referrals cargo security...evansville, in permit no. 1185 wisconsin 16620 rosewood court brookfield,...

P.O. Box 1117, Newburgh, Indiana 47629 • Toll Free Phone: (866) 276-5656 Fax: (812) 858-0599www.claimsnet.org • e-mail: [email protected]

Claims Prevention and Procedure Council…helping to reduce claims costs in the moving and storage industryby providing professional education and networking opportunities!

Inside:

Chicago WorkshopAll the latest info

ReferralsGrow your business

Cargo SecurityHow safe is your facility?

Laugh More at WorkAnd to help with that,introducing: Classic Dilbert

It’s Getting Late…

Last Call For Chicago

Newsletter April, 2006

Claims Prevention & Procedure CouncilP.O. Box 1117Newburgh, IN 47629-1117

PRESRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDEvansville, IN

Permit No. 1185

WISCONSIN16620 Rosewood Court Brookfield, WI 53005

262-785-6626 Fax: 262-785-1950email: [email protected]

That’s why you continue to use Raschella’s to service your claims. A trusted business in theindustry for over 50 years, Raschella’s Custom Service does the job right the first time.

No hassle . . . no grief . . . no kidding.

MICHIGAN18530 Mack Ave. #407

Grosse Point Farms, MI 48236Fax 800-280-5782

email: [email protected]

CALL TOLL FREE MICHIGAN or WISCONSIN: 800-280-5781

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CPPC - 46 CPPC - 3

From the Second Floor, Rear

by Dave Daniels

QUALITY SERVICE… DEFINE, PLEASE

We have been talking about quality service for some time now, but does anybody really understand what it means? Is it:· the best possible work humanly possible?· doing the right thing, the right way at the right time?· meeting and/or exceeding the customer’s expectations? · cheap?· providing a wide-range of services to cover all needs?· expensive? · abiding by “The Golden Rule”?· all of the above?

I don’t know, either. Sometimes it can be all of these, sometimes just one or two will do.

The CPPC did a survey a number of years ago that asked where most people like to stay during conventions and seminars, It was revealed that most of us want a “better than average” hotel at an “average” price… Fairmont fixin’s at Ramada rates.

What we all want is value.

Webster’s defines value as “…that quality of a thing according to which it is thought of as being more or less

desirable, useful, estimable, important, etc.; worth or the degree of worth”.

I particularly like that “degree of worth” phrase. After all, I do not want to pay Van Gogh to paint the garage.

Van Line personnel must be mindful of the prices paid for repairs… it’s their responsibility to the corporate bottom line. They also must assure that the repair work that is completed is satisfactory to our customers.

Back to Webster’s. Satisfactory: “good enough to fulfill a need, wish, requirement, etc.”

Now I know that it may sound strange from someone who once said that we should strive to “create ecstasy from the rubble of our customers’ shattered dreams” to now say that “good enough” is good enough; but, sometimes it is good enough. It is good enough if the requirements of all parties are met and/or exceeded. It is good enough when all involved perceive value from what has been accomplished.

Now, value itself depends on the circumstances. A scratch on a table that is repaired for $100.00 for Joe Ordinary does not seem like a good value. But that same scratch on the table of Bill Gates (founder and owner of Microsoft and the wealthiest man in America) repaired promptly and to his high standards is of considerable value at many times the price.

Good value. It is what we all want. When you buy a car, you know the salesman has to make a buck and you really do not mind paying, just as long as you believe you are getting a good value. Good value is what customers want from the van lines. It is what van lines want from repair companies and appraisers. It is not just money. It is a combination off all the things mentioned at the beginning of this article, and developing a knack for knowing which ones are most important under a given set of circumstances.

High quality customer service – it’s a good value. t

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENTGene Shontere (Rep.)Shontere Restoration

(301) [email protected]

VICE-PRESIDENTDeborah Williams (Insurance)

Unirisc(407) 228-2026

[email protected]

SECRETARY/TREASURERAlan R. Jobe (V.L.)

Atlas Van Lines, Inc.(812) 424-4326 ext. 2247

[email protected]

DIRECTORSDori Bledsoe (Mvg/Stg Agent)

Covan World-Wide Moving(800) 239-1116

[email protected]

Mark Caldwell (V.L.)United VL/Mayflower Transit


Guy Endsley (Rep.)Lone Star Restorations


Don Fuess (V.L.)northAmerican Van Lines


Linda Hamilton (V.L.)Allied Van Lines(630) 570-3267

[email protected]

Ken Larbes (Rep.)Professional Furniture Service


Dan Manning (Rep.)Manning Claim Services


Debbie Morales (Rep.)Metro Claims & Relocation


Mitch Treider (Rep.)Complete Furniture & Interiors


STAFFExecutive Director, Dave Daniels

(866)[email protected]

_____________________________

Members are encouraged to call the CPPC Office or any

Board Member at any time, about any topic. We want to hear from you!

The CPPC Newsletter is published monthly by the Claims Prevention and Procedure Council, Inc., P.O. Box 1117, Newburgh, IN 47629, USA. All rights reserved. Subscription rate $20.00 per year included in annual membership dues. Advertising rates upon request. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the membership, staff and/or Board of Directors of the CPPC. All material published herein are the sole opinion of the writer and should not be construed as the opinion or policy of the CPPC or the company which employs the writer.

DEADLINES for submitting articles and advertisements is the first day of the month before the issue month (Jan. 1st for February issue, February 1st for March issue, an so forth.

President’s Message

April is here. Most of us feel as though we have made it through winter. We are looking for the blossoms to start. The skies look brighter. Our winter coats are headed away. OK, Dale, not in Colorado, but it is so for most of the rest of us.

For movers it is a time to make sure all is in order for the busy season. All the prevention and training in place to make this the lowest claims value ever. With all these prevention programs in order, it is believed the repair rolodex can be thrown away.

However, despite all the plans and training, the rolodex still will be used. (I ain’t that old, I know there ain’t many rolodexes really.) Repair firms will be getting ready to handle the claims that will show up. Everyone continues to strive for perfection; still there are acci-dents, mishaps and the difficult customers.

The best prevention and procedure tactic is to attend the Claims Prevention and Procedure Council Chicago Workshop. On April 28th and 29th there will be hun-dreds of industry people meeting. Their total focus will be claims: avoiding them, handling them, laughing about them, learning about them, crying about them (whining, actually), and comparing them. Come and share and learn from the best in the business.

It is not too late to register (see page 45 of the news-letter) and be there. Find out if the stories are true or “fish” stories.

See you there!

Gene

CPPC - 4 CPPC - 45

Welcome to the Claims Prevention and

Procedure Council’sApril, 2006 Newletter.

This month:

Cargo Security How Safe Is Your Facility? by Dave Daniels.....................Page 6

Referrals Grow Your Business by Joanna Krotz....................Page 13

Laugh More at Work Ease Tension; Reduce Stress by Sinara Stull O’Donnell....Page 31

And more... plus our regular features:

President’s Message.........................Page 2

Stories From the Workplace...........Page 11

Ask the Computer Guy by Guy Endsley This Month: Digital Photography.........................Page 20

From the Other Side of the Desk by Dan Manning This month: Packing Damages for Crystal and China...........Page 32

Second Floor, Rear by Dave Daniels This month: Value................6

Introducing: Dilbert........................Page 46

CPPC - 44 CPPC - 5

L O CA T I ON We will be at the Marriott Oak Brook Hotel, in Oak Brook, a western suburb of Chicago. This location is due west of downtown Chicago, near the intersection of I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) and I-88 (East-West Tollway). This location is west of National Van Lines HQ, and east of Allied Van Lines HQ. And Oak Brook is almost equidistant (20-30 minutes) between both O’Hare and Midway Airports; use either! H I G H L I G H T S This Spring we are offering hopefully our best Workshop, beginning Friday mid-day and ending mid-day Saturday. We have tried to include as much industry information and education as possible, with plenty of “networking” time. Our emphasis this Spring will be on group discussions and breakout sessions which will be on Friday afternoon; we also feature sessions aimed at NEW claims people which will have industry experts answering your questions, as well as sessions ONLY for repair firms, agent adjusters, and even van line adjusters! Take a look at the schedule and you will see great claims topics whether you are in the moving industry, or a repair firm! R E G I S T R A T I ON Look for our “ R egistration F orm” in this issue; this is sent (or a xerox copy of it) to the C PP C to register for the Workshop. The amount of your check depends ON THE DATE WE RECEIVE IT! You can also bring a non-registered guest to F riday E vening’ s R eception; see the Registration Form. Do you need a sleeping room at the Oak Brook Marriott hotel? Then cal l them directly

at (630) 5 73-855 5 and ask for the special CPPC Workshop room rate of $89. Please understand that our CPPC room bloc at the hotel expires Thursday, A pri l 6th, 2006 . To ensure that you have a room, mak e your reservations as early as pos sible! In the last few years, our reserved sleeping room bloc has always sold out early because of the CPPC’s growth! If you call the hotel after April 6th, there may be no rooms left at our group rate! D O N O R S D onors � keep our non-profit CPPC going strong year after year. For this Workshop, all donors will gain valuable “ PR ” in the monthly newsletter as well as in the O fficial Work shop P rogram. Donors can send in $50, $100, $150 or $250 and will be given various sizes of advertisements which correspond with the amount sent in. Simply check the “Donor/Advertisement” section on the “REGISTRATION FORM” for details. The earl ier we receive your donation, the more newsletters will contain your name. A great marketing opportunity! E X H I B I T T A B L E S If you would like your own exhibit table on S aturday morning to display your sales and mark eting information, you can reserve one for only $100!!! There are only a limited number of these, and they rent fast, so call to see if any are still available! W e E NC O U R A G E you to S H O W your restoration sk i l ls that you offer to the moving industry - make your table interesting! Show a burn-in, or caning, or photos, or some special technical talent your company offers. Offer a contest, aimed at adjusters, with some type of prize. No sprays or flammables, though. You may offer one prize, worth $100 or more, as a raffle if you wish, and the raffle will be held at our closing session on Saturday. T R A N S P O R T A T I ON All major air carriers serve Chicago. While O’Hare serves “bigger” carriers, and Midway serves “discount” carriers, there are many exceptions. Call early for better fares. Q uestions? F eel free to contact the C P P C O ffice at (8 6 6 ) 2 7 6 -5 6 5 6 !

Information

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Cargo Security:How Safe Is Your Facility?by Dave Daniels

Protecting the organizational facility is like protecting home and hearth. The terminal, dock, or warehouse is the central point of operations, the lifeblood of the company itself. Leaving the facility without adequate protection would be like leaving it open to violation or intrusion. Keeping the facility safe and secure is beneficial from an economic standpoint, certainly, but is also a source of pride to all that work there.

It’s a shame to have to begin with a subject such as this, but it must be discussed. Transportation terminals are thought to be a prime target for terrorists. Distribution and the delivery of goods and services to the general population, as well as the potential for a large amount of destruction to property make trucking terminals “attractive” targets. The interruption of such services is an economic disruption, upsetting businesses and consumers alike, not to mention the safety of those present. Additionally, there are organized groups of criminals with “copycat” mentalities that may try to simulate a terrorist attack to cover up their true motive; that of petty theft. Therefore, it is important for those in charge of safety and security to take a look at the facility from an attack/theft prevention mode.

How safe would your facility be if it were attacked, either by terrorists or thieves? How easy would it be for attackers to gain access? Are you a “soft” target – that is, are security

measures lacking that would discourage attacks? There are several concepts here to consider. The first would be “attack rationalization”, which is the likelihood of an attacker to rationalize that they could have success attacking your facility. The next would be “target hardening”. The opposite of the “soft” target mentioned above, target hardening is implementing security measures that would make a location more resistant to attack, creating the potential of deterring such an attack. The last will follow right along: “attack displacement”. After assessing that a location might be too much of a risk, the attacker moves on to a target with a greater likelihood of success.

