Fire Victim
Care Package
16 March, 2014
Posted by John Niewiecki
Fire victim care package must have items: Earn business with a big heart
The ethics of marketing to fire victims is a debate that has carried on for years. Restoration companies and insurance adjusters who make the effort to offer service to someone who is a victim of a fire loss span from unscrupulous to the upstanding. The one true factor that separates them is their approach to the situation. A person willing to sell their wares in whatever way possible for a quick buck may close business for a while, yet will not last long in any market.
Those willing to go the extra mile to endear themselves to a person and earn their trust and respect will have a customer for life.
One way of doing this is by knowing what a person needs in a time of crisis when damage has been done to their residence. Done correctly, a well conceived care package and a business card, at the very least, will result in a cognitive association of a restoration or insurance adjuster brand with people who are caring. This form of brand equity will pay dividends for years to come.
In most cases though, a care package to someone in need will earn an emergency response company an opportunity to show what they can do to return a person’s life back to normal.
Below are some great ideas as to what to include in such a care package for a victim of a fire loss or water damage:
1. A business card, of course.
2. Tooth brush and toothpaste
3. Basic clothing items (ideally with a logo and brand on them)
4. Nonperishable, healthy foods that do not require too much preparation
5. Bottled water
6. Cleansing wipes
7. Easily prepared tea and coffee products
8. Soap/toiletries/razors
9. Trash bags
10. Addresses of resources such as the Department of the Treasury for replacement of damaged cash and the local Red Cross (such information can be found the fema.gov website)
11. Batteries
12. Brush/comb
Pro-Tip: If a marketer does their homework, some items can really hit the mark when the care package includes special needs:
- Diapers for those who have young children
- Baby Wipes
- Build a relationship with a local grocer and offer exclusive coupons to their store
- Pet supplies
- Games for children
There is no guaranty that a care package will equal a sale, but such an extension of goodwill is, dollar for dollar, the best way to endear oneself to a potential client.