Franklin Waste Services Horrible Customer Service and Employees Lake Como New Jersey
I am writing to express my concerns regarding how Franklin Waste handles their customers and how they operate their business. Let me begin with last summer. The truck that they were using broke down and they could not always get to the area to pick up the garbage the same day. This was an ongoing problem. You would have to call by the end of the business day to see if they were coming the next day if you remembered. Where were 5 times in the months of July and August that my garbage was not picked up. They had substitute trucks and drivers who were not familiar with the route. They would pick up some of the homes on the street and not others. I would call and inquire and was told that I must be mistaken that my pail must not have been out. This is false, but giving them the benefit of the doubt I decided that I was no longer going to pay my bill quarterly upfront, I was going to pay my bill monthly so that if this ever happened again. I could just walk away. This seemed to be working out fine because I paid by the end of each month for the upcoming month and my trash was being picked up no issues for 9 months.
Two weeks ago, I was outside and observed the driver of the truck get out of the vehicle and stand in front of the truck, open his zipper and urinate in the middle of the street like an animal. I told him that it was disgusting and he did not even acknowledge me, backed the truck down the street and pull away leaving a big puddle of urine in the middle of the street. A neighbor saw him from a window and called to complain. She was told that it was not acceptable and the driver will be fired. (she is not a Franklin customer) I called the next day and complain and they were not as sympatric to me as my neighbor. She said the driver was reprimanded. I then asked if he fired and she said (the person who answered the phone) no, he has been reprimanded. I said that is not good enough. My son was at the front door and saw him, and there were children walking to the school bus who could have saw him. She then got nasty and said what would you like me to do. I said that your driver committed a lewd act and should be punished accordingly. She said AGAIN, that he was reprimanded. I said that I should go to the police department and fill out a complaint and she said do what you want and hung up the phone. I did not file a complaint, because I work full time and did not have time to getting around to doing it.
Yesterday afternoon, the truck pulled down the street. My neighbor was outside gardening, there were three persons on the truck. A driver and two men that take the garbage out of the pail and put it into the truck. They stood in front of my home and said “Is that the house that called” and the other said, “I think that is the house” and they backed down the street and did not take my garbage. When I called to complain I was told by Cathy who answered the phone it was because I did not pay my June bill. I said that I was paid up until the end of May. She said it does not work like that and they don’t take monthly payment. (I do not have a signed contract with them, and they have been taking payment like that for 9 months) I said it does not matter, I paid for this month and my trash should have been picked up. She argued with me, refused to pick up my trash until I paid for June. I then explained to her all of the problems from last year and that set her off. I then said is this an excuse you are using because I called and complained about the drivers lewd act. She went off on me about the bill. Did not acknowledge the fact the driver committed a lewd act and this was done by the driver because I complained. I said I was going to file a complaint with the local police about the driver urinating in the street and she then accused me of threatening her. Me, threating her? I said I feel threatened about the type of people that she hires. She said she would not refund my money for May and will not pick up my garbage. I have spoken to many people in the town and have read other townspersons complain about this company on Facebook. They have the worst customer service and are really obnoxious. They also have a D+ rating on the BBB website.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
It Is What It Is
#3Author of original report
Fri, May 13, 2016
Anyone reading this should just be mindful if you have children outdoors when this company is picking up trash in your neighborhood that their driver uriniated in public and should have been repremanded and or an appology for his indecent exposure. Instead, my trash was not picked up in May because I didn't make the June payment. I started paying month to month because of the bad service I was getting from them in the past 9 months. I walked around my neighborhood this morning and only noticed 5 homes with Franklin trash bins at the curb. I must have passed over 100 homes during my walk. At one time, almost the half the homes in the area used Franklin.. Actions speak volumes. And the fact that they rebut my comments speaks for itself. The End!
Franklin Waste Services
Lake Como,New Jersey,
USA
Explaining Our Process for Nonpayment of Services
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, May 12, 2016
With thousands of satisfied customers, we stand by our overall superb reputation of top-notch trash collection services. Sometimes, we do get an unsatisfied customer -- in this case because of our payment requirements. When customers do not pay their quarterly bill, we inform them in writing (through a reminder notice mailed one month into the quarter of the bill is not paid ) and through a phone call -- informing them that payment is due and must be made in full -- or specific payment arrangements made -- before a specific date or service will be suspended.
In this case, the customer's service was temporarily suspended because there was a balance due and there was no payment arrrangement agreed upon with our accounting office. When this person's trash was not collected, she called our main office and we informed her of the policy, which is clearly statement on all written correspondence. After subjecting our receptionist to a string of obscenities, she refused to pay the $21 balance due and demanded a refund of the partial payments of $60 she had made. Since under company policy, refunds are not issued for early cancellation of service, she was informed that we will gladly collect her trash for the next several weeks – until the $60 she paid is depleted.
Regarding her complaint about our employees' alleged unacceptable behavior, the employee received additional customer service training -- although his version of what occurred differs from hers, as he was taken ill on the truck at that time on the route. Our apologies for any misunderstanding of what may have been perceived on that day. Finally, this incident had nothing to do with having her service suspended for nonpayment of the full quarterly bill. As previously stated, we will fulfill our obligation of collecting her trash for the several weeks – unless she would like to make the final $21 payment to end of the quarter. We wish her the best!