# Question



## cover2 (Apr 3, 2013)

We have all seen it properties that safeguard has that the lawns are skyhigh and shoddy workmanship. Here is my question how the hell does safeguard stay in business. This has to be proof that banks never look at the photos or they are sending in old photos. Are they solely making it on chargebacks? This company never ceases to amaze me.


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## Irnhrse5 (Apr 18, 2013)

1. The grass grows tall on most loan types because the bank would rather let the property sit than pay the 300 or so to mow the tall grass. Especially when there is no city code enforcement. Remember, if the bank doesn't send a w/o, safeguard won't service it. 

2. The workmanship comes from the low prices that are paid out compared to work done. I have heard many a contractor say "As long as it looks good in the pictures, everything is fine." 

3. They make their money because the have 2500 vendors and 5 of the top ten banks on the planet as clients. 

Ironhorse 5


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## Irnhrse5 (Apr 18, 2013)

The "as long as it looks good in the pictures" logic is going away with the new SQA program SG has implemented.


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## browneyedgirl (May 17, 2013)

Not sure if this is true or not please correct me if what I was told was wrong but just because one company holds the P & P Contract does not mean they have the grass contract at least that what I was told and not by SG I know that we do a lot of properties inside work but do not get the lawn care We call and give them the info and never get approval are the work order will state it is not in our schedule to maintain the lawn but I do not whose schedule it belongs to but its not getting mowed or if it has a citation they will approve the grass cut


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## Irnhrse5 (Apr 18, 2013)

With Safeguard, the grass cuts are included in the P&P contract. If you can cut the grass within the allowable on an initial secure, you have to cut it. You can bid grass higher than 12" on CV, FNMA, FMC, and VA's, but on FHA properties you can call from site for overheight approval. The only way to get more money on the other loan types with overheight grass is the property has to have a documented citation. You send the citation in on the w/o submission, or you don't get paid. Safeguard splits their recut efforts between presale properties and postsale properties. Safeguard hires grass cut vendors in local areas to perform presale recurs, and the postsale recuts are performed by maintenance vendors.


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## STARBABY (Apr 12, 2012)

Irnhrse5 said:


> The "as long as it looks good in the pictures" logic is going away with the new SQA program SG has implemented.


what`s this


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## Irnhrse5 (Apr 18, 2013)

The service quality assurance program. They have a team that audits a percentage of all work orders performed. If something is wrong, you must return to the property and correct it. They have the categories: 1,2, and 3. They charge you back $15, $30, $45 respectively. They decide the rating. So for we have received only a few SQA 1's and they really were our fault. All but one was for us leaving grass clippings at properties. But, from talking to others in our area, they are having a far worse time. We just make sure our work is to standard.


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## Cleanupman (Nov 23, 2012)

Irnhrse5 said:


> The service quality assurance program. They have a team that audits a percentage of all work orders performed. If something is wrong, you must return to the property and correct it. They have the categories: 1,2, and 3. And the kicker is they charge you back $15, $30, $45 respectively. They decide the rating. So for we have received only a few SQA 1's and they really were our fault. All but one was for us leaving grass clippings at properties. But, from talking to others in our area, they are having a far worse time. We just make sure our work is to standard.


This decision is made by?????


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## Craigslist Hack (Jun 14, 2012)

Once again the banks are looking at this by the thousands of properties and the contractor is looking at individual properties. The contractor is focused on quality and the bank is focused on quantity and cost.


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## Irnhrse5 (Apr 18, 2013)

Cleanupman said:


> This decision is made by?????


The SQA rating is determined by their quality control staff. Once again, it has barely affected us. I hope it weeds out some of the crappier contractors. 

On another note, I see a lot of people complaining about shotty work from other contractors. Things like leaving debris, doing something wrong etc. I may not speak for everyone, but all I see is dollar signs when this happens. I turn $25 trip charges into 100 orders because people leave a little debris behind. I fix their mistakes, and get paid to do it. Maybe some of you shouldn't complain about crappy contractors, but instead, look at it as a way to make more money. The crappy contractors are always going to exist. What separates you from them is being the one everyone goes to to CORRECT the mistake.


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## Cleanupman (Nov 23, 2012)

Irnhrse5 said:


> The SQA rating is determined by their quality control staff. Once again, it has barely affected us. I hope it weeds out some of the crappier contractors.
> 
> On another note, I see a lot of people complaining about shotty work from other contractors. Things like leaving debris, doing something wrong etc. I may not speak for everyone, but all I see is dollar signs when this happens. I turn $25 trip charges into 100 orders because people leave a little debris behind. I fix their mistakes, and get paid to do it. Maybe some of you shouldn't complain about crappy contractors, but instead, look at it as a way to make more money. The crappy contractors are always going to exist. What separates you from them is being the one everyone goes to to CORRECT the mistake.


