In this final blog we will tackle a somewhat “touchy” but necessary subject…technology. Real or not, fear can be the cause of a host of emotions and apprehensions.  I recall when my oldest son was 9 years old and we watched the Wizard of Oz.  For some reason I will never understand, the flying Monkeys of the Wicked Witch of the West terrified my son.  His irrational fears lead him to believe these ghastly creatures were living under his bed, in his closet or just outside his window.    He was convinced they were after him!  No matter how much I would explain how preposterous that notion was, his emotions would not allow his rationale to be swayed.

Fear Not

Waste management software, like the flying Monkeys of the Wizard of Oz, can cause fear.  Maybe the fear is not anxiety about pain or impending evil but it is about ones apprehension to technology.  The irrational fear of losing control, the uncomfortable feeling of change, or the inability to grasp all that technology has to offer may have driven your decision to limit the use of technology in your company.  If you are such a person, I have two words for you: Fear Not!  Over 10 years ago I took a position with a software development firm and though I was surrounded by technology, I had a fear of using it.  I recall the words of advice from my senior programmer that changed how I viewed technology: “Don’t fear technology, anything you can do, can usually be undone.”  That simple bit of wisdom freed me up to experiment and begin to see technology for what it is…a tool to make my job easier.

Beyond Flying Monkeys

It is never too late to be an adopter of technology.  However, like any business tool it must be evaluated in light of your business strategy and budget.  While there are hardware (servers, laptops, etc…), software (applications that run on the servers and/or laptops), people (technology support), and facility (server room/closet) issues to consider in your journey to adopt technology, this blog will focus on your line-of-business software.  Once you have moved beyond the fear of technology, here are some things to consider with respect to your line-of-business waste management software:

1. Does it solve a real problem or does it create more problems?
2. Does it help you create efficiencies or increase productivity?
3. Does it allow you to capture revenue streams or cut expenses?
4. Does it allow you to serve your customers better (Must Do #1)?
5. Does it give you the kind of information that will help you make better decisions for your business?
6. Does it give you a competitive edge or allow you to compete with both smaller and larger companies (Must Do #3)?

Do the Math

The software should give you a good ROI (Return on Investment).  ROI can be measured in both tangible and intangible ways.  A tangible ROI for the software might be its ability to capture additional revenue streams like “extras”.  Anintangible ROI for the software might be its ability to retain customers by empowering CSRs to respond quickly with accurate and comprehensive information. Objectively look at your business and see where the gaps are.  Are your CSR’s spending too much time bogged down in the paper trail?  Is inaccurate communication between your drivers and the CSR’s causing customer attrition? Does your lack of technology impact your ability to compete with other haulers in the area?

Your line-of-business software is one of your most important investments.  You cannot afford to go down a road with a software application that cannot accomplish all the considerations above.  Don’t be afraid of change and the introduction of a comprehensive software into your company.  It is better to be late when it comes to technology than never.  It is also never too late to put away those fears and become an informed technology user.

Alpine Technology Corporation has been serving the waste industry for over 35 years with waste and route management software for both the office and the trucks.  Their office software,Visual RAMS-Pro, provides billing, work orders, container inventory, route management, customer and account management and much, much more. Their industry-leading truck solution, Visual On-Route, is far more than a mere routing software and allows the driver to be connected real-time to the office.  Visual On-Route keeps the drivers accountable while allowing haulers the ability to generate additional revenue streams and cut expenses through efficiencies.

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Be Tenacious!

According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the World’s Most Fearless Creature is the Honey Badger.  They have thick, loose skin that makes them impervious to stings, bites, arrows and machetes. They have sharp teeth and incredibly powerful jaws that allow them to catch, kill and eat every part of its prey, including the bones. They are even powerful enough to eat a turtle, including the shell, without difficulty!  To top off all these physical attributes, they are extremely intelligent.  They have been known to use tools to catch their prey and are actually smart enough to follow Honeyguide birds to find beehives where they’ll eat the larvae and honey.

However, these defensive and offensive capabilities are not what impress me most about this animal.  Any onlooker that views their activity is immediately cognizant of how tenacious they are.  No matter what comes after them, they keep going.  It could be a hive of bees, a King Cobra, Puff Adders, leopards or lions. It doesn’t matter; their resolve and aggressiveness are insatiable.

Though I am a firm believer in the theory of abundance (that there is enough business out there to provide win-win scenarios for competing companies), I am also a firm believer in the concept of natural selection (those companies that compete to win and survive will typically stay around).  Business owners need to be more like the Honey Badger: aggressive, flexible, tenacious and smart.  I do not see these as negative attributes, but ones that can be cast in a positive light.  So, what would that look like?

