen

  • Where = What property

• It's good practice to record each step of the process in a task update. Below is a sample:

Task: John called to report there is sewage in his unit, toilet overflowing. I advised him not to use any water and to call back if it gets worse. I told him to check his portal for updates and we'd have someone out right away.

Update 1: I called thrifty rooter, who is enroute to clear the line.

Update 2: I called an extraction team from CRC and Dustin will be there shortly to dry and clean up the waste water

Update 3: Clayton called from Thrifty Rooter and said he was able to clear the line and all is working now

Update 4: Dustin has finished demo and extraction.

Update 5: Emailed MC so she can notify the owner of a possible insurance claim. Submitted estimate for work needed.

Active Leak Protocol

Step 1: Confirm the Maintenance Request is in Service Fusion

• Make sure a maintenance task is created for the water issue.

• Mark the task as HIGH priority

Step 2: Get RepairPro eyes on the situation

• Contact the maintenance supervisor or on-call repair pro and notify them of the issue

• Once on site, the RP is to:

  • assess the issue

  • stop the active leak, even if only shutting off the water in the meantime

  • take lots of photos to assess the current condition

Step 3: Contact the needed vendor for support

• Carpet Restoration Services can be used to clean up severe damage/water

• Plumbers can be called to make the needed repairs

Step 4: Update the Service Fusion Task

• Make detailed notes about what was found and the work that is being done on-site

Step 5: Communicate steps with the tenants

• Notify them of the steps that will occur in the near future to resolve the situation