We’ll get to “target hardening” and security measures in a moment, but first a brief word about risk assessment. If yours is a small company that handles wooden pallets, it’s probably not as likely to become a target for theft or attack as a large distribution center that handles chemicals and ammunition or a

Pete’s Furniture Repair, Inc. Aycock, Zachary Dayton, OHProfessional Furniture Service Larbes, Craig Amelia, OHProfessional Furniture Service Larbes, Ken Amelia, OHProfessional Furniture Service Gruber, Julie Amelia, OHPro-Touch Furniture Repair Reynolds, Todd Murrell’s Inlet, SCPro-Touch Furniture Repair Reynolds, Myra Murrell’s Inlet, SCR.L. Wills Claim Service Wills, Bob Heyworth, ILReliable Furniture Service Mansfield, Richard Tacoma, WARestoration Plus Giddens, Thad Dallas, TXRestoration Plus Giddens, Cheryl Dallas, TXSchoenbauer Furniture Service Schoenbauer, Bill Charlotte Hall, MDSchoenbauer Furniture Service Clair, David Charlotte Hall, MDSchroeder Moving Systems Picard, Linda New Berlin, WIShontere Restoration Butterfield, Barbara Mitchellville, MDShontere Restoration Shontere, Gene Mitchellville, MDSirva CSN Team AVL/NAVL Baker, Pat Westmont, ILSirva CSN Team AVL/NAVL Hamilton, Linda Westmont, ILSirva CSN Team AVL/NAVL Hamor, Cheryl Westmont, ILSirva CSN Team AVL/NAVL Santow, Gail Westmont, ILSirva CSN Team AVL/NAVL Spriggs, Kevin Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Allen, Mira Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Collins, John Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Dwyer, Jeff Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Echols, Quan Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Ferraro, Nancy Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Frustaci, Gina Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Gilmer, Cassandra Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Lampley, Raymond Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Mazur, Trish Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Miller, Matt Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Moreno, Jetz Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Rice, Betty Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Sikorski, Denise Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Smetko, Steve Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Telles, Rosie Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Torres, Felix Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Tyler, Pat Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Voelz, Keri Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Voice, Angie Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Young, Deloris Westmont, ILSoule Furniture Restoration Soule, Blake Memphis, TNSoustelle Art Adsvisory Soustelle, Olivier Tacoma, WAStarTrans, Int’l Kimball, April Weirton, WVTown & Country Movers, Inc. McPeak, Elaine Gaithersburg, MDTown & Country Movers, Inc. Doubroff, Pete Gaithersburg, MDTrans Bay Furniture Repair Jacobson, Jim San Francisco, CATrilogy Claims Service Thoma, Billye Houston, TXU.S. Navy Carrier Recovery Wood, Donald Millington, TNUnirisc, Inc. Cardini, Joe Scottsdale, AZUnirisc, Inc. D’Arca, Julie Corona, CAUnirisc, Inc. Dempsey, Dick Lombard, ILUnirisc, Inc. McCue, Jim Paramus, NJUnirisc, Inc. Melvin, Kitty Arlington, VAUnirisc, Inc. Provo, Kim Richardson, TXUnirisc, Inc. Southerland, Carol Lombard, ILUnirisc, Inc. Weakley, Anne Arlington, VAUnirisc, Inc. Williams, Debi Orlando, FLVanliner Insurance Co. Kirgan, Michelle Fenton, MOVanliner Insurance Co. Marchetto, Judy Fenton, MOWeathersby Guild Weathersby, Kent Atlanta, GAWeathersby Guild/New Jersey Frank, Doug Hillsdale, NJWeathersby Guild/Richmond Brooks, Michael Chester, VAWeber Furniture Service Shevenaugh, Dave Chicago, ILWeber Furniture Service Schneidau, JoAnn Chicago, ILWest Interior Services Kuhns, Thomas A. Jr. Pittsburgh, PAWest Interior Services Martin, Chris Pittsburgh, PAWheaton Van Lines Bitz, Shannon Indianapolis, INWheaton Van Lines Kendall, Kathy Indianapolis, IN

CPPC - 42 CPPC - 7

Scheduled to Appear (as of March 12): 18th Century Hardware Simpson, Bill Derry, PAA. Arnold Relocation Cottier, Jennifer Louisville, KYA. Arnold Relocation Mills, Connie Lexington, KYAckerman’s Furniture Service Ackerman, John Burnsville, MNAckerman’s Furniture Service Ackerman, Cheryl Burnsville, MNAssociates Claim Service Hozian, John Schaumburg, ILAssociates Claim Service Bucalo, Tom Schaumburg, ILAtlas Van Lines Boeglin, Linda Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Dodson, Diane Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Hooper, Debbie Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Jobe, Alan Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines McCandless, Brenda Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Mirick, Celia Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Sinnett, Barb Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Spiehler, Mark Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Thompson, Rita Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Toton, Marilyn Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Wittman, Janie Evansville, INBalsam’s Restorations, Inc. Balsam, Paul Albuquerque, NMBigfoot Moving & Storage Bavuso, Mike Waltham, MABob Gray Restorations Gray, Bob Crownsville, MDBrandt & Whitney, Inc. Whitney, Daniel Denver, COCarolina Furniture Davis, Rick Mocksville, NCCoatings & Claims Consultants Buchanan, Ken Portland, ORCoatings & Claims Consultants Sjodin, Glenn Portland, ORColorado D&S Enterprises Slaughter, Dale Littleton, COColorado D&S Enterprises Slaughter, Sue Littleton, COComplete Furniture & Interiors Trieder, Mitchell Orlando, FLDCT Leathers Turner, Dave Toronto, ONERS Replacements Rosenthal, Norm Lake Bluff, ILF.W. Schoenbauer Furn Repair Owens, Kathy Mechanicsville, MDF.W. Schoenbauer Furn Repair Schoenbauer, Thomas Mechanicsville, MDFurniture Care Hoogers, Gus Rochester, NYFurniture Medic Dickson, Bob Lexington, KYFurniture Medic Ferguson, Bill Bedford, TXFurniture Medic Nasello, William Lake County, ILFurniture Medic Singer, Lynne Colorado Springs, COFurniture Medic by DB Puzzi, Tami Tucson, AZFurniture Medic by DB Soncrant, Don Tucson, AZFurniture Repair Specialists Powell, Richard Tulsa, OKFurniture Repair Specialists Pate, Alicia Tulsa, OKGraebel Movers Garcia, Kari Aurora, COGuardsman Furniture Pro Hilty, Kent Findlay, OHH.R. Martin Martin, Roddy Fairhope, ALHome Team Solution Murphy, Denise Kansas City, KSHome Team Solution Murray, Walter Kansas City, KSImage Restoration, Inc. Fiddes, Gordon Portland, ORImlach Movers Daniels, Debbie Trenton, MIInterTrans Insurance Services Susan Miller Irvine, CAInterTrans Insurance Services Williams, Tammy Irvine, CAJ. E. Kelleher, Inc. Miner, Marlene Bristol, CTKistner’s Full Claim Service Kistner, Don Rock Island, ILKistner’s Full Claim Service Kistner, Drew Rock Island, ILLT Transit Claims Service Tysinger, Larry Murrell’s Inlet, SCLT Transit Claims Service Tysinger, Sallie Murrell’s Inlet, SCManning Claim Service Manning, Dan Allendale, NJManning Claim Service Manning, Joyce Allendale, NJManning Claim Service D’Ercole, Jason Allendale, NJManning Claim Service Nader, Hasan Allendale, NJMichigan Antique Presrvation Elumenstein, Eric Wyandotte, MIMichigan Antique Presrvation Hilditch, Coleen Wyandotte, MIMichigan Antique Presrvation Witkowski, Bill Wyandotte, MINorth American Van Lines Amstutz, Heather Ft. Wayne, INNorth American Van Lines Boger, Laura Ft. Wayne, INNorth American Van Lines Chalmers, Marquie Ft. Wayne, INNorth American Van Lines Followell, Jenny Ft. Wayne, INPete’s Furniture Repair, Inc. Aycock, Brian Dayton, OH

gasoline refinery. The small companies can still be vulnerable to theft and vandalism, but it would not be prudent to spend a great sum of money on sophisticated security devices. To survive in business, one always has to consider the cost effectiveness of their activities. Furniture repair companies may be more vulnerable than you might first think due to the combustibility of the chemicals stored inside.

Call it an inventory, a survey or an evaluation, but a risk assessment would entail a physical examination and a complete inspection of the facility and its surroundings. The main purpose would be to evaluate the existing state of security, identify weaknesses or gaps in the defenses, and determine the degree of protection required. The safe working conditions of those employed in and around the facility should be examined, and the potential vulnerability from theft, both from the

outside and within, needs to be evaluated, as well as the potential cost of such measures.

Now we’ll talk about some precautions. We’ll start at the perimeter of the grounds and move in.

The first item on the list would be barriers. Fencing is generally the outermost barrier. Fences serve to define legal boundaries, deter the general public and mark the limits of trespass. They act as a psychological deterrent to the opportunistic type of intruder, but in reality, they are only a minor inconvenience to the, shall we say, more motivated attempts at incursion.

The chain link fence is the most frequently utilized for security purposes. The major advantages of chain link fencing are its cost (decent protection for the dollar), and

CPPC - 8 CPPC - 41

that it affords visibility on both sides of the barrier for police and security personnel. The disadvantages would be that they are relatively easy to break through (or over) for the highly skilled intruder, and they are probably not the most aesthetic means of protection.

On all chain link fencing, security is naturally enhanced with some sort of top guard. The top guard is most typically an overhang of barbed wire to discourage any attempts to climb over the fence. The top guard should be permanently affixed to the top of the fence posts (extending fence height another foot) and be long enough to support three strands of barbed wire about six inches apart.

Chances are good that there are already walls in place in your facility. They are probably made of wood, brick, poured concrete, corrugated metal, or cinder blocks, as these are by far the most commonly used materials.

Protective lighting is an essential element of an integrated security program. It serves as a deterrent to intruders; provides illumination for security personnel, and is effective in crime prevention, as the illumination should make detection and identification more likely. Additionally, it provides a degree of comfort, safety, and security to your own personnel after dark.

An emergency lighting system is essential when a comprehensive security system is being planned. Set to activate when power is cut, emergency lighting can help either during a sophisticated break-in attempt or a natural occurrence such as storms. It is not only a protection safeguard, but is a safety issue for employees in the facility.

Doors are the most common points of ingress and egress into any facility. For security purposes, it would be beneficial to have one locked, guarded, illuminated door for

3:45 to 4:45 pm The Future of Moving Industry Jim McCue, VP Unirisc - Moderator Tim Schneeman, VP & Gen. Manager Allied Moving Services Joe Cardini, VP Sales, Unirisc

5:30 - 7:00 pm Reception - Light Hors d’Oeuvres

SATURDAY, APRIL 29th 2006

6:30 to 7:00 am Exhibit set up

7:00 to 8:45 am Full Breakfast Buffet

9:00 to 10:00 am Family Feud Panel Leaders: Mitch Treider, Complete Furniture & Interiors, Fla. Guy Endsley, Lone Star Restorations, TX Panel members: Jim McCue, Unirisc, Paramus, NJ; Alan Jobe, Atlas Van Lines; Tammy Kartholl, Nelson Westerberg; Colleen Hilditch, Michigan Antique Preservation; Matt Miller, Allied Van Lines; Nicole Fisk, Executive insurance Services; Lynn Singer, Furniture Medic; Bob Shannon, Bobcat Wood Refinishing; Chris Martin, West Interiors; Tommy Morales, TRS Furniture Repair Judges: Debi Williams, Unirisc; Tom Kuhns, West Interiors; Gene Shontere, Shontere Restoration

10:00 to 10:15 am Break Breakout Periods 10:15 to 11:00am Room #1 The “Internationals”1st breakout Leader: Catherine Gutberlet, Movers Risk, PAperiod Panel members, Anne Weakley, Unirisc, Arlington

2nd Breakout Room #2 AppraisalsPeriod Leaders: Vic Franco, Franco Furniture, Hackettstown, NJ Laurie Semler, Semler Appraisals, Carrolton, TX Pete Simonetti, Simonetti & Associates, Sykesville, MD

Room #3 Military Claims (1st Breakout) / Third Party Servicing (2nd Breakout) Leaders: Alan Jobe, Atlas Van Lines (Military); Linda Hamilton, Sirva CSN Team (3rd Party) Scott Michael, Military Speaker Jeff Waickman, Custom Movers Services, Ohio, (3rd Party) Heather Amstutz, NAVL, Carrier Representative (3rd Party) 11:45am to 1:00 pm Lunch - Exhibit tables open

1:00 to 2:00 pm 15 Points of Good Customer Service Debbie Morales - Moderator, Metro Claims & Relocation, Indian Trail, NC Debi Williams, Unirisc, Fla. Kimmie Loeffler, Ace Relocation Services, Cudahy, WI

2:00pm to 3:00 pm General Session / CPPC Town Meeting Drawings, raffles, announcements, general comments / concerns of membership.

3:00 pm Adjournment

3:30 pm Board Meeting

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Welcome to Chicago!The CPPC 2006 Spring Chicago Workshop &

Repair Firm SeminarSchedule of Events

FRIDAY, APRIL 28Th 2006

7:30 to 8:30am Board Meeting, open to the CPPC membership

8:00 am Registration opens for workshops & repair firms seminar and remains open all day

9:00 to 11:00 am Pre-Workshop Meeting - REPAIR FIRMS ONLY

Session 1: Topics impacting repair firms / fuel prices / increased competition / increasing customer base Ken Larbes, moderator, Professional Furniture Service, Amelia, OH Tom Kuhns, West Interior Services, Natrona Heights, PA Dan Manning, Manning Claim Services, Allendale, NJ

Session 2: “What’s This Stuff Made of?” Don Kistner, moderator, Kistner’s Full Claim Service, Rock Island, IL Bob Wills, R.L. Wills Claims Service, Heyworth, IL Bob Gray, Bob Gray Restoration, Crownsville, MD Jon White, Classic Furniture, New Hampshire 11:00 am Break (box lunch provided)

12:00 OFFICIAL OPENING SESSION OF THE WORKSHOP

12pm - 1pm Introductions & Elections

1:00 to 2:15 Claim Perspective from the Mover’s Side Steve Smetko, Moderator - Allied / Sirva, Naperville, IL John Puscheck, CEO, Prager Moving & Storage, Naperville, IL Lance Bowman, NAVL Van Operator of the year 2004. 2:15 to 2:30 Break

2:30 to 3:30 Both Sides of the Desk Dan Manning, moderator, Manning Claim Services, LLC, Allendale, NJ Carrier Representatives: Betty Rice, Allied / Sirva, Naperville, IL Janie Wittman, Atlas Van Lines, Evansville, IN Tammy Kartholl, Nelson Westerberg, Elk Grove, IL Repair Firm Representatives: Lynn Singer, Furniture Medic, Colorado Springs, CO John White, Classic Furniture Services, Franklin, MA

3:30 to 3:45 pm Coffee Break

everyone. However, it’s hardly safe and it’s definitely not practical. Transportation companies especially, with all the dock doors required, may have an even tougher time. However, limiting the location of the doors to more easily watched areas can lessen the impact. The fewer back doors, side doors, and utility doors there are, the better. Doors should be made of steel where possible.

