Providing good customer service seems to be the key ingredient to an exceptionally successful rubbish removal business. Below are two prime examples of this.
1-800-GOT-JUNK
Brian Scudamore is the CEO and founder of a franchise business called O2E Brands which helps entrepreneurs start their own business (franchises). O2E Brands’ flagship franchise opportunity is 1-800-GOT-JUNK, one of the largest rubbish removal businesses based in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
When Mr. Scudamore started his rubbish removal business, he was a struggling student, barely able to afford a McDonald’s meal. After seeing a “hauling” truck, he was inspired to spend the last few hundred dollars he had to purchase an old truck and start a junk removal business of his own. It was this “on the job” training that convinced him that customer service was the key to success.
In a Dec 4, 2017 interview with Forbes Magazine, Mr. Scudamore had this to say about his franchise business, “We stand out from the masses by professionalizing industries historically known for shoddy customer service.” He went on to give examples of rubbish removal businesses and moving companies specifically.
Mr. Scudamore also said that in the thirty years they have been in the rubbish removal business, they had been able to “refine” their processes by listening to what customers wanted and implementing changes. He gave two good examples of this. First, their customers wanted later hours. In response, Mr. Scudamore’s rubbish removal businesses now stay open until midnight in most locations. Second, customers wanted immediate estimates when they called in to make a booking. Working with a technical firm, Mr. Scudamore made this happen too, thereby offering an improved customer service experience.
Clearabee
Clearabee is the largest on demand rubbish removal company in the UK and they’ve achieved this remarkable benchmark in only five years, due in large part to the fabulous customer service they provide their customers. Founded by Daniel Long and Rob Linton in 2002 with only £500, Clearabee now serves the entire UK, including England, Scotland, and Wales, with a fleet of sixty-five trucks and one hundred and sixty-five employees!
Daniel Long started Clearabee with only one truck but then quickly grew as he filled a much needed niche in the UK and did so by impressing his customers with stellar customer support and service. Much of Clearabee’s business expansion has been based on good word of mouth referrals, with satisfied customers recommending the service to their family and friends. Online reviews are also glowing.
Clearabee focuses on giving customers what they want. In many areas ((London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds), Clearabee offers a same day rubbish removal service. In other words, a customer can call in the morning, schedule an appointment, and Clearabee picks up the rubbish by that evening. In other areas, Clearabee offers a next day service, if a customer calls before 3:00 pm the day before. This speedy service is very popular as this is not something UK customers can get with any of the council rubbish removal services. The fast turn around time not only makes the service super convenient, it reduces the possibility that rubbish will be strewn down the street and in the alleyways.
Times for pick up are incredibly flexible with Clearabee. They offer evening pickups and weekend pick ups. Even during the holiday season, Clearabee continued providing service with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Day. Plus, you could still schedule a booking with them on these days by doing so online. Customers can even request a one hour time slot for them to come so they’ll know exactly when they’ll be there, and by all reports, Clearabee is extremely punctual.
Clearabee provides a free quote for their most popular man and van rubbish removal service (labor included) when customers book either by phone or online. The quote is based on the information the customer provides. If the information changes, such as the customer adds more junk to the load to be picked up, the Clearabee team can recalculate a quote when they arrive. So, the customer gets the best of two worlds: an instant quote and flexibility if things change on their end. It should also be mentioned that no loading occurs unless the customer is fully happy with the price. Clearabee will even work with a customer on a limited budget and remove what they can for the amount the customer can afford.
Price wise, many reviewers of Clearabee talk about how the cost of Clearabee’s man and a van rubbish removal service is less than ordering a skip. Better yet, for the less than the price of a typical skip, the customer does not have to load the rubbish themselves! If a customer wants a fixed price, they can order a “Beebag” which is essentially an inflatable skip, which comes in three sizes, and fill it themselves. The customer can take up to one year to fill the Beebag and then call Clearabee’s customer service to schedule a pick up of the Beebag. Plus, the Beebag doesn’t even have to be taken to the road for pickup! Many customers compliment Clearabee on this fact.
Clearabee also maintains very good communication with the customer at every step of the process. When a customer places an order, he or she gets a confirmation of that order via email. Clearabee also sends out text and phone alerts before Clearabee gets to a location. After they haul the rubbish removal, they provide an electronic copy of the waste transfer note, letting the customer know their rubbish was disposed of in a responsible way and not tipped like so many shadier rubbish removal businesses.
Clearabee also recognizes that good customer service includes being the type of ethical company that customers like to do business with. Clearabee has shown exemplary leadership in paying a living wage to all their employees, much higher than the average in the industry. Clearabee also has a ninety percent reuse or recycle rate for all the rubbish removal they collect! These high ethical standards make Clearabee customers feel good about doing business with them.