Find a niche

Part of being a successful hauler is to find a way to stick out from the crowd.  Too often when I ask leaders what makes their company different I get the typical responses like “great customer service reps, good pricing, consistency of service.”  However, when that company is tracked against others in the area, they do not stand out in those areas.

The fact is most leaders do not truly know how they are different.  You have to know how you are different, validate it, and make sure everyone else knows it.  If you do not have a distinction, then it behooves you to find a niche that you can own.  That niche may attract a new generation of customers that will help you capture all their business.

Be responsive

Almost every small to mid-sized hauler I have spoken with believes that they would rather compete against the regional/national haulers than the local ones.  Why?  Because the local haulers can be more flexible, responsive and capitalize on local relationships.  If this is the case then why is it that the more I investigate the more I find that the big 5 seem to have an edge, even against seemingly stronger smaller, local haulers?

Like the Honey Badger, be smart.  If you have the opportunity to respond to a local need, do so.  If you can bring value to a community by offering a service, do so. Be responsive.  In the wake of the many catastrophes that have plagued our country I have seen local trash haulers, firemen, and local ministries heralded as heroes. Leverage your ability to respond to the local market and make loyal customers for life.

Be better  

Recently, I was speaking with an owner who was frustrated with the saturation of their market with a host of haulers. He complained that the market was such that the customers would consistently jump from one hauler to another making it difficult to service and track start-ups.  Over the period of a year over 50% of their customers would “jump ship” to one of the other companies.  When I expressed alarm at the unusual attrition rate, he simply responded, “Eventually, some of them will come back”.  Is this acceptable to you and your company?  I would hope not!  If you are disciplined to be better, your customers WILL NOT leave you…period.

Complacency and mediocrity are the enemies of success.  Develop a culture of excellence and customer loyalty and you will not fail.  Your CSR’s and Drivers are two fundamental components to the success of your business.  If you are interested in hearing what people are saying about them, go into the chat rooms online and see about them, you may be surprised. Though many of the complaints are spurious at best, you may begin to see patterns emerge if you read long enough.

Successful haulers are committed to win and compete to win!  They realize there are a host of mediocre businesses out there that are more than willing to take your business if you let them. It is never too late to look at your business differently and take strides toward dominating your market.  Attrition is not an option.

This next and final blog will give you a final characteristic of successful haulers: better a late adopter than not at all.

Alpine Technology Corporation has been serving the waste industry for over 35 years with waste management software for both the office and the trucks.  Their office software,Visual RAMS-Pro, provides billing, work orders, container inventory, route management, customer and account management and much, much more. Their industry-leading truck solution, Visual On-Route, is more than a mere routing software and allows the driver to be connected real-time to the office.  Visual On-Route keeps the drivers accountable while allowing haulers the ability to generate additional revenue streams and cut expenses through efficiencies.

The post Must-Do #3: Compete to Win appeared first on Alpine Technology Corp..

In this second in a series of four blogs we will look at another “Must-Do” for any hauler striving for success: Your culture communicates more about you than you might believe.

Every company has their own unique culture

Just as every individual has their own unique fingerprint, so every company has its own distinct culture. Whether or not leaders are proactive in building a culture or are at the mercy of one created reactively… every company has one.  When you think of the culture engineered at Google, you see a creative organization that empowers its employees to collectively create.

On the other hand, when you think of a company like Nordstroms, one cannot help but to see a company committed to a culture of customer service.  Too often, however, culture is difficult to discern.  Companies that are not clear about what they want to accomplish and how are typically left with a “weak” culture.  The result? Customers are left to decide this on their own and a great opportunity is lost.

Judge not?

We have heard the host of warnings against judging one another: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged,”  “How can you say, ‘let me take the speck out of your eye’ when a log is in your own eye,” “Do not judge a book by its cover,” and “If you judge people, you have no time to love them”. The only reason why there are so many quotes about judging is because it is an integral part, like it or not, of the human condition. People will judge your company based on what they see or what they experience.

Your culture directly impacts how you are viewed by your customers. They experience your culture when they walk into your facilities, call into the office, speak with your CSR, see your trucks or deal with disputes. Every single point of contact your customers have with you gives evidence of the type of culture you have.  What is your culture?  Taking off your manager/owner hat, look around at your office…what do you “see”? When you are driving down the street and see your driver and truck…what do you “see”?  What is being communicated by these simple expressions of culture?

You don’t have to be trashy to be in the trash industry

Canby Disposal Company’s clean fleet says much about who they are

As I have traveled across the country visiting some of the best (and not-so-best) haulers in the country I have come to some basic conclusions.

