OUTCO explains how to tell a professional winter gritting service from the cowboys that will leave you out in the cold
Winter gritting sometimes can feel like a grudge purchase. It’s a cost you can’t avoid, for an overnight service that you often can’t see happening, to prevent risks that hopefully won’t happen. It’s like buying insurance, where efforts to compare options can feel like picking from identical offerings. But, like insurance, a wrong decision can only become apparent at the point when the service is really needed and when your provider fails to deliver.
However, there is a real difference in offerings: The winter maintenance sector has become increasingly professionalised and technology driven but not all providers have evolved. There is now an increasingly wide gulf between professional, dependable providers and “cowboy” services. This is where the risk lies for businesses and property owners. While a cheaper initial quotation might seem appealing, opting for a less reputable provider can lead to business disruption and significant costs through litigation and reputational damage. So, what are the differences between the professionals and the cowboys?
Reputable firms should be able to demonstrate the capacity to deliver consistently – even in the worst weather conditions. Look for a robust triggering system that ensure a timely service in response to changing conditions. Working on an ad-hoc basis risks no-shows, risky delays or even needless gritting when the weather doesn’t require it.
The foundations of a reliable gritting service are dependability, transparency, and comprehensive support. Here are the things to look for.
Set up for consistent success
Consistent delivery – especially across a wide geographic area or portfolio of sites – demands meticulous logistical planning. This includes grouping sites for operational efficiency, ensuring adequate salt supply for replenishment, and possessing the necessary resources to efficiently cover a diverse portfolio of sites. By contrast, there are horror stories of contractors assigning a single individual an unmanageable number of sites, which presents significant operational challenges and potential service failures.
The right people, trained right
Professional services predominantly employ their own trained staff. They also vet their staff, requiring CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks to make sure that reliable and trustworthy individuals are performing the service. Where contractors are used, they should be thoroughly trained and required to adhere to the same stringent standards. For example, at OUTCO we formalised this process by creating a training programme to certify our staff. We also implement robust quality control measures, such as dispatching personnel to sites during the night to physically inspect jobs.
A comprehensive approach to risk
Training and quality control ensures a comprehensive approach to on-site risks that goes beyond just gritting car parks: experienced contractors will disembark from their vehicles to hand-grit specific areas such as walkways, pathways, and fire escapes. This is crucial because an estimated 60% to 70% of litigation claims originate from incidents on walkways, not in car parks. Reputable services are adaptable to individual site needs, ensuring all high-risk areas are thoroughly covered, particularly those with multiple fire escapes or complex layouts.
Transparent service and dependable support
Customer support is a vital aspect of service quality to examine: a strong indicator of a supplier’s pedigree is the availability of a 24/7 support help desk. This means that clients can obtain assistance and information whenever required – especially during disruptive weather events. Relying on a single mobile number is a major red flag.
As the industry becomes more technology-driven clients should never expect to be left in the dark and you can and should expect full and timely access to service information. With operators on the ground enabled with mobile technology, clients can be connected directly to the service via their own devices or web portals. This leading-edge approach lets customers view near-live information, such as scheduled gritting times or recent service delivery. GPS technology even makes it possible to see breadcrumb trail maps of where and when operators have gritted. This granular data allows for verification, prompt query resolution and peace of mind.
By contrast, there are horror stories of cowboy operators claiming to have gritted a site and even sending on old photos of past visits to charge for phantom visits.
Protection from legal risks – today, tomorrow and years after too
Remember, the challenges of winter don’t just appear on frosty nights. In the context of slips, falls and compensation claims, the ability to provide comprehensive, long-term support over months and years is a key differentiator. While often overlooked, long-term record-keeping is incredibly important for slip and fall (SL) claims (we’ve heard of claims emerging even 4-5 years after an incident). Hence, professional services maintain comprehensive records, including vehicle tracking, precise arrival and departure times on site, prevailing weather conditions, the quantity of salt applied, staff training history, and even employment duration. Detailed records can prove invaluable in a court case – whereas less diligent service providers may leave you mired in claim and counter claim.
The right tools, ready for winter
There’s no escaping the fact that the right tools for the job matter and professional services will deploy the correct equipment to perform the job properly such as professional-grade snow ploughs. This not only enhances service quality but also facilitates timely and efficient job completion. Again, quality winter maintenance isn’t just about doing the job when the freeze arrives: professional contractors must conduct regular servicing and maintenance and are generally working through the off-season (e.g., summer months) across multiple depots to ensure readiness and prevent breakdowns during winter.
A service and pricing model that suits your business
Reputable companies can also offer various strategic pricing models, including fixed price, price per visit, and hybrid approaches, to provide the flexibility that clients demand. Beyond this they can also operate more efficiently to prevent excess charges. For example, by leveraging the real-time meteorological data to trigger service, it’s possible determine not only when to grit but also crucially when not to grit – helping to optimise client budgets.
Be aware of poor practices
Cowboy services can exploit a “cost per visit” model by making excessive visits or fraudulently charge for phantom visits. The adage “you get what you pay for” holds true in winter maintenance. While a cheaper quote might seem appealing, if this means playing fast and loose with critical elements like risk assessments, compliance, proper record keeping or enabling fraudulent practices, it’s a false economy.
Insurance that’s winter-ready, too
One less obvious sign of cowboy services is inadequate or incorrect insurance. Professional providers typically require public liability insurance of £10 million and insurance documents must explicitly state that a contractor is covered for winter maintenance. Despite this, many contractors don’t have this specific cover which renders their policies invalid and places the financial risk back on the client.
True grit or a ride with the cowboys
Ultimately, making the right decision of winter maintenance contractor makes this less of a grudge purchase and all about gaining lasting peace of mind.
When tendering for winter maintenance services, ask thorough questions and understand the distinctions between professional providers and less reputable operators. Focus on aspects such as transparency, detailed record-keeping, robust training programmes, appropriate insurance, professional equipment, and comprehensive site coverage. This ensures you can select a partner that effectively mitigates risks and ensures the safety and operational continuity of sites throughout the winter season.
For more information on how OUTCO can bring an innovative approach to your winter gritting, contact 0800 0432 911 email enquiries@outco.co.uk or visit www.outco.co.uk
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