Our owner will never get into bed with this company...However, what you state is correct...If you don't have pride in your company, and that is what many of the Contractors that SGP has...they don't care...
Right now you have found a way to justify the bottom lne the others either don't want to do so or they are frustrated with the low fees and can no longer make them work....
Again we'll see the ranks thinned out in the upcoming months. Volumes are shrinking and there will be no need to get the work done by the lowest priced company...the quality factor will come back into play...Problem is...in 7 years I have not seen a decent "quality" when we get a property with SGP stickers on it....


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## Irnhrse5 (Apr 18, 2013)

Cleanupman said:


> Our owner will never get into bed with this company...However, what you state is correct...If you don't have pride in your company, and that is what many of the Contractors that SGP has...they don't care...
> Right now you have found a way to justify the bottom lne the others either don't want to do so or they are frustrated with the low fees and can no longer make them work....
> Again we'll see the ranks thinned out in the upcoming months. Volumes are shrinking and there will be no need to get the work done by the lowest priced company...the quality factor will come back into play...Problem is...in 7 years I have not seen a decent "quality" when we get a property with SGP stickers on it....


I don't feel sorry for anyone who does crappy work. There is a saying in the Army: "You tie it, you ride it." This is in reference to a rope harness when you zipline. This quote applies to the bids contractors submit, and the contract they sign. If you get a bid cut, its not your bid, so don't accept it. Negotiate. If you sign a contract, you better know whats in it. We signed the contract with Safeguard knowing full well what was in it. For us, the volume and prices that are paid out counterbalance all the paperwork and photo requirements. 98% of our debris removal is on FHA properties. We get paid $50 a cyd, minus their (SG's) discount. This pricing is much better than what FAS pays ($18), or basically any other national pays. Bottom line is, it is the CONTRACTOR's responsibility to know what they are getting into and no one elses.

Quality rises with a good QC program, and Safeguard is actually investing a lot into theirs. Eventually (I hope), we will be working along contractors who have the same high standards we do.


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## Splinterpicker (Apr 18, 2012)

Irnhrse5 said:


> The service quality assurance program. They have a team that audits a percentage of all work orders performed. If something is wrong, you must return to the property and correct it. They have the categories: 1,2, and 3. They charge you back $15, $30, $45 respectively. They decide the rating. So for we have received only a few SQA 1's and they really were our fault. All but one was for us leaving grass clippings at properties. But, from talking to others in our area, they are having a far worse time. We just make sure our work is to standard.


Easiest way to remedy this is to take your leaf blower and blow the clippings into the grass THEY WILL DISAPPEAR unless it is really wet or alot of them ! I have done this for 5 years now ! NEVER a call or charge back !


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## Irnhrse5 (Apr 18, 2013)

Splinterpicker said:


> Easiest way to remedy this is to take your leaf blower and blow the clippings into the grass THEY WILL DISAPPEAR unless it is really wet or alot of them ! I have done this for 5 years now ! NEVER a call or charge back !


There wasnt a lot but it was obvious in the pic that they were there. In the end it cost me $50. I make that up in other areas. Our new policy is to make sure all the clippings are picked up. It only takes 5 minutes on an average yard to bag them up. My guys still get their cuts done and we don't have to worry about things like a chargeback anymore.


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## hammerhead (Apr 26, 2012)

I had a 2 acre property with 3-4 foot tall grass that Sg approved a bid to brush hog for $400 with another vendor. Well his mower broke so they asked me if I could cover it. I said yes to the $400 to me but the price would be doubled if they wanted the grass clippings removed. they said no so I left it looking like a hay field. I did go over it a couple times but you cant get rid of that much clippings without bagging.


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## Irnhrse5 (Apr 18, 2013)

We mowed 4 acres for a $1000 flat a couple months ago. The grass was 3 feet tall but was very dry, so there was very little clippings left.


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## STARBABY (Apr 12, 2012)

Cleanupman said:


> Our owner will never get into bed with this company...However, what you state is correct...If you don't have pride in your company, and that is what many of the Contractors that SGP has...they don't care...
> Right now you have found a way to justify the bottom lne the others either don't want to do so or they are frustrated with the low fees and can no longer make them work....
> Again we'll see the ranks thinned out in the upcoming months. Volumes are shrinking and there will be no need to get the work done by the lowest priced company...the quality factor will come back into play...Problem is...in 7 years I have not seen a decent "quality" when we get a property with SGP stickers on it....


I get SG properties with Cyprexx and I do not believe they have a contractor that knows how to winterize a property!


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## Irnhrse5 (Apr 18, 2013)

Winterize? What's that?


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## bcollins (Apr 21, 2013)

The thing that pisses me off to high heaven is when you do winterize a property and do it right toilets clean ,then you get a inspector behind you or someone to take a big dump and then you got to bid all over again for soiled toilets and they only want to pay very little for that refresh. I wished someone would follow behind inspectors cause they screw up a lot and make it worse on the contractor


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## Irnhrse5 (Apr 18, 2013)

When that happens we charge $50 to refresh it. Safeguard then issues the chargeback to the last inspector that was at the property. In 2011, it was a huge problem. Once SG started charging back the inspectors in 2012 the problem mysteriously disappeared.


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