Restoration company gives back and pays it forward
It has been said that the happiest of people aren’t those who get more, but those who give more. Such is the case for Jesse Fish, Director of Business Development for Colorado Cleanup Services, as well as owners Randy and Julie Johansen and their entire team.
“We all need each other more than ever now,” said Fish. “We try to touch the lives of others. It’s all based on people, relationships and trust. I’m so blessed every day to work where I do because it is a secondary family for me.”
Colorado Cleanup Services (CCS) is a family-owned business in Denver that specializes in residential and commercial remediation and restoration. CCS provides 24/7 emergency services for water, flood and fire damage restoration. From sewage backup to asbestos assessments, their trained and certified technicians return damaged properties to their original condition with professionalism and disaster recovery services. Obviously, it’s not always a pretty environment, but the CCS team is determined to show up for the community in beautiful ways, including vendor appreciation events, community service and donations to local entities.
Day of Giving Back
“It’s a day of giving back and showing appreciation for our vendor clients,” noted Fish. “We invite them out for a day of sporting clays and provide food and drink,” he added, and that showing gratitude and appreciation brings about a great sense of satisfaction for both parties.
Donations
- Marshall Fire Victims Fund: $2,500 donation
- Ronald McDonald House: Clean all carpets yearly with no charge
- Brandon S. Jacobs Foundation: Donate and support Slammers North Baseball program and Broomfield High School (girls basketball team)
- VFW: Donation of food and dinner. “We went to the VFW post and cooked food for 60 veterans,” said Steve. “We used their kitchen; Caesar, one of our project directors, is an amazing cook. He made a special carnitas meal for all the VFW folks, and then we stayed afterward and played bingo with them.”
Gifts of Service and Action
“I think the biggest way we give back is really how we operate our business model and our guiding principles,” said Fish. The CCS guiding principles serve as a moral code of ethics for all employees, who carry a wallet-sized card with them as a gentle reminder of how to engage with others.
CCS Guiding Principles (partial list)
- The customer is the only reason our jobs exist
- Do what is right
- Treat everyone with respect; assume positive intent
- CCS is a safe, great, fun place to work
- Give back to the community
- Prioritize, focus and give our best effort in all we do
- Involve those closest to the problems/opportunities in finding solutions
- Always give sincere thanks to those who impact our business
- Ask questions; listen and act
- Communication is critical
- Show pride in our work, our workplace and ourselves
Fish said it’s not uncommon for employees to help customers in a bind, do favors and just go the extra mile. “We do a lot of favors for our customers, whether it’s helping them after water loss, a sewage backup in their home, or a devastating fire,” says Fish. “We take special pride in helping the elderly.”
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“They don’t even need to get authorization from owners or their manager or direct report,” he noted. “They have the authority to just do the right thing and help that person out if it means going to the store and getting them a gallon of milk because they didn’t have anything after a fire or whatever that might be. It may not even have a monetary value. It’s just through action.”
Fish hopes the momentum will continue.
“It’s a combination of giving back and paying it forward. It just keeps the cycle going, as long as we’re all participating.”
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