Over half of all break-ins are through window glass, according to statistical studies. Therefore, precautions need to be taken. Security measures for this type of situation would include burglary resistant glass (examples include: safety glass; LEXAN; TUFFAK; plexiglas); iron or steel bars; heavy steel mesh; and/or glass break sensors that sound an alarm when windows have been penetrated.

This brings us around to alarms. Alarm systems are generally employed to do one or more of the following: detect fire and/or smoke; detect intrusion; serve as an emergency notification; monitor equipment and/or conditions.Depending on the type of alarm, they can be activated when an electrical circuit is broken, a light beam is broken, a sound or motion is detected, or heat and/or smoke is detected.

There are four basic types of alarm systems

available. There is a local alarm system, in which the protective circuits activate a visual or audible signal in the immediate vicinity of the object being protected (think car alarms). There is an auxiliary system, in which the installation-owned system is a direct extension of the police and/or fire alarm systems (probably the least effective system). The central station system is where alarms are transmitted to a central station outside the facility from which appropriate action is taken, such as notifying local police, fire, or emergency services (think Brinks’ Home Security as an example). Then there is the proprietary system, where the “central station” is owned by, and located within, the facility. Response to the alarm is by the company’s own security personnel. (This is generally for very large companies.)

Video surveillance is becoming more and more popular as a means of safeguarding a facility. Cameras, visible and well-positioned, are a strong deterrent to any would-be intruders and/or thieves. Video cameras can be mounted almost anywhere, inside and out, to watch and record all activity. The cameras can be monitored from inside the facility or at another location. Video feed can even be accessed from your home computer. The threat of constant surveillance is certainly a deterrent, and the recorded activity is obviously useful for detection purposes. This is as much a safety issue as a security issue. Parking lot

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accidents, for example can be reviewed for cause. Surveillance on a dock might show container damage at off-load, or verify whether or not proper check-in procedures were used.

There are various types of locks that should be considered when securing your facility. Locks vary in complexity and cost, and the type you choose will probably depend upon your risk assessment. Perhaps regular padlocks will suffice on gates around the perimeter, but a digital keypad or card reader would be more appropriate for the entry points of the building. Don’t forget about securing certain areas within the building, when applicable. Whatever the decision, make sure you have some sort of “key control” system, where only the people that need to have keys/combinations/cards have them. These should be rotated on occasion and always after a personnel change.

Unauthorized personnel should never be allowed access to your facility. This only makes sense, both from a security standpoint, but safety reasons as well. Insurance companies don’t take kindly to incidents that occur to someone who has no business being there in the first place. If this could be an issue at your facility, traffic control measures could become necessary.

In summary, every facility needs to have some type of security system in place – it just makes good business sense. Take into account what kind of target you could be. Assess your vulnerabilities. Determine a cost effective plan to make your facility as difficult to violate as possible. Take into account everything from the back fence to the safe in the closet. Securing the outermost barrier is probably the best place to start, since that can be a very visible deterrent to any would-be intruders. Whatever steps you take, the incidents discussed herein are far too prevalent and costly (considering repairs, possible business loss, and insurance premiums) to consider them a part of the “cost of doing business”. Instead of accepting that cost, direct your investments to the safety and security of your facility. t

This is an Unabashed Plug for the CPPC Chicago Workshop

Make sure you come and join us in Chicago for our Spring Workshop. We have several new and different “goings on” to entertain and educate, and help you get

to know everybody better.

Such as:

Nuts & BoltsJoin us at Friday evening’s reception where the first 100 arrivals will get a “piece”

– either a nut or a bolt. Win fabulous prizes as you try to find the other guest “that fits you”.

The Family FeudAfter our full breakfast buffet, Mitch Treider (Complete Furniture & Interiors)

and Guy Endsley (Lone Star Restorations) play hosts to a staggering number of celebrity guests and judges to help us all get going on Saturday morning. We’ll all

probably learn something new, and we’ll certainly have some fun.

And, please… don’t forget to visit our exhibitors.

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Stories from the Workplace...Ahhh, the Interview...

Businesses are only as good as the people they hire. We’ve all come across people in stores, on the phone or in offices and wondered to ourselves “How did they get hired?” Well, sometimes there’s not a lot out there to choose from. A questionnaire was sent out to Vice Presidents and personnel directors of the one hundred largest corporations asking them to describe their most unusual experience interviewing prospective employees. Here are some of their responses:

* A job applicant challenged the interviewer to an arm wrestle.* Interviewee wore a Walkman, explaining that she could listen to the interviewer and the music at the same time.* Candidate announced she hadn’t had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and French fries in the interviewers office.* Candidate said he never finished high school because he was kidnapped and kept in a closet in Mexico.* Applicant interrupted interview to phone her therapist for advice on how to answer specific interview questions. t

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emotional event that included Latin singers and representatives from the Hispanic community. When Mr. Bush stood to speak, he said, “Mi Casa Blanca, es su Casa Blanca.” This light joke visibly lifted the heavy mood. In his workshops and speeches, Mr. Heckler promotes finding humor in the workplace. “Humor is what’s obvious, but we have been trained to be too polite to mention it,” he says. He hunts for mirth in posted signs. At one meeting, he noticed a sign that read: “For restrooms: Use stairs.” He once saw this notice in a tattoo parlor: “All work done while you wait.” He asks: What’s the alternative? He’s mentioned Sept. 11 in all his speeches since the attack, but still preaches the benefits of humor. While it may seem rude or unfeeling to inject humor during this time in U.S. history, he notes that humor is needed more than ever now “to maintain our equilibrium, indeed, our souls.” t

Referrals: How to Get Them

by Joanna Krotz

Marketing by getting referrals is not only simple, it’s wonderfully cheap.

The idea is to find new customers just by asking peers, associates and existing customers to recommend likely prospects for you to target.

So what’s the hitch?

Few business owners actually ask for referrals. Fewer still ask in the right way at the right time. And even fewer ask for referrals as an ongoing marketing strategy.

Here’s how to leverage the incredible reach of referrals.

Trust is key

The reason referrals (and their cousins, testimonials) are so effective is because they carry immediate credibility. If your dentist recommends an orthodontist for your kid’s braces, you’re much more likely to act on that referral than if you hear an orthodontist’s ad on the radio or get a flyer in the mail. The price tag for the referral might have been a lunch, a phone call or the cost of attending a conference. But buying advertising airtime or producing direct mailers racks up significant dollars — and typically results in much lower response rates.

If you want to develop referrals and testimonials, which are more public and generic forms of referrals, try using these tactics:

Don’t forget to ask. “Many people believe that

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doing a good job is all that’s necessary to generate referrals,” says Patrick Galvin, who says referrals have boosted revenues by at least 75% for his two-year-old Portland, Ore. public relations (PR) business. Even when customers are terrifically satisfied, they forget to refer business mostly because your needs are not on their minds. Galvin is now in the habit of asking every satisfied client if he or she knows somebody who would also appreciate his services.

Wait until clients are happy. Going the extra mile can pay off big time. A recent study conducted by NRS Consulting, a Madison, Wis. research firm which specializes in home building, found that builders that rated 91% or better in customer satisfaction garnered six or more referrals from previous buyers, while builders with ratings of 67% or less got nary a one.Every time you get positive feedback, you have an opportunity to ask for a referral.

Don’t worry about rejection. There’s nothing wrong in asking for a referral. “Not everyone is going to need what you are selling, but a quality product has a market. Ask. Ask. Ask,” says

John Chappelear, a Fairfax, Va.-based executive coach who has founded and sold two successful businesses.

Flatter egos. Make a big deal about a referral or testimonial, so customers know how important it is for your business. Vickie Sullivan, a marketing strategist in Tempe, Ariz., turns client testimonials into multimedia presentations that she posts on her Web site. “An objective third party interviews them over the phone, and we work up a multimedia file with photo, Web

enjoyed being with me,” he says. · “Inside jokes” may lead to team-building.The first time a new employee laughs with new co-workers is usually the first time he or she feels part of the team in a new environment. Says Mr. Wilson, “You know you have an ‘inside joke’ when everybody at work laughs, but nobody at home does.” Ironic or “black humor” can even have a place. “It doesn’t mean we aren’t compassionate,” he says. “We’re discharging tension.”

Richard Jacobson, a news anchor with a Los Angeles radio station, says having an ironic sense of humor helps him and, sometimes, his listeners. “As a journalist, you encounter the rough edges of society much like firefighters, policemen and physicians. A certain amount of humor allows you to keep your emotional equilibrium,” says Mr. Jacobson. He likes to end newscasts with back-of-the-book stories. He might introduce police-blotter items

by saying, “And now for another chapter of stupid criminal tricks.” After telling the story of a man who was trapped unhurt in a sewer overnight, Mr. Jacobson played Art Carney’s “The Sewer Song” from “The Honeymooners.” Another story described a criminal who ordered pizza and then robbed the deliveryman. Talk about leaving a trail! Making the Effort

It isn’t always easy to find humor in business. Daniel Saintjean, a Montreal publisher and professional speaker, says it takes effort to incorporate humor into presentations, e-mails and letters, but using a funny quote, cartoon or other humor “has the effect of loosening someone’s tie or shoelaces. It relaxes them for a moment.” President Bush used this technique at a ceremony commemorating National Hispanic Heritage month on Sept. 28, 2001. It was an

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in Gahanna, Ohio, that promotes therapeutic laughter and a vision of world peace through laughter. He teaches “laughter yoga,” a therapy started in India in 1995 that teaches people to laugh without using jokes. “Laughter improves creativity and problem-solving. It activates the limbic system in the brain, connecting the right and left sides. It helps you do more whole brain work,” he says. Under acute stress, the two hemispheres of the brain become disconnected. For instance, if you’re late to work or an event, you’ll fumble, drop things and make mistakes. Laughter works as a relaxation response and calms the system. “One of the myths is that laughter is trivial,” he says. “It’s very powerful.” Merely smiling can be healing and reassuring.. · Humor changes perception.Robert Harris, a real-estate agent with Troop Real Estate in Simi Valley, Calif., attributes much of his success to using humor in his job.

“I take what I do very seriously, but buying a house is one of the most stressful acts a person can participate in,” says Mr. Harris, who expects to close more than $30 million in sales in 2001. “Introducing some humor or lighthearted moments helps relieve stress for all parties.” For example, Mr. Harris took a couple to see a home, but it was dark, and, unbeknownst to him, the electricity had been turned off. He turned a potentially awkward and embarrassing situation into a lighthearted one with such comments as, “If you could see the dining room, you would notice a lovely chandelier, “ and “Since you can’t see the carpet, perhaps you might feel the plush with your feet.” In a field that lends itself to frustration and delays, Mr. Harris tries to make buyers and sellers more comfortable by interjecting humor. “Most of my business is from referrals. I think that people come back to me both from the smoothness of the transaction and because they

www.ManningClaimServices.com

site link and so on,” she says. “These stories have been instrumental in converting ‘mildly interested’ prospects into clients.”

Invest in customer relationships. Keeping your best buyers up to date is a sure route to getting referrals. Either manually or with one of many different software tools, you can to integrate customer contact and sales information. This can help you follow up on leads and opportunities. Also, there are many software products that allow you to create cost-effective cards and mailers, which can be saved as templates.

Many software applications enable you to conveniently build a customer database to send out a variety of timed and appropriate customer communications, whether surface or e-mail, including:· Holiday greetings or event invitations with discount or premium offers that have a sweetener if the buyer refers a new customer.

· Press releases about company growth or changes, so clients feel valued and in-the-loop when you later call to ask for a referral.· Monthly or quarterly newsletters or e-news about your industry, which include a feature about the reciprocal benefits of referrals or a coupon that rewards recommendations.· Thank-you notes when a customer buys your product or, if it’s a big-ticket item, on the anniversary of a contract. Then call a week later to check their interest in more work and also to ask for a referral. Do not ask for referrals in the thank-you note—it will drain all the gratitude from your message.

Join a networking group. Trade associations and professional organizations are good places to generate referrals. Don’t forget community service or religious groups, the chambers of commerce and charitable organizations. There are also groups specifically set up for referrals, such as Business Networking International, which has local chapters around the country.

