So, the imperative for residential operators is to reduce friction in doing the right thing, and otherwise to get out of the way of regular, profitable business—and make it easy to do more where possible.
A well-designed customer experience plays a significant role in multiple business outcomes for the residential operator and requires:·
- Self-service CX that beats 21st century expectations: what options are available besides phone and email? How proactive are you with customers?
- On-demand services such as bulky item, hazardous waste collection or occasional roll-off service that make doing the right thing more convenient—and which mean better margins for your business, and better outcomes for the environment.
- Easier self-service that means less time on the phone for everyone, but more for those who need it.
- Engaging digital tools that can accelerate the growth of your business.
getting started
How you onboard your customer determines everything going forward. Easier onboarding means higher conversion and retention. Furthermore, customers want clarity, and it should be easy for them to understand exactly what’s included.
For residential customers, the service agreement is likely to already be well-defined. But even when exceptions are made, all information should be in one place that’s easily accessible to both the customer and your customer reps—both now and for future reference.
By bringing clarity and convenience to the relationship, AMCS Platform forms part of a foundation of trust that improves customer retention in the medium- to long-term. And that means lower spend on sales and marketing, or faster growth.
a connection to your brand
Apart from a need for waste & recycling services, just about everybody also seeks connection with others. Organizations who successfully recognize and respond to this create a powerful path to business resilience and profitability. Even in highly competitive industries such as waste, where price is otherwise everything.
The good news is that customer-facing technology as provided by AMCS Group doesn’t have to be just another cost center to manage. And for the customer, dealing with you doesn’t have to be just one more awkward phone call to make (or inconvenient email to send).
Viewed holistically, it becomes:
- A way to provide service that is more consistent—both across your customer base as well as compared to other aspects of your customer’s lives
- An avenue to know your customer better, so that your messaging resonates
- A path to scale more profitably
self-service
Consider all the steps between delivering the service at the curbside and getting paid. How easy it is for customers to get lost along the way.
Self-service portals are the bridge that reduces the number of steps that customers and staff must take. Fewer steps mean fewer missteps.
US customers, even more than the global average, prefer self-service for simple issues.
Contrary to prevailing wisdom—and what may have been true five years ago—this is a larger number of people than those expecting an immediate response. And this relative expectation now applies to every generation, including baby boomers.
Nobody should have to wait until the office opens, or keep checking their email, to answer simple questions such as:
- “When is my collection day?”,
- “Does the holiday affect service this week?”, or
- “Can I get a larger container?
Customers expect more choice, and more options. Customers expect to be able to self-serve online with web and chatbot technology that makes it easier and faster to get things done than ever before. AMCS provides a single platform that is designed to address every unique requirement of the residential operator. This is how we help to attract the next generation and help retain existing customers.
your customers are online, why aren’t you?
The best residential operators are increasing their share-of-wallet by providing as many of the available choices on the market as possible. This is not just about increasing container sizes as families grow.
A movement towards more diversion and more streams unlocks value for everyone. This can mean higher margin business. But without the right systems in place, the task becomes onerously complex.
Companies like Shopify and AMCS Group have transformed forever what it means to do business online--and what that means for staffing customer service departments and scaling customer operations. Done right, this can mean:
- 33% increase in customer satisfaction
- 40% reduction in missed collections
- 60% reduction in time spent on customer set up & service calls
trust but notify
Not everybody in your customer base is on top of their waste-related tasks. Some may need prompting. Whether it’s a bulk action to notify customers of a major change to service due to weather or mechanical breakdown, or a prompt for payment to delinquent accounts, digital service notification message via SMS or email keep everybody on the same page when things go wrong—or before.
Make it easier for customers to do the right thing, and invariably they will. That means providing the right information at the right time.
digital payments
Customers are looking for choice and convenience when it comes to making payments. Digital payment options are ideal to meet this need as they make payments easier with support for a wider range of payment channels ( Autopay, online, PoS, request to pay links, IVR etc.) and methods ( credit, debit, wallets etc.). Better still these payments can be integrated to your back office solution meaning no need for re-keying , delays or reconciliation challenges. Make payments easier and it is a win-win as you will get your invoices paid faster.
learn more about the AMCS Platform
AMCS Platform provides a purpose-built solution for private haulers to deliver residential services (direct subscription business) and to provide services on behalf of municipalities.
It is a comprehensive solution automates and integrates dispatch, driver management, route optimization, customer onboarding and service, billing, payments, and digital engagement. The solution is designed to optimize efficiency, grow business and to drive better sustainability outcomes in areas such as improving safety, material value and reducing emissions. It is modern SaaS solution offering a great user experience that is intuitive to use and boosts staff productivity and collaboration.