They are predicting a major storm as 2025 starts and even though environmental services organizations have been through storms before, customers aren’t very understanding when it comes to delays in picking up their garbage.  Often-times the only tool the customer service teams have at their disposal is to wait for updates on routes from the operations team and to hesitantly suggest recovery will be attempted “hopefully tomorrow”.  You should be better prepared.  You can be better prepared. Your team can surprise your customers with their great attitudes and have realistic solutions ready.  Both are required.

Here are some suggestions that will help your team push through the rest of this winter and prepare for spring weather concerns.

Scripting:

Deciding on the right words to use is an important public relations step.  Effectively educate your customers on how they can prepare, what they need to do and what they can expect from their local garbage company during inclement weather.  Your company or city website, automated phone messaging and the information communicated by customer service representatives all needs to be in alignment.

1. Preparation- What can the customer do differently during inclement weather to minimize volume of waste or clear the area around a cart or dumpster? Remember to think like a customer and don’t assume an instruction such as “clear the area of snow and ice” will mean the same thing to them as it does to a driver.  These great tips should be posted on your website with a date and be recorded as part of your initial automated message and on hold message for customers.
2. Customer to Do List- Restate your service recovery process and include a reminder to check your website for updates. If your department’s process is that you will attempt service the next business day or following week, and that you would like the customer to leave carts out or make sure the dumpster is accessible, then include that. 
3. Company or organization commitment– Highlight your commitment to the safety of your drivers and your customers.

Tips for Customer Service

1. Make sure your entire team is updated on the status of routes (hour by hour) and when it is anticipated that service will resume. Problems arise when we use a robotic response such as, “If we don’t service you on your regular day, we will attempt service the following day.”  Are you providing a Friday customer their service on Saturday?  Will a truck be in that town the following day?
2. Don’t assume all reports of a miss are weather related. Completely assess individual customer situations.  With residential customers, assess whether the cart was out on time, where it was placed and if there were extras outside of the container.
3. If the service has not been provided for 2 weeks, ask if the customer will have extra bags. A common mistake made in customer service is that we tell a customer they can have extras out when it may not be necessary.   Operations does panic if they think every customer will have extras.
4. When a storm is anticipated, the customer service and operations teams need to meet and talk through a plan.
5. To tactfully exit a conversation with an angry customer use something such as: I understand your frustration and appreciate that you took the time to call us today.  Our first concern is that you, your neighbors and our drivers are safe.  We will be checking road conditions throughout the day.

Remember, once winter has passed, we will enter spring and summer where rains, flooding, hurricanes and tornados will create issues.  As Benjamin Franklin once said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.  Take the time to review what has not worked for your operation and your customers in the past, and craft a plan for inclement weather that will allow great customer service to outweigh anything Mother Nature sends your way.

If you need help with scripting or specific difficult customer situations, please reach out to me at: lori_miller@tootyinc.com or 615-965-2465.