In this episode of Ask Annissa, Annissa Coy addresses the following question: “I’m responding to fires from a scanner and I’m not signing any of the jobs. What do you think I am doing wrong?”

Every fire has its own chemical makeup or DNA – the fuels that burned, the types of chemicals that have reacted or interacted, the duration of the fire, the intensity of the heat, the odors and gases the fire generates all contribute to the uniqueness and toxicity of structure fire environments. 

Advice on what equipment to own, rent and pre-rent for property restoration projects, plus tips on what to look for in an equipment supplier.

The technology and tools we now have at our disposal for contents cleaning and inventory are great and so nice to have, as long as we remember to use them to enhance our ability to create the right kind of experience for our clients and not use it to replace human interaction and relationships.

In this personal, heartfelt Ask Annissa episode, Annissa Coy talks about evacuating her home in the face of the Ford Corkscrew Fire. An experienced fire damage restoration and contents cleaning professional, Coy has worked with property owners through many wildfires and more home fires than she can count. This was the first time Coy and her family were personally impacted.

SERVPRO of Southeast Nashville responded to a historic church after a fire damaged a large portion of its sanctuary. A heater caused the curtains to catch fire, which spread to the walls, damaging drywall, plaster, the stage, roofing tiles and deposited smoke and soot onto the pews, throughout the structure.

We all have had at least one tricky customer with severe reactions to unfamiliar smells, or allergies to cleaning solutions. The methods listed here are not your average restoration practices, but they can make chemical- and odor-sensitive customers very happy while also providing effective odor-removing remedies.

Annissa Coy responds to an employee hoping to convince his owner that an ultrasonic machine is worthwhile. “I don’t understand how a company that does contents cleaning doesn’t have or doesn’t use an ultrasonic machine,” Annissa notes.

Every restoration company encounters a certain percentage of projects that turn out to be undesirable, unprofitable, or uncollectible. Sean Scott likes to call these jobs the rotten eggs of restoration. Here he shares key things to consider when job leads are called in.