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Offer incentives. Five years ago, Erin Saxton quit being a television producer, including a stint working for Barbara Walters, to start a media/PR agency in Whippany, N.J., called The Idea Network. “Since so much of the entertainment business is word of mouth, I value all types of referrals,” she says, estimating that 90% of her business has come from referrals.So Saxton makes referrals worth her clients’ time. “As a thank you to anyone who refers business my way, a percentage of the money earned goes back to them. If they cannot accept money, I will send gifts,” she says.

Think vertical. The customers of your suppliers, vendors and support services might also want your product. Create a reciprocal arrangement. Also target complementary businesses that might refer customers to you. Judi Henderson-Townsend, for example, runs a three-year-old mannequin liquidator business, Mannequin Madness, based in Oakland, Calif., which grosses about $200,000 annually. “I have grown

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short period of time with a sense of fear, but not for a long period.” · Humor makes you likeable.As a free-lance advertising copywriter based in Carlsbad, Calif., Jill Easton often meets with new clients to pitch business. “You can walk into a business situation with the best plans, the most professional presentations,” she says. “The decision about whether to hire you boils down to whether they like you or not.” Ms. Easton learned this early in her career while working in New York as a junior copywriter. The agency sent her to Dallas to make a presentation to a beverage company. The storyboard -- a visual depiction of the ad campaign -- showed musical lyrics and dancers in the ad, which she duly described to the client’s decision-makers. “We’re not going to spend $100,000 unless we know what it sounds like,” one executive responded. So she belted out the song. He then said, “I’m not going to spend $100,000 unless I

know what the dancing looks like.” “So I danced around in my Evan Picone suit and did ‘shuffle off to Buffalo’ and the ‘Suzy Q’ around the conference room,” Ms. Easton says. She landed the account. Later, Ms. Easton was interviewing for a job in New York when she met an interviewer who took a dislike to her California background. Finally, Ms. Easton told him in a lighthearted tone: “I’m not blond. I’m a brunette. I’ve never surfed a day in my life. I won’t eat tofu or sprouts.” The humor helped break the ice. She was later offered the job. Ms. Easton says hilarious behind-the-scenes stories help put other participants in business meetings at ease. One story describes how, while filming a commercial at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, she and the crew on a flatbed truck were charged by two rhinos. Their handlers told the frightened crew the rhinos were “just playing.” Meanwhile, an emu put its head over a fence and bit Ms. Easton’s head. “This isn’t in my job description,” she said repeatedly. · Humor improves creativity and lowers stress.Laughter reduces stress because it’s relaxing and calming, says Steve Wilson, founder of the World Laughter Tour Inc., an organization based

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with. This quality “is definitely a factor” in hiring decisions, he says. Candidates have plenty of opportunity to show an appropriate sense of humor during the interview process. For instance, when glitches arise, such as long waits, postponed meetings or misplaced resumes, the ability to relax, laugh appropriately and “go with the flow” will help you to be perceived as flexible. Naturally, avoid all sexist, racist, crude and mean-spirited overtones when using humor. Others’ reactions are the best gauge of whether humor works, and if there’s a question about whether a remark is appropriate, it usually isn’t. Further, during an interview you can learn whether an employer encourages humor, says Mr. Heckler. Evidence of humor -- or the lack of it -- should be apparent, including posted cartoons, slogans and pictures and how employees treat each other. This humor should be lighthearted. As Mr. Heckler notes, “I can work for someone for a

heart rate and allows you to think more clearly.” When you experience or use good-natured humor, “your biology has changed. Your stress hormones have been lowered and your immune system optimized,” says Dr. Berk. “Using humor and laughter in our work environment counters all the negative effects of that environment.” Positive humor, as opposed to negative or mean-spirited joking, is beneficial in the workplace for other reasons. From job interviews to daily interactions, using humor can enhance career success. Here’s why: · Humor shows you’re easy to work with.Job candidates worry that they won’t seem serious during interviews. But coming across as easy to work with is important as well, and humor can aid in this impression. As a hiring manager in the corporate workplace, Lou Heckler, a professional speaker and humorist in Gainesville, Fla., says he often was asked if candidates he interviewed seemed easy to work

my business primarily through on- and- offline referrals,” she says. She has contacted display merchandisers at department stores in the area because people looking for mannequins often call large retailers. “These stores typically don’t rent or sell mannequins, but they’re happy to refer those calls to me.” She has also contacted wedding and special event planners, trade show hosts and exhibit builders.

For online referrals, Henderson-Townsend became a power seller on eBay. And she researched organizations whose members might need mannequins, such as the National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores, and requested links to her site from those Web sites. “The credibility of a personal referral has much more impact than a direct mail or advertising campaign, especially for a niche business such as mine,” says Henderson-Townsend.

One last tip: Try to set up a system that includes client referrals as a seamless part of your marketing plan. Mariette Edwards, an Atlanta-area executive coach, encourages referrals by offering a complimentary gift certificate for an hour of her services to any client who requests one. “Clients love being able to pass along my services to people they know, which are value-added for them and an effortless referral program for me. “Similarly, find a way to automate your referral process and you’ll discover an easier and cost-efficient way to grow your business. t

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Laugh More at Workby Sinara Stull O’Donnell

In addition to a great resume and superior references, you might want to pack a little humor along on your next interview. From first impressions to the so-called daily grind, professionals are finding that the use of humor can perform workplace wonders. It may aid communication, establish empathy, diffuse tough situations and even build the bottom line. Studies show that humor may increase productivity on the job. Research by Lee Berk, a medical researcher in humor and laughter, shows that good-natured or mirthful laughter can: · Increase the immune system’s activity;· Decrease stress hormones, which constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity; and· Increase the antibody immunoglobulin A, which protects the upper-respiratory tract.“Who wouldn’t want that kind of benefit?” says Dr. Berk, an assistant professor of family medicine at the Susan Samueli Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Berk co-authored an extensive study on laughter with Stanley Tan while with California’s Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Their study shows that if you’re using or experiencing positive humor, the whole brain is involved, not just one side, and that there’s more coordination between both sides. “As a result of using humor, we experience the diminishment of classical stress,” he says. “When one utilizes humor, it makes you less on edge, lowers your blood pressure and your

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(212)627-0291; Fax: (212)627-0309

(212)627-0291; Fax: (212) 627-0309

Coming Events:CPPC Spring WorkshopApril 28-29, Marriott Oak Brook, IL

AMSA Annual Convention & Trade ShowApril 7-10Sawgrass Marriott Resort & SpaContact the AMSA at Pro.mover.org for more information.

AMSA Basic Claims 101 SeminarApril 27Dallas, [email protected]



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Ask the Computer Guyby Guy Endsley

Lone Star Restorations

Question from a member…

All right Guy, I have the camera and have taken my photos, so now what?

Any photos you take with a camera can be adjusted in size. In order to adjust these settings you should refer to the owner’s manual. Because detail can be lost, it is best to adjust the settings to “normal” and adjust the photos later. Generally, anytime there is compression, data is lost.

Next, you can change the photo size, which is measured in pixels. Lower numbers yield smaller file sizes, in addition to smaller photos. A setting of 640 x 480 is good for e-mailing.

By adjusting photo quality and size, you can achieve small files. A size of 50K – or smaller – is a realistic goal. This will make for quick e-mailing without any further adjusting.

I generally do not mess with camera settings. I take the best photo I can for archival if greater detail is needed later.

If you don’t want to mess with camera settings, there is another option. Windows XP has a built-in tool that optimizes photos for e-mail. It is so simple to use.

Go to “Windows Explorer” or “My Computer”, and right-click on the photo. On the shortcut menu, click Send To>>Mail Recipient.

Select “Make all my pictures smaller.” Click “Show more options” to select the photo size. Small is selected by default. Then click OK.

Your e-mail program will open a blank message with the photo attached. A copy of the photo is saved in your e-mail program’s temporary folder. The original photo is not altered.

If you have many photos to e-mail, hold down the control key and click on the ones you want to send. With these files highlighted, right click on any one and click Send To>>Mail recipient. Again, you e-mail program will open a blank message with the photos attached. Be sure to provide all information in the email about the claim and photos. It would also help your customer if you name the files to reference the shipper’s name and/or claim number. An easy way to do this is to ‘right click’ on the file and select ‘re-name.’ Now just type any desired file name.

Thank you for the questions and feedback. …..Guy

Most of the topics we will cover will come directly from you, the members. So please, contact me directly or the executive office with your questions and comments so that we may add them in the upcoming newsletters. t

IS THIS, INDEED, THE BIGGEST FRAUD BEING PERPETUATED ON THE MOVING INDUSTRY IN THE 21ST CENTURY?

In fairness, sometimes the shipper doesn’t notice that a glass or plate is chipped prior to packing then they just assume this damage occurred during the move.

SO:

SHOULDN’T THE PACKERS BE INVENTORYING THESE CHIPS WHILE PACKING SO THE MOVING INDUSTRY IS NOT BUYING THE SHIPPER A SET OF GLASSES OR PLATES?

SHOULD THE MOVING INDUSTRY BE ASSUMING LIABILITY ON CHIPPED GLASSES AND CHINA?

What do YOU think???

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I went so far as to do a “test pack” with some salvaged plates and glasses. We packed the box as it should be packed then threw the box around a bit hard, jingled it, etc. NOT SURPRIZINGLY, the glasses broke - they NEVER chipped.

It has been my experience, for a glass to chip it needs to dig against another glass. The same holds true for plates -- if you hit plates against each other they will break, not chip.

From theOtherSide of the Desk

by Dan ManningManning Claim Services, LLC

Packing Damage

The last few columns have concentrated on box and contents inventorying, bar scanning, etc.

I just can’t seem to stop thinking “outside of the box”.

In speaking about box contents (breakage, chipping, cracking) I find it amazing that something like a crystal champagne glass or crystal wine glass could possibly become chipped in a box from improper packing. I own wine glasses and I own champagne glasses that are chipped because I put them in the dishwasher when I shouldn’t have (they should have been hand-washed but I was lazy).

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New Members:

Welcome to the CPPC!

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household Mover ServicesChristina LoweP.O. Box 763Ridgewood, NJ 07451Phone: 800-256-0887; Fax: 800-555-4657E-mail: [email protected]: www.hmsusa.com

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Woodland Furniture RepairEric Landfried220 Pimlico WaySaginaw, TX 76179Phone: 817-847-7013; Fax: 817-847-7013E-mail: [email protected]

Mr Handyman of Charlotte is now located at 2003 Ptarmigan CourtWaxhaw, NC 28173Phone 704-846-0800; fax: 704-846-0891. Internet address: www.fixupcharlotte.com. E-mail: [email protected]

Creative Colors International in suburban Chicago has a new address: 19015 Jodi Road, Suite EMokena, IL 60448Contact: Terri SniegolskiE-mail address: [email protected] Telephone: 80-933-2656

AIM Furniture Technology, LLC has expanded services from northwest Ohio into Ann Arbor and Detroit’s western suburbs. Contact Jim Nesmith @ 419-350-4099.

Jack Williams Mover’s Claim Service has a new address. They are now located at:498 Firetower RoadJasper, GA 30143

Pro-Touch Up near Dayton has a new address:3653 Lost Nation RoadWilloughby, OH 44094

Furniture Medic in Lake Havasu City, AZ, has new information. The address:2583 N. Kiowa Blvd.Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403Contacts: Keith Schwartz/Cameron RichmondE-mail: [email protected]

Town & Country Claim Service, Inc. has a new address:18421 Driftwood Drive EastLake Tapps, WA 98391

Novotny’s Contracting & Refinishing has a new address:719-A Ruberta Ave.Glendale, CA 91201

M.K. & Company Furniture Specialists along with Guardsman Furniture Pro in Manhattan have had incorrect phone numbers listed in their ads for the last two months. The correct numbers for both companies are:Phone: (212)627-0291; Fax: (212)627 0309We regret the error.

Membership Updates

Over1025 Adjusters

Over 450 Van Lines, Insurance Companies,

and Furniture Retailers

Over 16,700 Claims since January, 2004

CPPC - 24 CPPC - 25

CPPC - 26 CPPC - 23

New Members:

Welcome to the CPPC!

Soustelle Art AdvisoryOlivier Soustelle2522 N. Proctor StreetTacoma, WA 98406Phone: 253-759-4754; Fax: 253-759-4692E-mail: [email protected]

household Mover ServicesChristina LoweP.O. Box 763Ridgewood, NJ 07451Phone: 800-256-0887; Fax: 800-555-4657E-mail: [email protected]: www.hmsusa.com

Ford Van LinesJan EcklesP.O. Box 83107Lincoln, NE 68501Phone: 800-228-2292; Fax: 402-474-0111E-mail: [email protected]

Martin’s Classic RestorationsTony Martin1371 E. Pine StreetLodi, CA 95240Phone: 209-745-6989; Fax: 209-745-6999E-mail: [email protected]

Woodland Furniture RepairEric Landfried220 Pimlico WaySaginaw, TX 76179Phone: 817-847-7013; Fax: 817-847-7013E-mail: [email protected]

Mr Handyman of Charlotte is now located at 2003 Ptarmigan CourtWaxhaw, NC 28173Phone 704-846-0800; fax: 704-846-0891. Internet address: www.fixupcharlotte.com. E-mail: [email protected]

Creative Colors International in suburban Chicago has a new address: 19015 Jodi Road, Suite EMokena, IL 60448Contact: Terri SniegolskiE-mail address: [email protected] Telephone: 80-933-2656

AIM Furniture Technology, LLC has expanded services from northwest Ohio into Ann Arbor and Detroit’s western suburbs. Contact Jim Nesmith @ 419-350-4099.

