F words can be powerful, and it’s NOT the F word you’re thinking about!

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For example, let’s say you have a water loss with a wet carpet and the insured really wants a new carpet, but it is a category 1 water loss and we and the restorer know we can save categories 1 & 2 saturated carpet per the IICRC S500-2021 Standard.  The insured had their heart set on new carpet for they are tired of the old one and they heard their neighbor got new carpet when they had a water loss last summer.  So, we have an insured that is not happy when the technician tells them the carpet can be dried, and they feel it needs to come out no matter what and they complain!  This can put the technician in a tough position, so we need to be prepared to step in and assist in a conversation with the policyholder.

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Here is a sample explanation of how to use 4 F words to change someone's mind:

“Mrs. Jones, I certainly understand how you FEEL, for before I was trained and certified in water damage restoration, I would have FELT that same way myself.  Let me tell you about an experience I had when I attended a specialized in-person training course where the instructor floods a home with over 1500 gallons of water, intentionally, to teach the students how to dry the carpet and other materials very quickly using the science of drying and today's drying technology.  I learned carpet is one of the easiest to dry materials!

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As a matter of fact, most times the carpet can be dry within the first 24 hours because it is so porous, meaning the water goes in easily and comes out easily, if you know how to use the science of drying and follow recommended industry standard practices and procedures.

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Some industry experts actually went to Shaw Manufacturers in Dalton, Georgia, the largest carpet manufacturer in the world, where they saturated carpet with water in their lab and proceeded to test the laminate strength of the backing of the carpet before it got wet, after it was saturated with water, and after it was dried at the 48 hour juncture of drying.  What they found out is the carpet’s laminate strength, meaning the strength of the adhesive holding the primary and secondary backings together, was just as strong after it was dried as it was before the carpet got wet, utilizing the drying procedures that are recommended by industry standards. *CLS Study performed in 2002 at Shaw Manufacturers.  

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These are the FACTS, that I FOUND out about during that training.  Accuserve has two “flood houses” where we get different types of carpet and other materials like wood floors and drywall, wet every month and hold classes for insurance professionals, contractors and Accuserve employees to teach them the science of drying and the industry standard.  The carpet in those test houses have now been saturated with water and left to sit wet for 24-36 hours and then dried back to pre-loss conditions within 24 hours over 135 times, with no ill effects!  To be honest, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself!

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Of course, I will make sure the certified restoration technician documents all the moisture readings of all the wet materials that were dried to prove to you that they were dried properly because you should have your carpet back to pre-loss conditions like it was before the water damage occurred."

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Be sure the technician meets with them after 24 hours of drying to show them the carpet is completely dry and unharmed.  Making the point that water doesn't hurt carpeting if it is handled properly and dried quickly is important and that it is best done in person at the 24-hour juncture of drying when all carpeting should be dry.  

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Using these four powerful "F" words can help you in many tough conversations because it shows you are trying to look at the situation from their perspective first and then provide facts that show why you have a different opinion and be prepared to back up the facts that you found with evidence and reasoning.

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Feel - Felt - Facts - Found

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