Best practices

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Dumpster Rental Customer Communication Best Practices

Nothing kills a roll-off business or prevents growth like poor customer communication. It’s one of the easiest ways to stand out in your local market, but few companies are doing it the right way.

We all know how to communicate, right? Speak clearly, be friendly, be honest, admit mistakes as they occur and work together to fix them. How does this relate in a roll-off business? We’ve outlined a few ways trash haulers absolutely must work to communicate with their customers.

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Clear, simple pricing

When a customer calls and asks for your price, the more clearly you can deliver it, the better. 90% of the time, roll-off pricing will consist of a fee every time a dumpster is delivered or swapped for a new one, a tonnage fee if the customer goes above the number of tons allowed, and a daily fee when they keep it too long. In many cases, that’s it.

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Confidently knowing availability and scheduling

‍Do you always know exactly how many dumpsters you have available? What about how many you will have tomorrow? When a customer calls requesting a dumpster, you need to know, on the spot, how many you have or when you’ll have one available.

Written terms and standards

Customer terms and conditions - no one likes this part, but how many times have you heard, “you never told me there would be a tonnage charge” or “you mean I have to pay every time I get a new dumpster?” Terms for your customers don’t have to be complicated, but they should be clear. We recommend you email the customer terms every single time you deliver a dumpster – these terms should have a clear, bulleted list of prices and fees, as well as a list of items that aren’t allowed in the dumpster.

By the way Hauler even provides you with a starting place for this email, but it’s yours, so you’re free to edit it how you want! All of this happens straight in the system, so your clear record of customer communication is easy to find.

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Status updates and notifications

The dreaded customer call. Most drivers hate it when the customer says, “have your driver call me when you’re on the way.” We know from experience that when the drivers really hate to do something, they might not always do it, and that call on the way is really important. Does the customer have a gate to open? Is there a specific place they need it set? Reduce cancellations and re-trips with an automated text when the driver starts the haul.

We send this straight from Hauler, and it’s two way communication, so the customer can text back whatever they want. Not only does it save the driver a phone call and allow them to focus on the job at hand, but your customers can order more service straight to this same phone number, saving you a phone call.

No matter how you do it. Win business and keep customers for life with clear, concise communication!

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