Customer beware

It seems as if the population of Thermopolis has doubled in size. With the tourist season already well upon us, the recent hailstorms have brought even more people to town in the form of contractors, vehicle dent specialists, adjusters, roof repair teams and insurance representatives.

The sudden inflow of people means there’s going to be more drivers out and about, most of which are unfamiliar with our streets — particularly the flagpole intersection at Fifth and Broadway — so be sure to give them a little leniency if they don’t make a turn like they should or drive a bit slower trying to find a correct address.

While having more people in town does make routine trips a bit more interesting and, yes, at times challenging, we are certainly reaping plenty of economic benefits. The added population won’t be here permanently, though some have expressed they’ll be around for months or at most a couple years. In that time, they’ll be staying at our hotels, paying rent on building space that would otherwise remain empty, purchasing fuel and other supplies and eating at our restaurants.

That is all money coming into our community. As rough a time as the county and town has had with budgets and added expenses — the town most recently had to allocate over $100,000 to replace a drive at the clarifier — we need as much help as we can get. Rate increases for services are always looming on the horizon, and hopefully the incoming monies will take some of the edge off when they happen.

That being said, while tragedy and disaster brings plenty of people to help, it unfortunately brings those who are out to scam people out of their money. This situation is no different. For every legitimate company providing services, there is at least one that’s not so reputable, looking to exploit the loopholes and line their pockets.

If you have damage to claim from the storms, on your property or vehicle, keep in mind that you are the owner and you do have the right to question anyone who doesn’t seem on the level. Don’t think your questions unnecessary, and ask about any detail you don’t understand. Most importantly, be sure to contact your insurance and an adjuster to make absolutely sure of what damage is covered.

If you’re not satisfied with the information given to you after your questioning, you can always contact the Better Business Bureau by phone or online to get a company’s history and rating, lists of any complaints and how those complaints are handled.

Let’s do what we can to make sure our recently gained businessmen and women are welcome here, but also to make sure they’re not just trying to take a quick buck.