From insurance and warranties to prevailing wage and hiring tactics, one of the most important services NSCA offers is feedback and advice to members. Whether it’s through a phone call, an email, an online chat conversation via our website, or an in-person consultation, our staff fields questions every day.
We also answer questions via short video – especially the questions you ask that we think other integrators would find interesting as well.
In this post, we’re sharing a few of our most popular questions – and where you can go to hear our answers on video!
Q: “Do most NSCA members give employees company credit cards? Should we be doing this?”
If your employees travel, they’ll likely want a company credit card. But what limits should you put in place, and what items should they be allowed to purchase with the credit card? Gas? A hotel room? Hardware for a project? Get tips on how to track expenses and make sure the cards are used only for business purposes.
Q: “Can we use auto-renewal language in our managed service contracts?”
Some states are writing legislation that now make this practice illegal. Although it’s targeted toward consumer protection, the legislation could move into the commercial space as well. If you decide to include this language in your contracts, we offer advice on how to do so in the most honest, upfront way possible.
Several manufacturers have provisions for shelf time – but some don’t. In cases where manufacturers don’t have rules in place dictating how these situations will be handled, we recommend approaching them about the warranty. In order to make your case, you’ll need appropriate documentation. Uncover the information you’ll need to handle these types of situations.
Q: “One of my install subcontractors says he’s exempt from needing insurance. Can that be true?”
This may be true if the subcontractor owns his own business and is doing the work himself. Depending on which state you’re working in, you can have either proof of workers’ comp or a certificate of waiver; however, general liability insurance coverage is still needed by the subcontractor. Make sure the policy is valid before work begins (request to see a certificate of insurance, even if it’s a small company). Subcontractors should have general liability insurance in all cases, but they may be exempt from needing workers’ compensation. We tell you where you can go to find out for sure.
To see the entire video library, visit www.youtube.com/NSCAorg. To submit a question, contact us at cwilson@nsca.org.
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