Jack Williams Mover’s Claim Service has a new address. They are now located at:498 Firetower RoadJasper, GA 30143

Pro-Touch Up near Dayton has a new address:3653 Lost Nation RoadWilloughby, OH 44094

Furniture Medic in Lake Havasu City, AZ, has new information. The address:2583 N. Kiowa Blvd.Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403Contacts: Keith Schwartz/Cameron RichmondE-mail: [email protected]

Town & Country Claim Service, Inc. has a new address:18421 Driftwood Drive EastLake Tapps, WA 98391

Novotny’s Contracting & Refinishing has a new address:719-A Ruberta Ave.Glendale, CA 91201

M.K. & Company Furniture Specialists along with Guardsman Furniture Pro in Manhattan have had incorrect phone numbers listed in their ads for the last two months. The correct numbers for both companies are:Phone: (212)627-0291; Fax: (212)627 0309We regret the error.

Membership Updates

Over1025 Adjusters

Over 450 Van Lines, Insurance Companies,

and Furniture Retailers

Over 16,700 Claims since January, 2004

CPPC - 22 CPPC - 27

CPPC - 28 CPPC - 21

I went so far as to do a “test pack” with some salvaged plates and glasses. We packed the box as it should be packed then threw the box around a bit hard, jingled it, etc. NOT SURPRIZINGLY, the glasses broke - they NEVER chipped.

It has been my experience, for a glass to chip it needs to dig against another glass. The same holds true for plates -- if you hit plates against each other they will break, not chip.

From theOtherSide of the Desk

by Dan ManningManning Claim Services, LLC

Packing Damage

The last few columns have concentrated on box and contents inventorying, bar scanning, etc.

I just can’t seem to stop thinking “outside of the box”.

In speaking about box contents (breakage, chipping, cracking) I find it amazing that something like a crystal champagne glass or crystal wine glass could possibly become chipped in a box from improper packing. I own wine glasses and I own champagne glasses that are chipped because I put them in the dishwasher when I shouldn’t have (they should have been hand-washed but I was lazy).

Vincent Yates Vincent Yates

Office: 315 452-3375 Office: 315 452-3375 Fax: 315 458-4457 Fax: 315 458-4457

792 Hogreffe Road, Independence, Kentucky 41051 792 Hogreffe Road, Independence, Kentucky 41051

T R I T R I S T A T E S T A T E

WWoooodd FFiinniisshheerrss ServicesServicesNorthern and Central Kentucky to Lexington and surrounding areas Northern and Central Kentucky to Lexington and surrounding areas

Southern Ohio including Cincinnati and South Eastern Indiana Southern Ohio including Cincinnati and South Eastern Indiana

WWoooodd FFiinniisshheerrss OffersOffersInsurance Claims Handling - Commercial & Residential Insurance Claims Handling - Commercial & Residential

On-Site Woodworking and Finishing Repairs On-Site Woodworking and Finishing Repairs Flooring and Carpet Damage Repair Flooring and Carpet Damage Repair Estimates, Appraisals & Inspections Estimates, Appraisals & Inspections Accurate, Detailed, typed Reports Accurate, Detailed, typed Reports

Furniture Refinishing, Restorations Furniture Refinishing, Restorations Property Damage Repairs Property Damage Repairs

Digital Photos Digital Photos

Office: 859 746-3855Office: 859 746-3855 Fax: 859 746-3862 Fax: 859 746-3862

Over 25 Years Over 25 Years of Quality, Professional Service in Central NY of Quality, Professional Service in Central NY

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Ask the Computer Guyby Guy Endsley

Lone Star Restorations

Question from a member…

All right Guy, I have the camera and have taken my photos, so now what?

Any photos you take with a camera can be adjusted in size. In order to adjust these settings you should refer to the owner’s manual. Because detail can be lost, it is best to adjust the settings to “normal” and adjust the photos later. Generally, anytime there is compression, data is lost.

Next, you can change the photo size, which is measured in pixels. Lower numbers yield smaller file sizes, in addition to smaller photos. A setting of 640 x 480 is good for e-mailing.

By adjusting photo quality and size, you can achieve small files. A size of 50K – or smaller – is a realistic goal. This will make for quick e-mailing without any further adjusting.

I generally do not mess with camera settings. I take the best photo I can for archival if greater detail is needed later.

If you don’t want to mess with camera settings, there is another option. Windows XP has a built-in tool that optimizes photos for e-mail. It is so simple to use.

Go to “Windows Explorer” or “My Computer”, and right-click on the photo. On the shortcut menu, click Send To>>Mail Recipient.

Select “Make all my pictures smaller.” Click “Show more options” to select the photo size. Small is selected by default. Then click OK.

Your e-mail program will open a blank message with the photo attached. A copy of the photo is saved in your e-mail program’s temporary folder. The original photo is not altered.

If you have many photos to e-mail, hold down the control key and click on the ones you want to send. With these files highlighted, right click on any one and click Send To>>Mail recipient. Again, you e-mail program will open a blank message with the photos attached. Be sure to provide all information in the email about the claim and photos. It would also help your customer if you name the files to reference the shipper’s name and/or claim number. An easy way to do this is to ‘right click’ on the file and select ‘re-name.’ Now just type any desired file name.

Thank you for the questions and feedback. …..Guy

Most of the topics we will cover will come directly from you, the members. So please, contact me directly or the executive office with your questions and comments so that we may add them in the upcoming newsletters. t

IS THIS, INDEED, THE BIGGEST FRAUD BEING PERPETUATED ON THE MOVING INDUSTRY IN THE 21ST CENTURY?

In fairness, sometimes the shipper doesn’t notice that a glass or plate is chipped prior to packing then they just assume this damage occurred during the move.

SO:

SHOULDN’T THE PACKERS BE INVENTORYING THESE CHIPS WHILE PACKING SO THE MOVING INDUSTRY IS NOT BUYING THE SHIPPER A SET OF GLASSES OR PLATES?

SHOULD THE MOVING INDUSTRY BE ASSUMING LIABILITY ON CHIPPED GLASSES AND CHINA?

What do YOU think???

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(212)627-0291; Fax: (212)627-0309

(212)627-0291; Fax: (212) 627-0309



AMSA Basic Claims 101 SeminarApril 27Dallas, [email protected]



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Laugh More at Workby Sinara Stull O’Donnell

In addition to a great resume and superior references, you might want to pack a little humor along on your next interview. From first impressions to the so-called daily grind, professionals are finding that the use of humor can perform workplace wonders. It may aid communication, establish empathy, diffuse tough situations and even build the bottom line. Studies show that humor may increase productivity on the job. Research by Lee Berk, a medical researcher in humor and laughter, shows that good-natured or mirthful laughter can: · Increase the immune system’s activity;· Decrease stress hormones, which constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity; and· Increase the antibody immunoglobulin A, which protects the upper-respiratory tract.“Who wouldn’t want that kind of benefit?” says Dr. Berk, an assistant professor of family medicine at the Susan Samueli Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Berk co-authored an extensive study on laughter with Stanley Tan while with California’s Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Their study shows that if you’re using or experiencing positive humor, the whole brain is involved, not just one side, and that there’s more coordination between both sides. “As a result of using humor, we experience the diminishment of classical stress,” he says. “When one utilizes humor, it makes you less on edge, lowers your blood pressure and your

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with. This quality “is definitely a factor” in hiring decisions, he says. Candidates have plenty of opportunity to show an appropriate sense of humor during the interview process. For instance, when glitches arise, such as long waits, postponed meetings or misplaced resumes, the ability to relax, laugh appropriately and “go with the flow” will help you to be perceived as flexible. Naturally, avoid all sexist, racist, crude and mean-spirited overtones when using humor. Others’ reactions are the best gauge of whether humor works, and if there’s a question about whether a remark is appropriate, it usually isn’t. Further, during an interview you can learn whether an employer encourages humor, says Mr. Heckler. Evidence of humor -- or the lack of it -- should be apparent, including posted cartoons, slogans and pictures and how employees treat each other. This humor should be lighthearted. As Mr. Heckler notes, “I can work for someone for a

heart rate and allows you to think more clearly.” When you experience or use good-natured humor, “your biology has changed. Your stress hormones have been lowered and your immune system optimized,” says Dr. Berk. “Using humor and laughter in our work environment counters all the negative effects of that environment.” Positive humor, as opposed to negative or mean-spirited joking, is beneficial in the workplace for other reasons. From job interviews to daily interactions, using humor can enhance career success. Here’s why: · Humor shows you’re easy to work with.Job candidates worry that they won’t seem serious during interviews. But coming across as easy to work with is important as well, and humor can aid in this impression. As a hiring manager in the corporate workplace, Lou Heckler, a professional speaker and humorist in Gainesville, Fla., says he often was asked if candidates he interviewed seemed easy to work

my business primarily through on- and- offline referrals,” she says. She has contacted display merchandisers at department stores in the area because people looking for mannequins often call large retailers. “These stores typically don’t rent or sell mannequins, but they’re happy to refer those calls to me.” She has also contacted wedding and special event planners, trade show hosts and exhibit builders.

For online referrals, Henderson-Townsend became a power seller on eBay. And she researched organizations whose members might need mannequins, such as the National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores, and requested links to her site from those Web sites. “The credibility of a personal referral has much more impact than a direct mail or advertising campaign, especially for a niche business such as mine,” says Henderson-Townsend.

One last tip: Try to set up a system that includes client referrals as a seamless part of your marketing plan. Mariette Edwards, an Atlanta-area executive coach, encourages referrals by offering a complimentary gift certificate for an hour of her services to any client who requests one. “Clients love being able to pass along my services to people they know, which are value-added for them and an effortless referral program for me. “Similarly, find a way to automate your referral process and you’ll discover an easier and cost-efficient way to grow your business. t

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Offer incentives. Five years ago, Erin Saxton quit being a television producer, including a stint working for Barbara Walters, to start a media/PR agency in Whippany, N.J., called The Idea Network. “Since so much of the entertainment business is word of mouth, I value all types of referrals,” she says, estimating that 90% of her business has come from referrals.So Saxton makes referrals worth her clients’ time. “As a thank you to anyone who refers business my way, a percentage of the money earned goes back to them. If they cannot accept money, I will send gifts,” she says.

Think vertical. The customers of your suppliers, vendors and support services might also want your product. Create a reciprocal arrangement. Also target complementary businesses that might refer customers to you. Judi Henderson-Townsend, for example, runs a three-year-old mannequin liquidator business, Mannequin Madness, based in Oakland, Calif., which grosses about $200,000 annually. “I have grown

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short period of time with a sense of fear, but not for a long period.” · Humor makes you likeable.As a free-lance advertising copywriter based in Carlsbad, Calif., Jill Easton often meets with new clients to pitch business. “You can walk into a business situation with the best plans, the most professional presentations,” she says. “The decision about whether to hire you boils down to whether they like you or not.” Ms. Easton learned this early in her career while working in New York as a junior copywriter. The agency sent her to Dallas to make a presentation to a beverage company. The storyboard -- a visual depiction of the ad campaign -- showed musical lyrics and dancers in the ad, which she duly described to the client’s decision-makers. “We’re not going to spend $100,000 unless we know what it sounds like,” one executive responded. So she belted out the song. He then said, “I’m not going to spend $100,000 unless I

know what the dancing looks like.” “So I danced around in my Evan Picone suit and did ‘shuffle off to Buffalo’ and the ‘Suzy Q’ around the conference room,” Ms. Easton says. She landed the account. Later, Ms. Easton was interviewing for a job in New York when she met an interviewer who took a dislike to her California background. Finally, Ms. Easton told him in a lighthearted tone: “I’m not blond. I’m a brunette. I’ve never surfed a day in my life. I won’t eat tofu or sprouts.” The humor helped break the ice. She was later offered the job. Ms. Easton says hilarious behind-the-scenes stories help put other participants in business meetings at ease. One story describes how, while filming a commercial at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, she and the crew on a flatbed truck were charged by two rhinos. Their handlers told the frightened crew the rhinos were “just playing.” Meanwhile, an emu put its head over a fence and bit Ms. Easton’s head. “This isn’t in my job description,” she said repeatedly. · Humor improves creativity and lowers stress.Laughter reduces stress because it’s relaxing and calming, says Steve Wilson, founder of the World Laughter Tour Inc., an organization based

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in Gahanna, Ohio, that promotes therapeutic laughter and a vision of world peace through laughter. He teaches “laughter yoga,” a therapy started in India in 1995 that teaches people to laugh without using jokes. “Laughter improves creativity and problem-solving. It activates the limbic system in the brain, connecting the right and left sides. It helps you do more whole brain work,” he says. Under acute stress, the two hemispheres of the brain become disconnected. For instance, if you’re late to work or an event, you’ll fumble, drop things and make mistakes. Laughter works as a relaxation response and calms the system. “One of the myths is that laughter is trivial,” he says. “It’s very powerful.” Merely smiling can be healing and reassuring.. · Humor changes perception.Robert Harris, a real-estate agent with Troop Real Estate in Simi Valley, Calif., attributes much of his success to using humor in his job.

