Not all trash chute cleaning companies are created equal. So don’t just hire the company with the lowest price or the first person to send you a quote. Just like any other service there are many commercial cleaning services out there, but how can you be sure you’ve hired the right one? Grab a copy of your most recent service contract or invoice and ask yourself the following questions:
Do I receive excessive complaints about chemical odors from my residents during and after the chutes have been cleaned?
Harmful chemicals used to sanitize and deodorize the chutes can contribute to our already heavily polluted water. Besides the chemical laden runoff that goes directly into the drain, these products often produce an unpleasant odor that can linger for a day or more. Lingering odors degrade the air quality and make breathing unpleasant. Fresh Foam uses biodegradable, live bacteria that is environmentally safe and has a fresh clean scent.
Are the drains in my compactor room running slower and/or backing up?
Garbage juice carries bits of debris from the chutes and the dumpsters. As it drains away these things start to build up and eventually the excessive buildup will cause a back up. This can result in expensive emergency plumbing services. Fresh Foam’s patented formula doesn’t just wash the debris away, it eliminates it! The specially formulated live bacteria break it down, and Fresh Foam uses almost NO water, so garbage juice becomes a nightmare you can leave behind.
Why is my bill so much higher than I expected?
Fresh Foam uses a standardized process for quoting and contracts. A certified and highly trained technician meets with you and walks through your site to identify all your pain points. We use those extensive and detailed notes to assess your needs and provide an all-inclusive proposal, so there are no surprises and your bill is exactly what you had budgeted.
Why are so many residents sending complaints about noise and disturbances?
Having the trash chutes and compactor rooms cleaned are a necessity, but power washing is loud and intrusive and usually performed on a reactive basis. Fresh Foam schedules maintenance well in advance so you can post the cleaning times on the bulletin boards or in the shadow boxes. You can also email blast a reminder of the scheduled service to your residents before it happens. Plus, Fresh Foam uses a quiet, foam application. No noisy hoses and loud pressure washers to disturb the peace.
Did I vet this contractor before I hired him?
Vetting your contractors/service companies can sometimes feel cumbersome or overwhelming, but it’s an important step in the selection process you don’t want to skip. Researching first can save you money and time down the road. Begin by writing down a list of your issues, then schedule a walk through with a representative from each company. Some folks choose to schedule all the companies for the same time slot so they do not have to do the walk through more than once and others prefer to schedule back to back appointments and speak to the reps individually. Do what makes you comfortable so that you can ask about each item on your list and take a few notes on what they are saying.
Always ask each company to mail, email, or fax you an itemized proposal. This will ensure that you are getting everything you’ve asked for and that there are no surprises later on. This will also clue you in on their follow up. If you have to send multiple reminders to the reps asking them to submit their proposals that’s a red flag you should make note of. Good and consistent follow up is incredibly important in the service business and should always be taken into account.
Always keep a copy of your proposal and compare it to the contract before signing. We know this seems obvious, but it’s surprising how many companies have little caveats hidden in the fine print. While you are reviewing the proposals, take notice of their billing/invoicing procedures.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions and negotiate. Just because it is written in a proposal doesn’t mean you have to accept it. If you consider the questions listed above and adhere to these basic steps for vetting your service companies your time will be well spent. You’ll be setting yourself and your contractors up for success.
