1 post tagged “trash”

I don't generally write about things such as this because I doubt anyone will read it and that's okay.  If someone does read it so much the better.   

CLM Sanitation, provides curbside residential trash pickup in Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Fulton, Henry, and Coweta Counties, outside of Atlanta, Ga.  Today one of their sanitation drivers refused to pick up a few cardboard boxes that were lying beside the trash can as there was no space in the can, using an automated lift.  The driver did not get out of the CLM truck to pick up and take pre-shaped Styrofoam packing material and three folded cardboard boxes that was lying beside the trash can.  As he was driving away my wife, who was in the front yard, stopped him and asked why.  The driver explained that all trash had to fit in the can or we would need to schedule a special pickup day.  I've never received any mail that advised me of such, and my patronage goes back to when all their pick-ups was done by hand, so we did not know that.  In the future, we will comply with their rules.   Here is complaint 1.  Then their driver got out of the truck and picked up pre-shaped Styrofoam packing material that was lying beside the cardboard boxes.  I am not talking about cardboard boxes large enough to insert a double door, side by side, refrigerator; I am talking about several small folded cardboard boxes, the largest of which previously held a 16 inch television.  He would not to take the cardboard boxes.  Is CLM kidding me?  Their drivers are allowed to make arbitrary decisions as to what they take and what they won't take?  No CLM is apparently not kidding me.  Apparently, their drivers may indeed take Styrofoam items that are not containerized and leave cardboard boxes that are only marginally larger, as their customer service agent could not explain on what basis the driver made his decision, but it is obvious the driver did not make his decision based on CLM policy.  If he had, the Styrofoam items would also have been left.  Not following your own Company policies shows poor business practice, and does not provide good customer service.  

Here is Complaint 2.  When I called the CLM Customer Complaint Department, I again got their automated service and was told the announced wait time was 10 minutes.  And it was, for existing customers.  You'll see why.  I was on hold for 20 minutes, waiting for a customer service agent to take my call before I finally hung up.  But, I called right back.  I again got their automated service making the choice for “new customers” instead of an "existing customer" and was talking to an agent in less than 30 seconds.  Paying more attention to potentially new customers, while perhaps profitable, is not good customer service practice, as they may lose  customers who have been with them for years.  They may not be concerned about that, considering they have “95,000 customers” (their customer service agents words, not mine).   If their customer service complaint department continues to have such long customer waits times, it won’t be long before customers go to another service for that reason alone.  Heaven knows, there is no shortage of sanitation companies going up and down the road I live on. This is not good customer service.

And Complaint 3:  I suspect CLM's service cost is higher than other companies costs.  They have to pay for those automated trash trucks some way.  I am not in the habit  of making business recommendations.  However, charging more than other companies and providing less service is not good business.