“I take what I do very seriously, but buying a house is one of the most stressful acts a person can participate in,” says Mr. Harris, who expects to close more than $30 million in sales in 2001. “Introducing some humor or lighthearted moments helps relieve stress for all parties.” For example, Mr. Harris took a couple to see a home, but it was dark, and, unbeknownst to him, the electricity had been turned off. He turned a potentially awkward and embarrassing situation into a lighthearted one with such comments as, “If you could see the dining room, you would notice a lovely chandelier, “ and “Since you can’t see the carpet, perhaps you might feel the plush with your feet.” In a field that lends itself to frustration and delays, Mr. Harris tries to make buyers and sellers more comfortable by interjecting humor. “Most of my business is from referrals. I think that people come back to me both from the smoothness of the transaction and because they

www.ManningClaimServices.com

site link and so on,” she says. “These stories have been instrumental in converting ‘mildly interested’ prospects into clients.”

Invest in customer relationships. Keeping your best buyers up to date is a sure route to getting referrals. Either manually or with one of many different software tools, you can to integrate customer contact and sales information. This can help you follow up on leads and opportunities. Also, there are many software products that allow you to create cost-effective cards and mailers, which can be saved as templates.

Many software applications enable you to conveniently build a customer database to send out a variety of timed and appropriate customer communications, whether surface or e-mail, including:· Holiday greetings or event invitations with discount or premium offers that have a sweetener if the buyer refers a new customer.

· Press releases about company growth or changes, so clients feel valued and in-the-loop when you later call to ask for a referral.· Monthly or quarterly newsletters or e-news about your industry, which include a feature about the reciprocal benefits of referrals or a coupon that rewards recommendations.· Thank-you notes when a customer buys your product or, if it’s a big-ticket item, on the anniversary of a contract. Then call a week later to check their interest in more work and also to ask for a referral. Do not ask for referrals in the thank-you note—it will drain all the gratitude from your message.

Join a networking group. Trade associations and professional organizations are good places to generate referrals. Don’t forget community service or religious groups, the chambers of commerce and charitable organizations. There are also groups specifically set up for referrals, such as Business Networking International, which has local chapters around the country.

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doing a good job is all that’s necessary to generate referrals,” says Patrick Galvin, who says referrals have boosted revenues by at least 75% for his two-year-old Portland, Ore. public relations (PR) business. Even when customers are terrifically satisfied, they forget to refer business mostly because your needs are not on their minds. Galvin is now in the habit of asking every satisfied client if he or she knows somebody who would also appreciate his services.

Wait until clients are happy. Going the extra mile can pay off big time. A recent study conducted by NRS Consulting, a Madison, Wis. research firm which specializes in home building, found that builders that rated 91% or better in customer satisfaction garnered six or more referrals from previous buyers, while builders with ratings of 67% or less got nary a one.Every time you get positive feedback, you have an opportunity to ask for a referral.

Don’t worry about rejection. There’s nothing wrong in asking for a referral. “Not everyone is going to need what you are selling, but a quality product has a market. Ask. Ask. Ask,” says

John Chappelear, a Fairfax, Va.-based executive coach who has founded and sold two successful businesses.

Flatter egos. Make a big deal about a referral or testimonial, so customers know how important it is for your business. Vickie Sullivan, a marketing strategist in Tempe, Ariz., turns client testimonials into multimedia presentations that she posts on her Web site. “An objective third party interviews them over the phone, and we work up a multimedia file with photo, Web

enjoyed being with me,” he says. · “Inside jokes” may lead to team-building.The first time a new employee laughs with new co-workers is usually the first time he or she feels part of the team in a new environment. Says Mr. Wilson, “You know you have an ‘inside joke’ when everybody at work laughs, but nobody at home does.” Ironic or “black humor” can even have a place. “It doesn’t mean we aren’t compassionate,” he says. “We’re discharging tension.”

Richard Jacobson, a news anchor with a Los Angeles radio station, says having an ironic sense of humor helps him and, sometimes, his listeners. “As a journalist, you encounter the rough edges of society much like firefighters, policemen and physicians. A certain amount of humor allows you to keep your emotional equilibrium,” says Mr. Jacobson. He likes to end newscasts with back-of-the-book stories. He might introduce police-blotter items

by saying, “And now for another chapter of stupid criminal tricks.” After telling the story of a man who was trapped unhurt in a sewer overnight, Mr. Jacobson played Art Carney’s “The Sewer Song” from “The Honeymooners.” Another story described a criminal who ordered pizza and then robbed the deliveryman. Talk about leaving a trail! Making the Effort

It isn’t always easy to find humor in business. Daniel Saintjean, a Montreal publisher and professional speaker, says it takes effort to incorporate humor into presentations, e-mails and letters, but using a funny quote, cartoon or other humor “has the effect of loosening someone’s tie or shoelaces. It relaxes them for a moment.” President Bush used this technique at a ceremony commemorating National Hispanic Heritage month on Sept. 28, 2001. It was an

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emotional event that included Latin singers and representatives from the Hispanic community. When Mr. Bush stood to speak, he said, “Mi Casa Blanca, es su Casa Blanca.” This light joke visibly lifted the heavy mood. In his workshops and speeches, Mr. Heckler promotes finding humor in the workplace. “Humor is what’s obvious, but we have been trained to be too polite to mention it,” he says. He hunts for mirth in posted signs. At one meeting, he noticed a sign that read: “For restrooms: Use stairs.” He once saw this notice in a tattoo parlor: “All work done while you wait.” He asks: What’s the alternative? He’s mentioned Sept. 11 in all his speeches since the attack, but still preaches the benefits of humor. While it may seem rude or unfeeling to inject humor during this time in U.S. history, he notes that humor is needed more than ever now “to maintain our equilibrium, indeed, our souls.” t

Referrals: How to Get Them

by Joanna Krotz

Marketing by getting referrals is not only simple, it’s wonderfully cheap.

The idea is to find new customers just by asking peers, associates and existing customers to recommend likely prospects for you to target.

So what’s the hitch?

Few business owners actually ask for referrals. Fewer still ask in the right way at the right time. And even fewer ask for referrals as an ongoing marketing strategy.

Here’s how to leverage the incredible reach of referrals.

Trust is key

The reason referrals (and their cousins, testimonials) are so effective is because they carry immediate credibility. If your dentist recommends an orthodontist for your kid’s braces, you’re much more likely to act on that referral than if you hear an orthodontist’s ad on the radio or get a flyer in the mail. The price tag for the referral might have been a lunch, a phone call or the cost of attending a conference. But buying advertising airtime or producing direct mailers racks up significant dollars — and typically results in much lower response rates.

If you want to develop referrals and testimonials, which are more public and generic forms of referrals, try using these tactics:

Don’t forget to ask. “Many people believe that

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Stories from the Workplace...Ahhh, the Interview...

Businesses are only as good as the people they hire. We’ve all come across people in stores, on the phone or in offices and wondered to ourselves “How did they get hired?” Well, sometimes there’s not a lot out there to choose from. A questionnaire was sent out to Vice Presidents and personnel directors of the one hundred largest corporations asking them to describe their most unusual experience interviewing prospective employees. Here are some of their responses:

* A job applicant challenged the interviewer to an arm wrestle.* Interviewee wore a Walkman, explaining that she could listen to the interviewer and the music at the same time.* Candidate announced she hadn’t had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and French fries in the interviewers office.* Candidate said he never finished high school because he was kidnapped and kept in a closet in Mexico.* Applicant interrupted interview to phone her therapist for advice on how to answer specific interview questions. t

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accidents, for example can be reviewed for cause. Surveillance on a dock might show container damage at off-load, or verify whether or not proper check-in procedures were used.

There are various types of locks that should be considered when securing your facility. Locks vary in complexity and cost, and the type you choose will probably depend upon your risk assessment. Perhaps regular padlocks will suffice on gates around the perimeter, but a digital keypad or card reader would be more appropriate for the entry points of the building. Don’t forget about securing certain areas within the building, when applicable. Whatever the decision, make sure you have some sort of “key control” system, where only the people that need to have keys/combinations/cards have them. These should be rotated on occasion and always after a personnel change.

Unauthorized personnel should never be allowed access to your facility. This only makes sense, both from a security standpoint, but safety reasons as well. Insurance companies don’t take kindly to incidents that occur to someone who has no business being there in the first place. If this could be an issue at your facility, traffic control measures could become necessary.

In summary, every facility needs to have some type of security system in place – it just makes good business sense. Take into account what kind of target you could be. Assess your vulnerabilities. Determine a cost effective plan to make your facility as difficult to violate as possible. Take into account everything from the back fence to the safe in the closet. Securing the outermost barrier is probably the best place to start, since that can be a very visible deterrent to any would-be intruders. Whatever steps you take, the incidents discussed herein are far too prevalent and costly (considering repairs, possible business loss, and insurance premiums) to consider them a part of the “cost of doing business”. Instead of accepting that cost, direct your investments to the safety and security of your facility. t

This is an Unabashed Plug for the CPPC Chicago Workshop

Make sure you come and join us in Chicago for our Spring Workshop. We have several new and different “goings on” to entertain and educate, and help you get

to know everybody better.

Such as:

Nuts & BoltsJoin us at Friday evening’s reception where the first 100 arrivals will get a “piece”

– either a nut or a bolt. Win fabulous prizes as you try to find the other guest “that fits you”.

The Family FeudAfter our full breakfast buffet, Mitch Treider (Complete Furniture & Interiors)

and Guy Endsley (Lone Star Restorations) play hosts to a staggering number of celebrity guests and judges to help us all get going on Saturday morning. We’ll all

probably learn something new, and we’ll certainly have some fun.

And, please… don’t forget to visit our exhibitors.

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Welcome to Chicago!The CPPC 2006 Spring Chicago Workshop &

Repair Firm SeminarSchedule of Events

FRIDAY, APRIL 28Th 2006

7:30 to 8:30am Board Meeting, open to the CPPC membership

8:00 am Registration opens for workshops & repair firms seminar and remains open all day

9:00 to 11:00 am Pre-Workshop Meeting - REPAIR FIRMS ONLY

Session 1: Topics impacting repair firms / fuel prices / increased competition / increasing customer base Ken Larbes, moderator, Professional Furniture Service, Amelia, OH Tom Kuhns, West Interior Services, Natrona Heights, PA Dan Manning, Manning Claim Services, Allendale, NJ

Session 2: “What’s This Stuff Made of?” Don Kistner, moderator, Kistner’s Full Claim Service, Rock Island, IL Bob Wills, R.L. Wills Claims Service, Heyworth, IL Bob Gray, Bob Gray Restoration, Crownsville, MD Jon White, Classic Furniture, New Hampshire 11:00 am Break (box lunch provided)

12:00 OFFICIAL OPENING SESSION OF THE WORKSHOP

12pm - 1pm Introductions & Elections

1:00 to 2:15 Claim Perspective from the Mover’s Side Steve Smetko, Moderator - Allied / Sirva, Naperville, IL John Puscheck, CEO, Prager Moving & Storage, Naperville, IL Lance Bowman, NAVL Van Operator of the year 2004. 2:15 to 2:30 Break

2:30 to 3:30 Both Sides of the Desk Dan Manning, moderator, Manning Claim Services, LLC, Allendale, NJ Carrier Representatives: Betty Rice, Allied / Sirva, Naperville, IL Janie Wittman, Atlas Van Lines, Evansville, IN Tammy Kartholl, Nelson Westerberg, Elk Grove, IL Repair Firm Representatives: Lynn Singer, Furniture Medic, Colorado Springs, CO John White, Classic Furniture Services, Franklin, MA

3:30 to 3:45 pm Coffee Break

everyone. However, it’s hardly safe and it’s definitely not practical. Transportation companies especially, with all the dock doors required, may have an even tougher time. However, limiting the location of the doors to more easily watched areas can lessen the impact. The fewer back doors, side doors, and utility doors there are, the better. Doors should be made of steel where possible.

Over half of all break-ins are through window glass, according to statistical studies. Therefore, precautions need to be taken. Security measures for this type of situation would include burglary resistant glass (examples include: safety glass; LEXAN; TUFFAK; plexiglas); iron or steel bars; heavy steel mesh; and/or glass break sensors that sound an alarm when windows have been penetrated.

This brings us around to alarms. Alarm systems are generally employed to do one or more of the following: detect fire and/or smoke; detect intrusion; serve as an emergency notification; monitor equipment and/or conditions.Depending on the type of alarm, they can be activated when an electrical circuit is broken, a light beam is broken, a sound or motion is detected, or heat and/or smoke is detected.

There are four basic types of alarm systems

available. There is a local alarm system, in which the protective circuits activate a visual or audible signal in the immediate vicinity of the object being protected (think car alarms). There is an auxiliary system, in which the installation-owned system is a direct extension of the police and/or fire alarm systems (probably the least effective system). The central station system is where alarms are transmitted to a central station outside the facility from which appropriate action is taken, such as notifying local police, fire, or emergency services (think Brinks’ Home Security as an example). Then there is the proprietary system, where the “central station” is owned by, and located within, the facility. Response to the alarm is by the company’s own security personnel. (This is generally for very large companies.)