First, those haulers that are clean and organized, both in their offices and with their trucks, seem to be the most competitive in their market.  A few years back I ran across a study in the Psychological Science Journal that was interesting.  Through a series of experiments research demonstrated that the notion of being clean significantly reduced the severity of judgments, showing that intuition, rather than deliberate reasoning can influence ones perception of what is right or not. Bottom line…the cleaner your facilities and trucks are, the more positive influence on your customers (or prospects) you may have.

Second, the cleanliness of the facility is just an outward expression of an inner conviction that permeates the whole company. They have a “thick” culture that is crafted out of a commitment to excellence.  Their software must enable them to respond accurately and quickly; their drivers must be top notch; their CSR’s must be intuitive, friendly, responsive and utilize world-class waste hauler software; their websites must enable them to work efficiently; their carts are clean.  Just because you are in the trash business does not mean that you must look trashy!

I would challenge you to take some time to objectively evaluate your business.  What is it that you want to create?  What does it now communicate to anyone that comes by your office, calls into the office or sees your truck?  Do not leave chance to create that culture for you…be proactive.

Alpine Technology Corporation has been serving the waste industry for over 35 years with waste management software for both the office and the trucks.  Their office software,Visual RAMS-Pro, provides billing, work orders, container inventory, route management, customer and account management and much, much more. Their industry-leading truck solution, Visual On-Route, is more than a mere routing software and allows the driver to be connected real-time to the office.  Visual On-Route keeps the drivers accountable while allowing haulers the ability to generate additional revenue streams and cut expenses through efficiencies.

The post Must-Do #2: A Culture of Trash or a Culture of Excellence appeared first on Alpine Technology Corp..

I could try and convince you that my 28 years of operations and marketing experience might grant me the right to voice my opinion…but know that would not impress you.  I could then throw out the fact that for over a year I have visited with and/or spoken with some of the best haulers in the country; seeing firsthand what makes a company great…but that would probably not impress you either.

That leads me to probably the only reason why haulers, small or large, should listen to me.  I am, and have been, a customer (both residential and commercial) of waste services all my life. I am a garbage producer and will continue to do so the rest of my life.  I am part of that segment in the U.S. that produces 25% of the world’s trash. Without individuals like me, haulers would be out of business.

Now that I have impressed everyone with my credentials, let’s get on with the four things every hauler must do to run a successful hauling operation.

Whether you are a small hauler or large, have a city franchise or compete in the open market, have one location or compete nationally, there are certain fundamentals that all successful hauling operations seem to have in common.

#1- Customers, Customers, Customers

20 years ago in a typical Business 101 class you would have certainly heard the magical ingredients to any successful business: location, location, location.  While that may have been true then, such Professors overestimated the longevity of “brick and mortar” establishments, did not anticipate the internet revolution or foresee the absolute necessity to create and foster a “customer-centric” business model.  What does customer-centric look like, you ask?  Here a few questions to ask yourself as to whether or not you are that type of business:

1. Do you make it easy for your customers to do business with you? Compare your business with other services you use in your daily life.  Is it easy to make changes to their account or communicate with you?  A quick look at your website or a call in to your company may reveal a lapse in communication, lack of information or a difficulty in connecting with a Customer Service Representative.
2. Do you find yourself at odds with your customers instead of being “on their side”?  Do gaps in your service leave the customers lacking in confidence that you have their best interest at stake?  Maybe a disputed “extra” or “not out” has left the relationship strained?
3. Have you developed a sense of community that encourages their feedback, good or bad?  All good business people know that two-way communication is critical for success, but what channels have you provided to receive such communication?  Are you proactive or reactive?  Do you leverage Social Media and the technology tools available to you?
4. Bottom line, do your customers feel cared for? In an age where loyalty is not cherished as it used to be, haulers must lead the way in developing a culture that encourages, even mandates, customer loyalty.  Businesses should make themselves indispensable.

Create a loyal customer base

Customer care creates customer loyalty which, in turn, creates a consistent revenue stream for haulers.  Do not underestimate the power of little conveniences like online bill pay, real-time communication with the drivers and waste management software that enables the CSR’s to respond to your customers quickly and accurately.  Next week we will move to the second “must” for hauling operations: trash companies don’t have to look like trash to be successful in the trash industry.

Alpine Technology Corporation has been serving the waste industry for over 35 years with waste management software for both the office and the trucks.  Their office software,Visual RAMS-Pro, provides billing, work orders, container inventory, route management, customer and account management and much, much more. Their industry-leading truck solution, Visual On-Route, is more than a mere routing software and allows the driver to be connected real-time to the office.  Visual On-Route keeps the drivers accountable while allowing haulers the ability to generate additional revenue streams and cut expenses through efficiencies.

The post 4 Must-Do’s To Be A Successful Hauler appeared first on Alpine Technology Corp..