Over the years in this space we've written about how regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provided opportunities for contractors to generate more sales and provide more customer service by becoming the local expert.
As Flint Trading's Dan Lang points out in his article, contractors have another similar opportunity because of the 2009 update of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which governs, among other things, the way roads are striped and marked and the way they are signed. As Lang explains, the revised MUTCD has extended its on-road requirements to "private roads open to public travel," which includes roads within shopping centers, airports, sports arenas, and other privately owned properties open to public access.
It's clear that the responsibility for complying with MUTCD requirements rests with property owners and managers, but most don't have the time or interest to work their way through the MUTCD (if they even know what it is) to learn what they need to do to bring their property into compliance. So, just as with the ADA, contractors can position themselves as the problem solver for their customers, alerting them to the new MUTCD requirements, evaluating the parking lot and surrounding access roads, and letting the property manager know what needs to be done. A great opportunity to enhance your relationship, demonstrate your expertise, generate more work from each client - and strengthen your company and its bottom line.
Also in this issue we celebrate some innovations the industry has seen in the last 25 years, and this month at www.pavementonline.com we give you a chance to add to the ones we've come up with and to share how various innovations have had an impact on your business. So visit the website, click on the Roundabout blog to find the "Celebrating Innovations" entry, and let us know what you think about our selections.