Video surveillance is becoming more and more popular as a means of safeguarding a facility. Cameras, visible and well-positioned, are a strong deterrent to any would-be intruders and/or thieves. Video cameras can be mounted almost anywhere, inside and out, to watch and record all activity. The cameras can be monitored from inside the facility or at another location. Video feed can even be accessed from your home computer. The threat of constant surveillance is certainly a deterrent, and the recorded activity is obviously useful for detection purposes. This is as much a safety issue as a security issue. Parking lot

CPPC - 8 CPPC - 41

that it affords visibility on both sides of the barrier for police and security personnel. The disadvantages would be that they are relatively easy to break through (or over) for the highly skilled intruder, and they are probably not the most aesthetic means of protection.

On all chain link fencing, security is naturally enhanced with some sort of top guard. The top guard is most typically an overhang of barbed wire to discourage any attempts to climb over the fence. The top guard should be permanently affixed to the top of the fence posts (extending fence height another foot) and be long enough to support three strands of barbed wire about six inches apart.

Chances are good that there are already walls in place in your facility. They are probably made of wood, brick, poured concrete, corrugated metal, or cinder blocks, as these are by far the most commonly used materials.

Protective lighting is an essential element of an integrated security program. It serves as a deterrent to intruders; provides illumination for security personnel, and is effective in crime prevention, as the illumination should make detection and identification more likely. Additionally, it provides a degree of comfort, safety, and security to your own personnel after dark.

An emergency lighting system is essential when a comprehensive security system is being planned. Set to activate when power is cut, emergency lighting can help either during a sophisticated break-in attempt or a natural occurrence such as storms. It is not only a protection safeguard, but is a safety issue for employees in the facility.

Doors are the most common points of ingress and egress into any facility. For security purposes, it would be beneficial to have one locked, guarded, illuminated door for

3:45 to 4:45 pm The Future of Moving Industry Jim McCue, VP Unirisc - Moderator Tim Schneeman, VP & Gen. Manager Allied Moving Services Joe Cardini, VP Sales, Unirisc

5:30 - 7:00 pm Reception - Light Hors d’Oeuvres

SATURDAY, APRIL 29th 2006

6:30 to 7:00 am Exhibit set up

7:00 to 8:45 am Full Breakfast Buffet

9:00 to 10:00 am Family Feud Panel Leaders: Mitch Treider, Complete Furniture & Interiors, Fla. Guy Endsley, Lone Star Restorations, TX Panel members: Jim McCue, Unirisc, Paramus, NJ; Alan Jobe, Atlas Van Lines; Tammy Kartholl, Nelson Westerberg; Colleen Hilditch, Michigan Antique Preservation; Matt Miller, Allied Van Lines; Nicole Fisk, Executive insurance Services; Lynn Singer, Furniture Medic; Bob Shannon, Bobcat Wood Refinishing; Chris Martin, West Interiors; Tommy Morales, TRS Furniture Repair Judges: Debi Williams, Unirisc; Tom Kuhns, West Interiors; Gene Shontere, Shontere Restoration

10:00 to 10:15 am Break Breakout Periods 10:15 to 11:00am Room #1 The “Internationals”1st breakout Leader: Catherine Gutberlet, Movers Risk, PAperiod Panel members, Anne Weakley, Unirisc, Arlington

2nd Breakout Room #2 AppraisalsPeriod Leaders: Vic Franco, Franco Furniture, Hackettstown, NJ Laurie Semler, Semler Appraisals, Carrolton, TX Pete Simonetti, Simonetti & Associates, Sykesville, MD

Room #3 Military Claims (1st Breakout) / Third Party Servicing (2nd Breakout) Leaders: Alan Jobe, Atlas Van Lines (Military); Linda Hamilton, Sirva CSN Team (3rd Party) Scott Michael, Military Speaker Jeff Waickman, Custom Movers Services, Ohio, (3rd Party) Heather Amstutz, NAVL, Carrier Representative (3rd Party) 11:45am to 1:00 pm Lunch - Exhibit tables open

1:00 to 2:00 pm 15 Points of Good Customer Service Debbie Morales - Moderator, Metro Claims & Relocation, Indian Trail, NC Debi Williams, Unirisc, Fla. Kimmie Loeffler, Ace Relocation Services, Cudahy, WI

2:00pm to 3:00 pm General Session / CPPC Town Meeting Drawings, raffles, announcements, general comments / concerns of membership.

3:00 pm Adjournment

3:30 pm Board Meeting

CPPC - 42 CPPC - 7

Scheduled to Appear (as of March 12): 18th Century Hardware Simpson, Bill Derry, PAA. Arnold Relocation Cottier, Jennifer Louisville, KYA. Arnold Relocation Mills, Connie Lexington, KYAckerman’s Furniture Service Ackerman, John Burnsville, MNAckerman’s Furniture Service Ackerman, Cheryl Burnsville, MNAssociates Claim Service Hozian, John Schaumburg, ILAssociates Claim Service Bucalo, Tom Schaumburg, ILAtlas Van Lines Boeglin, Linda Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Dodson, Diane Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Hooper, Debbie Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Jobe, Alan Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines McCandless, Brenda Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Mirick, Celia Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Sinnett, Barb Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Spiehler, Mark Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Thompson, Rita Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Toton, Marilyn Evansville, INAtlas Van Lines Wittman, Janie Evansville, INBalsam’s Restorations, Inc. Balsam, Paul Albuquerque, NMBigfoot Moving & Storage Bavuso, Mike Waltham, MABob Gray Restorations Gray, Bob Crownsville, MDBrandt & Whitney, Inc. Whitney, Daniel Denver, COCarolina Furniture Davis, Rick Mocksville, NCCoatings & Claims Consultants Buchanan, Ken Portland, ORCoatings & Claims Consultants Sjodin, Glenn Portland, ORColorado D&S Enterprises Slaughter, Dale Littleton, COColorado D&S Enterprises Slaughter, Sue Littleton, COComplete Furniture & Interiors Trieder, Mitchell Orlando, FLDCT Leathers Turner, Dave Toronto, ONERS Replacements Rosenthal, Norm Lake Bluff, ILF.W. Schoenbauer Furn Repair Owens, Kathy Mechanicsville, MDF.W. Schoenbauer Furn Repair Schoenbauer, Thomas Mechanicsville, MDFurniture Care Hoogers, Gus Rochester, NYFurniture Medic Dickson, Bob Lexington, KYFurniture Medic Ferguson, Bill Bedford, TXFurniture Medic Nasello, William Lake County, ILFurniture Medic Singer, Lynne Colorado Springs, COFurniture Medic by DB Puzzi, Tami Tucson, AZFurniture Medic by DB Soncrant, Don Tucson, AZFurniture Repair Specialists Powell, Richard Tulsa, OKFurniture Repair Specialists Pate, Alicia Tulsa, OKGraebel Movers Garcia, Kari Aurora, COGuardsman Furniture Pro Hilty, Kent Findlay, OHH.R. Martin Martin, Roddy Fairhope, ALHome Team Solution Murphy, Denise Kansas City, KSHome Team Solution Murray, Walter Kansas City, KSImage Restoration, Inc. Fiddes, Gordon Portland, ORImlach Movers Daniels, Debbie Trenton, MIInterTrans Insurance Services Susan Miller Irvine, CAInterTrans Insurance Services Williams, Tammy Irvine, CAJ. E. Kelleher, Inc. Miner, Marlene Bristol, CTKistner’s Full Claim Service Kistner, Don Rock Island, ILKistner’s Full Claim Service Kistner, Drew Rock Island, ILLT Transit Claims Service Tysinger, Larry Murrell’s Inlet, SCLT Transit Claims Service Tysinger, Sallie Murrell’s Inlet, SCManning Claim Service Manning, Dan Allendale, NJManning Claim Service Manning, Joyce Allendale, NJManning Claim Service D’Ercole, Jason Allendale, NJManning Claim Service Nader, Hasan Allendale, NJMichigan Antique Presrvation Elumenstein, Eric Wyandotte, MIMichigan Antique Presrvation Hilditch, Coleen Wyandotte, MIMichigan Antique Presrvation Witkowski, Bill Wyandotte, MINorth American Van Lines Amstutz, Heather Ft. Wayne, INNorth American Van Lines Boger, Laura Ft. Wayne, INNorth American Van Lines Chalmers, Marquie Ft. Wayne, INNorth American Van Lines Followell, Jenny Ft. Wayne, INPete’s Furniture Repair, Inc. Aycock, Brian Dayton, OH

gasoline refinery. The small companies can still be vulnerable to theft and vandalism, but it would not be prudent to spend a great sum of money on sophisticated security devices. To survive in business, one always has to consider the cost effectiveness of their activities. Furniture repair companies may be more vulnerable than you might first think due to the combustibility of the chemicals stored inside.

Call it an inventory, a survey or an evaluation, but a risk assessment would entail a physical examination and a complete inspection of the facility and its surroundings. The main purpose would be to evaluate the existing state of security, identify weaknesses or gaps in the defenses, and determine the degree of protection required. The safe working conditions of those employed in and around the facility should be examined, and the potential vulnerability from theft, both from the

outside and within, needs to be evaluated, as well as the potential cost of such measures.

Now we’ll talk about some precautions. We’ll start at the perimeter of the grounds and move in.

The first item on the list would be barriers. Fencing is generally the outermost barrier. Fences serve to define legal boundaries, deter the general public and mark the limits of trespass. They act as a psychological deterrent to the opportunistic type of intruder, but in reality, they are only a minor inconvenience to the, shall we say, more motivated attempts at incursion.

The chain link fence is the most frequently utilized for security purposes. The major advantages of chain link fencing are its cost (decent protection for the dollar), and

CPPC - 6 CPPC - 43

Cargo Security:How Safe Is Your Facility?by Dave Daniels

Protecting the organizational facility is like protecting home and hearth. The terminal, dock, or warehouse is the central point of operations, the lifeblood of the company itself. Leaving the facility without adequate protection would be like leaving it open to violation or intrusion. Keeping the facility safe and secure is beneficial from an economic standpoint, certainly, but is also a source of pride to all that work there.

It’s a shame to have to begin with a subject such as this, but it must be discussed. Transportation terminals are thought to be a prime target for terrorists. Distribution and the delivery of goods and services to the general population, as well as the potential for a large amount of destruction to property make trucking terminals “attractive” targets. The interruption of such services is an economic disruption, upsetting businesses and consumers alike, not to mention the safety of those present. Additionally, there are organized groups of criminals with “copycat” mentalities that may try to simulate a terrorist attack to cover up their true motive; that of petty theft. Therefore, it is important for those in charge of safety and security to take a look at the facility from an attack/theft prevention mode.

How safe would your facility be if it were attacked, either by terrorists or thieves? How easy would it be for attackers to gain access? Are you a “soft” target – that is, are security

measures lacking that would discourage attacks? There are several concepts here to consider. The first would be “attack rationalization”, which is the likelihood of an attacker to rationalize that they could have success attacking your facility. The next would be “target hardening”. The opposite of the “soft” target mentioned above, target hardening is implementing security measures that would make a location more resistant to attack, creating the potential of deterring such an attack. The last will follow right along: “attack displacement”. After assessing that a location might be too much of a risk, the attacker moves on to a target with a greater likelihood of success.

