I like making my customers experience with VIP Recycling as pleasant as possible. By this, I mean that unlike most other guys, I will go into the customers home, have them show me what is being hauled away (we always talk about it ahead of time, for when I give the quote, but I like to ensure I take the right stuff). Then I haul it out of the house and on the truck and trailer it goes.

Well, I am starting to wonder if I even want to bother with doing that anymore. I don't care about going in, but a lot of times, customer homes are awkward in how they were built, and doesn't always make for taking things out easily.

I know there is several junk removal companies around here, that wont even enter a customers home, for this reason, and also because of liability issues (if something comes up miss, damages, etc).

For instance, 2 days ago, I had a route pickup for a couch, chair, and foot rest. What should have been a very easy and painless 15 or so minute job, took nearly an hour and a half to do!

The couch was in a family room, and had to come up and around a small flight of stairs, around a banister, and then through a door frame and door that connected the hallway to the living room area.

I ended up having to take the door off its hinges, because it was almost 2 inches in my way, and without it off, that couch was NOT coming out.

My prices are lower than most other big companies around here, but when I price a job, I price it based on what I am taking away, how much time it will take, and labor and dump costs.

Most times, furniture pickups are 1 or 2 pieces and should take no more than 15 to 20 minutes depending on where located.

I price them low, because I know if I have minimal cost and multiple pickups, it is decent money.

However, when one 10 to 15 minute job is taking almost 2 hours to complete, that is 5 or 6 more jobs I could have done in that time frame.



I have been thinking about this for a while now, but I also dont want to start loosing residential clients by telling them that depending on the item, it will need to be outside for collection.