We have all received calls from the superintendent on a job site unjustly accusing our company of causing damage, whether it is rutting an area, hitting a fence, knocking down a sign or any number of other calamities. The way we handle these calls and how we can avoid these calls is this month’s topic.

Question: Since we are on job sites weekly — sometimes more — our company often seems to be blamed for anything that goes wrong on a job site. We get calls when there are ruts in the grass, barrier markers and signs being hit, or anything else that happens. How would you address these issues? 

Answer: Change your perspective and become a partner with your customer. Make use of the fact that your company is there at a minimum of once a week from groundbreaking to grand opening and help to inspect and to observe areas around your equipment. 

Become a partner with the customer. On construction sites, there are a multitude of activities going on simultaneously, all day long. Encourage your route service technicians to be observant of hazards, damage or other situations the job superintendent should be aware of and then notify this person about those matters.

Convey to the customer that due to the frequency of your company’s visits from the start of the project to the conclusion, your company will serve as a partner — additional eyes and ears to help where possible. Make the customer aware that your route service technicians have been trained to be observant while servicing units and that this responsibility is a part of their job.

Examples

Some situations that should be reported to not only protect your company, but that your customer will be appreciative of: 

Damage to equipment in the proximity of the portable restroom unit. Often units are placed in the same general areas as dumpsters, roll-offs and other trash receptacles. By observing the surrounding area, the service technician can assist in monitoring these areas for damage or spills. 

Ground altered in the area near the unit. Ruts in the soil or in the grass, potholes that have recently appeared or similar situations are all important items to convey to the customer when identified. An excellent example of this concept occurred when one of our route drivers reported a pool of water in an isolated area not too far behind our units.  Upon further investigation by the customer, it was determined that this was a water leak. Needless to say, the customer was very appreciative, and this incident not only strengthened our working relationship on that job site, but also led to additional jobs with this contractor.

Safety concerns. Site safety is of paramount importance and route drivers should be aware of their surroundings. A dead tree that is beginning to lean toward a fence or a power line, or a tree limb that is hanging low that could damage or hinder vehicles are examples of potential safety hazards that your driver may observe.

Security concerns. Depending on the specifics of the job site, damage to fences or gates should always be reported to the customer.  

Ways to Communicate

Establish a company goal of having the route service technician meet the job superintendent on the first regular service day to establish this new business relationship. By introducing themselves and leaving the necessary contact information, the driver becomes a part of the team working on that site. A company uniform, all required personal protective equipment for that job site and a business card make an excellent first impression with this new customer. If the customer gets to know the driver it can avoid those unsubstantiated calls of “whoever your driver is, did this.” 

Take the time to find and speak to the superintendent about a particular situation. If it is before or after hours, leave a message onsite such as a note on the office trailer door. Have the driver then contact the office for those team members to call customers during normal business hours. 

Take photos of the situation. Photographic evidence that is dated and time-stamped will be of tremendous benefit to the customer. Hopefully, in many cases, this will also demonstrate that your company is the reporter of the situation and not the cause of the situation. 

Utilize truck cameras. As with photos, camera footage can assist in identifying the situation and help with the resolution. 

Note each situation. Whether on the service record for the unit(s) or, if the damage or situation is deemed to be significant, complete an incident report form to fully note the concern.   

Report this information to the office in case others on the job site who are unaware may call your office staff and inquire about this situation. 

Be helpful and proactive to the construction superintendent. Possibly moving units to nearby shaded areas in the summer, placing units a little further away from dusty work roads, or adding more units or services based on usage are areas where the business partnership can be enhanced.     

No One Is Perfect

Mistakes and accidents happen. In the event that your company does indeed cause damage or make a mistake on a job site, convey this information to your customer immediately. The route service technician should seek out the superintendent and explain the situation using the same tools as previously discussed — photos or truck camera footage — to assist in helping to resolve the situation. Immediately contacting the office and explaining the situation is very important. The office may want to talk to the customer while the driver is still on site. Depending on company policy, an incident report form may need to be filed by the driver upon return to the yard. Taking responsibility for one’s actions further builds the customer relationship.

By working to be an active partner on the job site, PROs can minimize “accusatory” phone calls from superintendents who have no idea as to the identity of their route service technician. Working as a team produces winning results.