We’ll get to “target hardening” and security measures in a moment, but first a brief word about risk assessment. If yours is a small company that handles wooden pallets, it’s probably not as likely to become a target for theft or attack as a large distribution center that handles chemicals and ammunition or a

Pete’s Furniture Repair, Inc. Aycock, Zachary Dayton, OHProfessional Furniture Service Larbes, Craig Amelia, OHProfessional Furniture Service Larbes, Ken Amelia, OHProfessional Furniture Service Gruber, Julie Amelia, OHPro-Touch Furniture Repair Reynolds, Todd Murrell’s Inlet, SCPro-Touch Furniture Repair Reynolds, Myra Murrell’s Inlet, SCR.L. Wills Claim Service Wills, Bob Heyworth, ILReliable Furniture Service Mansfield, Richard Tacoma, WARestoration Plus Giddens, Thad Dallas, TXRestoration Plus Giddens, Cheryl Dallas, TXSchoenbauer Furniture Service Schoenbauer, Bill Charlotte Hall, MDSchoenbauer Furniture Service Clair, David Charlotte Hall, MDSchroeder Moving Systems Picard, Linda New Berlin, WIShontere Restoration Butterfield, Barbara Mitchellville, MDShontere Restoration Shontere, Gene Mitchellville, MDSirva CSN Team AVL/NAVL Baker, Pat Westmont, ILSirva CSN Team AVL/NAVL Hamilton, Linda Westmont, ILSirva CSN Team AVL/NAVL Hamor, Cheryl Westmont, ILSirva CSN Team AVL/NAVL Santow, Gail Westmont, ILSirva CSN Team AVL/NAVL Spriggs, Kevin Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Allen, Mira Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Collins, John Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Dwyer, Jeff Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Echols, Quan Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Ferraro, Nancy Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Frustaci, Gina Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Gilmer, Cassandra Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Lampley, Raymond Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Mazur, Trish Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Miller, Matt Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Moreno, Jetz Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Rice, Betty Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Sikorski, Denise Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Smetko, Steve Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Telles, Rosie Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Torres, Felix Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Tyler, Pat Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Voelz, Keri Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Voice, Angie Westmont, ILSirva/Allied Van Lines Young, Deloris Westmont, ILSoule Furniture Restoration Soule, Blake Memphis, TNSoustelle Art Adsvisory Soustelle, Olivier Tacoma, WAStarTrans, Int’l Kimball, April Weirton, WVTown & Country Movers, Inc. McPeak, Elaine Gaithersburg, MDTown & Country Movers, Inc. Doubroff, Pete Gaithersburg, MDTrans Bay Furniture Repair Jacobson, Jim San Francisco, CATrilogy Claims Service Thoma, Billye Houston, TXU.S. Navy Carrier Recovery Wood, Donald Millington, TNUnirisc, Inc. Cardini, Joe Scottsdale, AZUnirisc, Inc. D’Arca, Julie Corona, CAUnirisc, Inc. Dempsey, Dick Lombard, ILUnirisc, Inc. McCue, Jim Paramus, NJUnirisc, Inc. Melvin, Kitty Arlington, VAUnirisc, Inc. Provo, Kim Richardson, TXUnirisc, Inc. Southerland, Carol Lombard, ILUnirisc, Inc. Weakley, Anne Arlington, VAUnirisc, Inc. Williams, Debi Orlando, FLVanliner Insurance Co. Kirgan, Michelle Fenton, MOVanliner Insurance Co. Marchetto, Judy Fenton, MOWeathersby Guild Weathersby, Kent Atlanta, GAWeathersby Guild/New Jersey Frank, Doug Hillsdale, NJWeathersby Guild/Richmond Brooks, Michael Chester, VAWeber Furniture Service Shevenaugh, Dave Chicago, ILWeber Furniture Service Schneidau, JoAnn Chicago, ILWest Interior Services Kuhns, Thomas A. Jr. Pittsburgh, PAWest Interior Services Martin, Chris Pittsburgh, PAWheaton Van Lines Bitz, Shannon Indianapolis, INWheaton Van Lines Kendall, Kathy Indianapolis, IN

CPPC - 44 CPPC - 5

L O CA T I ON We will be at the Marriott Oak Brook Hotel, in Oak Brook, a western suburb of Chicago. This location is due west of downtown Chicago, near the intersection of I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) and I-88 (East-West Tollway). This location is west of National Van Lines HQ, and east of Allied Van Lines HQ. And Oak Brook is almost equidistant (20-30 minutes) between both O’Hare and Midway Airports; use either! H I G H L I G H T S This Spring we are offering hopefully our best Workshop, beginning Friday mid-day and ending mid-day Saturday. We have tried to include as much industry information and education as possible, with plenty of “networking” time. Our emphasis this Spring will be on group discussions and breakout sessions which will be on Friday afternoon; we also feature sessions aimed at NEW claims people which will have industry experts answering your questions, as well as sessions ONLY for repair firms, agent adjusters, and even van line adjusters! Take a look at the schedule and you will see great claims topics whether you are in the moving industry, or a repair firm! R E G I S T R A T I ON Look for our “ R egistration F orm” in this issue; this is sent (or a xerox copy of it) to the C PP C to register for the Workshop. The amount of your check depends ON THE DATE WE RECEIVE IT! You can also bring a non-registered guest to F riday E vening’ s R eception; see the Registration Form. Do you need a sleeping room at the Oak Brook Marriott hotel? Then cal l them directly

at (630) 5 73-855 5 and ask for the special CPPC Workshop room rate of $89. Please understand that our CPPC room bloc at the hotel expires Thursday, A pri l 6th, 2006 . To ensure that you have a room, mak e your reservations as early as pos sible! In the last few years, our reserved sleeping room bloc has always sold out early because of the CPPC’s growth! If you call the hotel after April 6th, there may be no rooms left at our group rate! D O N O R S D onors � keep our non-profit CPPC going strong year after year. For this Workshop, all donors will gain valuable “ PR ” in the monthly newsletter as well as in the O fficial Work shop P rogram. Donors can send in $50, $100, $150 or $250 and will be given various sizes of advertisements which correspond with the amount sent in. Simply check the “Donor/Advertisement” section on the “REGISTRATION FORM” for details. The earl ier we receive your donation, the more newsletters will contain your name. A great marketing opportunity! E X H I B I T T A B L E S If you would like your own exhibit table on S aturday morning to display your sales and mark eting information, you can reserve one for only $100!!! There are only a limited number of these, and they rent fast, so call to see if any are still available! W e E NC O U R A G E you to S H O W your restoration sk i l ls that you offer to the moving industry - make your table interesting! Show a burn-in, or caning, or photos, or some special technical talent your company offers. Offer a contest, aimed at adjusters, with some type of prize. No sprays or flammables, though. You may offer one prize, worth $100 or more, as a raffle if you wish, and the raffle will be held at our closing session on Saturday. T R A N S P O R T A T I ON All major air carriers serve Chicago. While O’Hare serves “bigger” carriers, and Midway serves “discount” carriers, there are many exceptions. Call early for better fares. Q uestions? F eel free to contact the C P P C O ffice at (8 6 6 ) 2 7 6 -5 6 5 6 !

Information

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over 400

CPPC - 4 CPPC - 45

Welcome to the Claims Prevention and

Procedure Council’sApril, 2006 Newletter.

This month:

Cargo Security How Safe Is Your Facility? by Dave Daniels.....................Page 6

Referrals Grow Your Business by Joanna Krotz....................Page 13

Laugh More at Work Ease Tension; Reduce Stress by Sinara Stull O’Donnell....Page 31

And more... plus our regular features:

President’s Message.........................Page 2

Stories From the Workplace...........Page 11

Ask the Computer Guy by Guy Endsley This Month: Digital Photography.........................Page 20

From the Other Side of the Desk by Dan Manning This month: Packing Damages for Crystal and China...........Page 32

Second Floor, Rear by Dave Daniels This month: Value................Page 46

Introducing: Dilbert........................Page 46

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From the Second Floor, Rear

by Dave Daniels

QUALITY SERVICE… DEFINE, PLEASE

We have been talking about quality service for some time now, but does anybody really understand what it means? Is it:· the best possible work humanly possible?· doing the right thing, the right way at the right time?· meeting and/or exceeding the customer’s expectations? · cheap?· providing a wide-range of services to cover all needs?· expensive? · abiding by “The Golden Rule”?· all of the above?

I don’t know, either. Sometimes it can be all of these, sometimes just one or two will do.

The CPPC did a survey a number of years ago that asked where most people like to stay during conventions and seminars, It was revealed that most of us want a “better than average” hotel at an “average” price… Fairmont fixin’s at Ramada rates.

What we all want is value.

Webster’s defines value as “…that quality of a thing according to which it is thought of as being more or less

desirable, useful, estimable, important, etc.; worth or the degree of worth”.

I particularly like that “degree of worth” phrase. After all, I do not want to pay Van Gogh to paint the garage.

Van Line personnel must be mindful of the prices paid for repairs… it’s their responsibility to the corporate bottom line. They also must assure that the repair work that is completed is satisfactory to our customers.

Back to Webster’s. Satisfactory: “good enough to fulfill a need, wish, requirement, etc.”

Now I know that it may sound strange from someone who once said that we should strive to “create ecstasy from the rubble of our customers’ shattered dreams” to now say that “good enough” is good enough; but, sometimes it is good enough. It is good enough if the requirements of all parties are met and/or exceeded. It is good enough when all involved perceive value from what has been accomplished.

Now, value itself depends on the circumstances. A scratch on a table that is repaired for $100.00 for Joe Ordinary does not seem like a good value. But that same scratch on the table of Bill Gates (founder and owner of Microsoft and the wealthiest man in America) repaired promptly and to his high standards is of considerable value at many times the price.

Good value. It is what we all want. When you buy a car, you know the salesman has to make a buck and you really do not mind paying, just as long as you believe you are getting a good value. Good value is what customers want from the van lines. It is what van lines want from repair companies and appraisers. It is not just money. It is a combination off all the things mentioned at the beginning of this article, and developing a knack for knowing which ones are most important under a given set of circumstances.

High quality customer service – it’s a good value. t

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENTGene Shontere (Rep.)Shontere Restoration


VICE-PRESIDENTDeborah Williams (Insurance)

Unirisc(407) 228-2026

[email protected]

SECRETARY/TREASURERAlan R. Jobe (V.L.)

Atlas Van Lines, Inc.(812) 424-4326 ext. 2247

[email protected]

DIRECTORSDori Bledsoe (Mvg/Stg Agent)

Covan World-Wide Moving(800) 239-1116

[email protected]

Mark Caldwell (V.L.)United VL/Mayflower Transit


Guy Endsley (Rep.)Lone Star Restorations


Don Fuess (V.L.)northAmerican Van Lines


Linda Hamilton (V.L.)Allied Van Lines(630) 570-3267

[email protected]

Ken Larbes (Rep.)Professional Furniture Service


Dan Manning (Rep.)Manning Claim Services


Debbie Morales (Rep.)Metro Claims & Relocation


Mitch Treider (Rep.)Complete Furniture & Interiors


STAFFExecutive Director, Dave Daniels

(866)[email protected]

_____________________________

Members are encouraged to call the CPPC Office or any

Board Member at any time, about any topic. We want to hear from you!

The CPPC Newsletter is published monthly by the Claims Prevention and Procedure Council, Inc., P.O. Box 1117, Newburgh, IN 47629, USA. All rights reserved. Subscription rate $20.00 per year included in annual membership dues. Advertising rates upon request. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the membership, staff and/or Board of Directors of the CPPC. All material published herein are the sole opinion of the writer and should not be construed as the opinion or policy of the CPPC or the company which employs the writer.

DEADLINES for submitting articles and advertisements is the first day of the month before the issue month (Jan. 1st for February issue, February 1st for March issue, an so forth.

President’s Message

April is here. Most of us feel as though we have made it through winter. We are looking for the blossoms to start. The skies look brighter. Our winter coats are headed away. OK, Dale, not in Colorado, but it is so for most of the rest of us.

For movers it is a time to make sure all is in order for the busy season. All the prevention and training in place to make this the lowest claims value ever. With all these prevention programs in order, it is believed the repair rolodex can be thrown away.

However, despite all the plans and training, the rolodex still will be used. (I ain’t that old, I know there ain’t many rolodexes really.) Repair firms will be getting ready to handle the claims that will show up. Everyone continues to strive for perfection; still there are acci-dents, mishaps and the difficult customers.

The best prevention and procedure tactic is to attend the Claims Prevention and Procedure Council Chicago Workshop. On April 28th and 29th there will be hun-dreds of industry people meeting. Their total focus will be claims: avoiding them, handling them, laughing about them, learning about them, crying about them (whining, actually), and comparing them. Come and share and learn from the best in the business.

It is not too late to register (see page 45 of the news-letter) and be there. Find out if the stories are true or “fish” stories.

See you there!

Gene

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• Fort Pierce

• West Palm Beach

• Boca Raton

• Ft. Lauderdale

• Miami

• Key Largo

• Key West

Marco Island •

Naples •

FT. MYERS

HIALEAH

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We do the difficult Immediately,the impossible takes us a little longer.

Fine Arts Restoration:• Marble • Fine Ceramics

• Paintings • Picture Frames

• Porcelain • Antiques Restored

• Statuary • Claims Service

• Refinishers • Upholsterers

Residential • Commercial

Claims Inspection • Antiques Restored • International Division

Main Office:

HIALEAHP.O. Box 4573 • Hialeah, FL 33014

Phone: 305.558.5141 • Fax: 305.556.0700E-mail: [email protected]

— Since 1974 —

Sarasota •

P.O. Box 1117, Newburgh, Indiana 47629 • Toll Free Phone: (866) 276-5656 Fax: (812) 858-0599www.claimsnet.org • e-mail: [email protected]

Claims Prevention and Procedure Council…helping to reduce claims costs in the moving and storage industryby providing professional education and networking opportunities!

Inside:

Chicago WorkshopAll the latest info

ReferralsGrow your business

Cargo SecurityHow safe is your facility?

Laugh More at WorkAnd to help with that,introducing: Classic Dilbert

It’s Getting Late…

Last Call For Chicago

Newsletter April, 2006

Claims Prevention & Procedure CouncilP.O. Box 1117Newburgh, IN 47629-1117

PRESRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDEvansville, IN

Permit No. 1185

WISCONSIN16620 Rosewood Court Brookfield, WI 53005

262-785-6626 Fax: 262-785-1950email: [email protected]

That’s why you continue to use Raschella’s to service your claims. A trusted business in theindustry for over 50 years, Raschella’s Custom Service does the job right the first time.

No hassle . . . no grief . . . no kidding.

MICHIGAN18530 Mack Ave. #407

Grosse Point Farms, MI 48236Fax 800-280-5782

email: [email protected]

CALL TOLL FREE MICHIGAN or WISCONSIN: 800-280-5781

referrals cargo security...evansville, in permit no. 1185 wisconsin 16620 rosewood court brookfield,...

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