So you put your snow and ice maintenance out to bid and the contractors have submitted their snow removal proposals to you. What happens next? Do you just skip down to the price? Do you have a rubric to guide your evaluation of the submitting companies, the services offered, or the pricing structure?
Not all companies are the same, and neither are their services. Asking the right questions can really help. When it comes time to evaluate the submitted snow proposals, consider these questions.
Most Important Questions to Answer
- Are the proposals from comparable snow removal companies? Is one a “Mom and Pop” dabbler in snow and the other a “Professional” organization that is 100% Snow Focused?
- Did each of your bidders listen to your needs and expectations? Or did they just email over their pricing?
- Does each proposal include a detailed site-map with identified service areas and snow pile locations?
- Does the scope-of-work lay out detailed expectations for before, during, and after each snow event?
- Did they offer alternative pricing options to consider?
- What is their reputation? Have you called each of their references to hear how their clients like working with them?
- Do you have a clear understanding of what to expect next once you award one of the bidders? Will you be assigned a dedicated Account Manager as your point of contact throughout the Winter? Will you receive an introduction to their operations team?
- Will you receive a pre-season walk through with your Account Manager to confirm your expectations before first snow event?
- Will they connect you to a client portal for visibility of work logs on the company software program?
If you answered “No” to any of these, will you receive the snow and ice service that will meet your needs and protect your property? Experience has taught us that a worry-free winter is about more than just the price. Wouldn’t it make sense to connect with a contractor who answers “Yes”?