Skipped collections can be documented and resolved quickly through digitalized solutions and automation.
Digitalization. Automation. They sound like buzzwords in the tech world if you’re unfamiliar with the terms. On the surface, they sound great – cutting down manual processes, reducing admin time spent, and doing away with repetitive tasks…
But when it comes down to the nitty-gritty details, what can digitalization and automation actually achieve? And what are the concrete benefits you can realise as a waste collector?
Today we’re going to take an example from one of WasteHero’s customers and delve into how they’re using digital solutions and automated workflows to solve one of their biggest problems: documenting and resolving skipped collections… because it may just be that the customer isn’t always right.
The Problem With Skipped Collections
Skipped collections can occur for a myriad of reasons. Drivers will be en route to collect a residential bin when they find there’s a car blocking their access, the recyclables are sorted incorrectly, the bin is overflowing, or the bin is broken and not able to be lifted into the truck. In these instances, drivers aren’t required to collect the bin and the collection is ‘skipped’.
Can you guess what happens next? The support team in the back office gets a call from an angry resident complaining that their bin hasn’t been collected. “My car was in the driveway, it’s sorted correctly, it’s not overflowing!” they say.
The back office contacts the driver who has to go back to check the bin. It turns out the resident is right… because they’ve fixed the problem in the meantime! Not only has the driver had to visit the residence once without collecting any waste, but they’ve had to make a second trip. More fuel is used, the driver is working longer than expected – the efficiency of the route is compromised.
The driver is rightly frustrated about the situation, “How can you trust the resident over your own driver?”
How Digital Solutions and Automation Solve this Problem
Let’s go through the situation again with a couple of improvements. This time, the driver is equipped with a mobile in-cab solution and the back office has access to the connected customer service system.
The driver approaches a bin blocked by a car. They pull out their smartphone and using the mobile version of their in-cab solution, snap a photo of the car blocking access to the bin and create a ticket to document that the bin can’t be collected.
The information is sent immediately to the back office team via the customer service system. The automated workflow in the background reassigns the bin for collection on the next appropriate route. A message is automatically sent to the resident assigned to that container, kindly reminding them to keep access clear on collection days. The message also includes the date that their bin will be collected. If the resident calls up to complain their bin hasn’t been collected, the back office has the evidence they need to explain why the bin wasn’t collected and can inform the resident when it’s scheduled for collection.
With this approach, the documentation of issues is seamless and transparent between teams. It also provides an opportunity to teach residents how to prepare for their waste collection. Back office can view historical documentation to understand if it’s a recurring theme at the address, or just a one-off mistake, helping to know how to tackle the case.
Kim Ankjær Nielsen, Head of Waste Management at Fredericia Municipality in Denmark, shares how WasteHero’s ticketing system has reduced their skipped collections.
Benefits of Documentation & Automation
Imagine if you could automate the documentation of skipped bin collections. What could that mean for your operational service and employees?
- – Reduced customer complaints? Less pressure on your service department?
- – Savings for fuel, wages and Co2 on go-backs?
- – Reduced driver frustration?
- – Improved transparency between drivers and back office?
Sound interesting? Get in touch with WasteHero to see how we can introduce automation for cost savings, operational efficiency, and super-satisfied customers!
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