Frequently Asked Questions of Go Kahuna™

Q.  What does it mean to be Gold Seal Service Certified™ or Kahuna Certified™?
A.  Your company has passed our in depth certification process verifying that it meets and maintains basic business standards regarding insurance, licensure, business references and background checks. Upon Certification you will become an established Go Kahuna™ Certified Business Associate (CBA) and issued a specific Go Kahuna™ CBA number.

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Q.  What is the Gold Seal Service Certification™?
A.  The Gold Seal Service Certification™ is our trademarked logo that assures the business community that your company is focused on Integrity, Quality and Accountability. Below is an example of our Gold Seal Service Certification™ Seal:

FAQ 

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Q.  Where can a CBA use the Go Kahuna™ Gold Seal Service Certification™ logo?
A.  This seal may be used on any signage, stationary, or written communications, and you have the right to make reference to it in most forms of marketing and advertising for as long as your business maintains its certification.  Once certified, your business contact information, capabilities, products and/or services will be listed on the GoKahuna.com website. This includes a link to your company’s website, email and a web based map to your location.  Go Kahuna’s™ national advertising campaign will provide your company increased exposure and will enable your company to acquire new business opportunities.

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Q. What is a “Kahuna”?
A.  Kahuna is from the Hawaiian language and refers to the arbiter of morals and ethics in the island society. The definition of Kahuna is a guru, and the definition of a guru is someone that is “exceptional in their field”.

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Q.  What do I have to do to get the Certification?
A.  To be certified, your business must:

  1. Possess current business and/or professional licensing required of your business.
  2. Have current Liability Insurance with respect to your business or occupation.
  3. Have current Workers' Compensation Insurance.
  4. Be Bonded or Bondable, if applicable, in your area of business or occupation.
  5. Pass a criminal background check on a principal of your company.
  6. Have no unresolved complaints, older than 90 days, with your local Better Business Bureau at the time of application.
  7. Provide at least three confirmable business references.

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Q.  What is a Kahuna Certified Business Associate?
A.  A Company or Individual Owner(s) who has met all Kahuna Certification™ criteria, which results in Gold Seal Service Certification™. Upon certification, these businesses are referred to as a "Certified Business Associate" (CBA’s).

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Q.   How will being Go Kahuna™ Certified benefit my company?
A.  Once certified, your business contact information, capabilities, products and/or services will be listed on the GoKahuna.com website. This includes a link to your company website, email and a web based map to your location. This certification will result in instant recognition by the business community that your company is reputable, qualified, licensed and insured. In addition, your business will be advertised on a local and national level.

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Q.  What is the cost of certification?
A.  The cost for 2006 has been established at $999.00. Any company that becomes certified during this calendar year and does not let their certification lapse will be grandfathered in at that rate and will not be subject to any future price increases.

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Q.  Is this a one time charge?
A.  No. The Kahuna Certification is renewable annually.

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Q.  What is the Cert-watch list and how does it work?
 A.  The Kahuna Cert-Watch™ list allows any CBA to track the ongoing certification of any other CBA. The Kahuna Cert-Watch™ will show a CBA to either be:

-Certified
-Recently Decertified (for a 30 day period)
-Recent Significant Changes (for a 30 day period)

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Q.  How can I search for Kahuna Certified Business Associates?
A.  www.gokahuna.com/search.aspx

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Q.  What is a Certificate Holder?
A.  A Certificate Holder is a party designated by the insured to be notified in the event of any change in an insurance contract.  As a Certificate Holder, Go Kahuna™ is notified any time a policy is renewed, cancelled or changed.

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Q.  Why am I being required to use this service?
A.  A number of General Contractors (GC’s) have found that their own internal processes for verification of licensing and insurances of their subcontractors can be dramatically improved by using Kahuna Certified™ subcontractors. Certification also helps reduce the number of uninsured claims and the risk of doing business with an unqualified contractor. In an effort to reduce these risks, the GC’s are requiring that their contractors and subcontractors, doing or wishing to do business with them achieve Gold Seal Service Certification, that is, become Kahuna Certified™.

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Q.  What happens if I change my insurance coverage during the year?
A.  As long as we can verify, within 2 business days, that you are still insured, you will not lose your certification.

