As a former restaurant manager, I relied on my Kitchen Exhaust Cleaner to help manage and maintain my exhaust system. Making sure a restaurant is within NFPA 96 code and safe from potential fire, are two paramount responsibilities of any exhaust cleaning company.
Like most front of house managers, I was naive to the importance of maintaining the exhaust system properly. I had a maintenance program set up for our baffle filters and polished our hoods, but that was the extent of my involvement. I put my trust in the hood cleaner to manage the rest.
Vent Hood with Filters in Place
The “bottom line” is always at the forefront of running any business. With that in mind, another exhaust cleaner approached me, and he was able to under bid my current vendor by a significant amount. I was operating under the misconception that the service and product would be equal, so I went with the lowest bid and based by decision solely on price. The service seemed to be the same and both parties seemed happy with the relationship.
After leaving this particular restaurant to come work with Hood Boss, the opportunity to inspect and bid my previous workplace presented itself. Now, on the other side of the relationship as a vendor, I understand the meaning of, “inspect what you expect.”
The previous company had not held up its responsibility to maintain the system properly. Horizontal duct work had not been serviced and thus leaving the system at risk of fire. The exhaust fans had been neglected which caused expensive roof damage. There were inaccessible areas that had not been addressed that resulted in excessive grease build up. I thought that the kitchen exhaust cleaning company I selected was handling all of these issues, and I was unaware of the neglect, potential hazards, and damage that was being done by the improperly handling of the job that they were hired to do.
Whether it was neglect or incompetence, these issues were not managed properly. Following up with your vendor’s work is an important part of managing your exhaust system. Managing you exhaust system properly will reduce the risk of fire and prolong the life of your system. Most companies offer complimentary inspections of your system. I recommend having your exhaust system periodically inspected by another cleaning company
If you have any questions or concerns, go to our website www.thehoodboss.com or call 972-704-1812.
