Expectations of a skip hire company

rjlarke

mwbrown wrote: »

same here ordered skip for 8am sat morning - arrived bang on time - told the driver that we would be ready for collection before noon - he said fine no problem - rung the skip company about 10.00am to advise they could collect asap - advised they would be there within the hour to collect it - after 4 phone calls they finally arrived at 4pm to collect it..... not impressed with the service and definitely wont use the company again.

They weren't the cheapest skip company but were recommened by a roofing friend as good and reliable and collect when they say they will - have to save though we hired one about 8 years ago and the company were brilliant (near the top of the price round our way) dropped off early and collected within 30 mins of ringing them to ask for it to be collected as like anywhere a skip left on the back street gets filled well above the max level and then the skip company dump the excess off.... which we have had a couple of times....

It's natural not to understand if you are not involved in the industry but the practicalities of skip hire cause the problems and there is little that can be done about them. Your not ordering a pizza!

Everybody wants their skip at 9am and the skip company would have to employ 50 drivers and buy 50 trucks to keep everybody happy. The drivers would only work an hour or two a day each.

Skips can be stacked 7 high when they are being delivered but when they are being collected you can't stack them as they are full. So the drivers have to zig zag from customer to tip on collection. There is usually a cue at the tip also.

Skip lorries are expensive to run and the drivers have tachographs. It would not be economically viable to run a truck directly to a customer and back like a taxi and the drivers available hours must be maximised. So collections must be carried out geographically along a route.

Drivers are not the best person to ask about collection times, they do not plan the route, they go where they are sent. Squeezing you in for a same day collection is actually excellent service. Being able to name a collection time is not something that many skip hire firms promise because of the practicalities, they would be setting themselves up for a fall. 2 hours notice for pick up is a very tight deadline, they did well to get to you, that day.

Any firm is capable of meeting your expectations if they are not busy. But none are going to consistently be able to live up to your expectation. They are too high for reality.

It would have been perfectly possible (and unavoidable) if your driver had hit traffic at the tip a few times along his route, run out of hours and had to come back to you the next day. And not even that would guarantee you an early collection the next day, because his route would still have to make geographical sense that day too. Nobody is being awkward, if you need specific times plan ahead and book a week early. If you get to specific with demands though the skip company won't take your order, due to reality.

Niv

rjlarke wrote: »

It's natural not to understand if you are not involved in the industry but the practicalities of skip hire cause the problems and there is little that can be done about them. Your not ordering a pizza!

Everybody wants their skip at 9am and the skip company would have to employ 50 drivers and buy 50 trucks to keep everybody happy. The drivers would only work an hour or two a day each.

Skips can be stacked 7 high when they are being delivered but when they are being collected you can't stack them as they are full. So the drivers have to zig zag from customer to tip on collection. There is usually a cue at the tip also.

Skip lorries are expensive to run and the drivers have tachographs. It would not be economically viable to run a truck directly to a customer and back like a taxi and the drivers available hours must be maximised. So collections must be carried out geographically along a route.

Drivers are not the best person to ask about collection times, they do not plan the route, they go where they are sent. Squeezing you in for a same day collection is actually excellent service. Being able to name a collection time is not something that many skip hire firms promise because of the practicalities, they would be setting themselves up for a fall. 2 hours notice for pick up is a very tight deadline, they did well to get to you, that day.

Any firm is capable of meeting your expectations if they are not busy. But none are going to consistently be able to live up to your expectation.

Quoting for emphasis.

ilikewatch

Not charging me £125 to provide a skip at my home, only for me to find the contents of the skip dumped on some land I own 3 miles away...

missprice

Pick up on the day they say they will. Unless its in my front garden and not annoying anyone, then it can stay weeks for all I care. If its its on my drive however then the day you said.
Lockable skips please, seen these locally, fab idea.
Give me some idea of size, I have no clue as I don't often use a skip, 3 times in 12 years, so I dunno if my old kitchen and garage contents will need a huge skip unless you give me some idea of how much a huge skip could hold.

And no cost is not everything.

[Deleted User]

The last dealing I had with a skip hire company was when the neighbour who shares my drive hired one.

The truck broke my drains, and when I complained they just stuck two fingers up and pointed me to the contract that my neighbour had signed absolving them of responsibility for any damage.

chrisw

Does your price comparison include vat? In my experience it's always a lot cheaper for cash.

rjlarke

missprice wrote: »

See I wouldn't mind spending more for the lockable skip. At least then every household from 6 streets around can't also use it.
If its a day late collecting from my drive that's OK too, its when they are 10 days over I get a bit miffed. Hence front garden used, now have a wall there so no good.
Thanks for the size clue, that actually helps me a lot more than mini/midi etc.:)

In general things like this don't much bother me, its more when your told x will happen on y day, and then it actually doesn't happen til 4 weeks later. If they said it won't happen til z then fine.

Try booking and requesting an enclosed skip well in advance or ringing around to see who has any in stock. They are out there.
You are probably at the limit of the skip companies service area. So every day they try to fit you in but the drivers keep running out of hours. Or your in a place where they don't have much work and can't bring themselves to do a dedicated trip, so you are waiting for them to get another job in your area to spread the cost. Try using a firm close to you. My site does it by post code.

rjlarke

chrisw wrote: »

Does your price comparison include vat? In my experience it's always a lot cheaper for cash.

It gives the price with and without VAT. You don't order through the site we don't even ask you to sign up, it shows you any prices listed for you post code and then you contact the firm direct so negotiating the price down further is certainly possible, but you know who's cheapest to begin with. Of course VAT shouldn't be optional

cyclonebri1

ilikewatch wrote: »

Not charging me £125 to provide a skip at my home, only for me to find the contents of the skip dumped on some land I own 3 miles away...

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Never had any real trouble but I always use a guy I used for industrial disposal so get mates rates, provided I can get past his daughter.

For an earlier poster just ask for a full size builders skip if you want a 8 - 10 ton size, it's the type Victor Meldrew had when the upturned Citroen 2CV appered in it.:rotfl::rotfl:

I_have_spoken

Don't need all that nonsense about 'caring for the environment' and being 'responsible', just low price

Web site to book online, not a mobile # that always goes to voice mail.

A txt message 2 hours before pickup