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Q.  If my insurance lapses or I fail to renew, will I lose my certification?
A.  After 2 business days, you will lose your certification until you have renewed or secured new coverage.

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Q.  Is there a transaction fee to make changes or update my Kahuna account?
A.  No. There is only the annual re-certification charge.

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Q.  Is our business information safe and secure?
A.  Yes, your information is safe and secure. Go Kahuna™ does not market or solicit any of our CBA’s. We will not share, sell, release or use your information for any reason other than achieving and maintaining certification. Only the information approved by you, the CBA, is available to the public at GoKahuna.com.

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Q.  What information is needed to complete the application?
A.   To quickly and easily complete the application, you will need:

  1. Full Legal Name of the business
  2. Federal Tax ID number or owner's SSN
  3. Professional or business licensing information
    • License #
    • License Issuing agency name, address and phone #
    • Original licensing Date & Expiration Date
  4. Insurance Agency/Agencies for General Liability & Worker's Compensation Policies
    • Insurance Agency/Agencies Name, address and phone #
    • Insurance Agency/Agencies Contact person
  5. Bonding Agency/Agencies (if applicable)
    • Bonding Agency/Agencies Name, address and phone #
    • Bonding Agency/Agencies Contact person
  6. Three customer references (these should be recent customers for whom you have performed work)
  7. Customer Reference Names, Contact Person, Addresses and Phone Numbers
  8. Credit Card Information- including authorization number(s) if applicable, or if paying by Internet check, you will need checking account routing and account numbers

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Q.  How long does it take to complete the application?
A.  If you have the information listed above in advance, you should be able to complete the application in 20-30 minutes.

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Q.  How long does it take for the application to be approved?
A.  Complete approval will take anywhere from 10-14 business days.

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Q.  Who do I contact if I have questions while completing the application?
A.  Any one of our business representatives at 225-246-8612, or toll free 866-824-9068. You can also send an email to questions@gokahuna.com.

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Q.  How does Go Kahuna™ keep their information up to date as far as the validity of the insurance certificates?
A.  At Go Kahuna™, insurance policy tracking is an integral part of our business. The Go Kahuna™ Insurance Certification Team is assigned to watch for changes in these policies. In addition to our Kahuna Cert Watch™ Program and internal audit system, we review the policy at least 3 times in a 12-month period. Our staff contacts the insurance agency at the time of certification, on the renewal date(s) of the policy and at the end of the 12 months when it is time to recertify.

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Q.  We as a General Contractor are also a certificate holder on the sub's policy - how can Go Kahuna™ offer more than what I'm already doing?
A.  A number of General Contractors have found that their own internal processes for checking on the proper licensing and insurances of their subcontractors are time consuming, expensive, and difficult to administer resulting in unanticipated claims. A significant portion of our staff is dedicated to monitor any policy changes that might occur. Go Kahuna™ will do this work on your behalf and reduce your overhead in the process.

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Q.  Can I monitor only the subs that have lost their certification or who have recently had significant changes?
A.  Yes, The Kahuna Cert-Watch™ program allows you to watch multiple CBA’s status in one or all three of the following categories:

  1. Certified
  2. Decertified
  3. Recent significant changes

On GoKahuna.com, you can set up your profile indicating which companies you want to monitor and, as a Go Kahuna™ CBA, you will also have the option to be notified, daily, weekly, monthly or only when there is a change in status of the selections in your “Watch List”.

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Q.  Can Go Kahuna™ validate the insurance limits on that policy the sub holds?
A.  Yes, by being a certificate holder, we get an actual copy of the declarations page of the policy with the limits written on the policy.

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Q. Will I have to repeat the entire certification application process if I become Decertified?
A.  Yes

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Q.  What happens to the funds required for certification, if my company fails to become Kahuna certified™?
A.  Go Kahuna™ will immediately refund the entire amount.

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Q. What does Decertified mean?
A.  A CBA can be deemed Decertified, which is the same as losing certification. Decertification happens when a CBA fails to maintain the certification requirements.

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Q. When it is time to renew, will someone contact me to let me know what to do?
A.  Yes, 90 days prior to your certification expiration date, a Go Kahuna™ business representative will contact you and advise you of the recertification process.

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