NorthEscambia.com Investigative Series Part Four: Comments From NorthEscambia.com Readers

March 13, 2008

Today, NorthEscambia.com continues our seven part investigative series looking at Allied Waste and their service to the citizens of the North Escambia area. We will take a look at Allied’s service through comments both good and bad from dozens of Allied customers. And we will learn where our representative on the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, Larry Walker, and the ECUA stand on Allied Waste service in North Escambia.

In today’s installment of this series, we will take a look at some of the comments submitted by NorthEscambia.com readers. On Friday, we will take a look at some of the positive comments about Allied’s service. On Saturday, we plan to have a response from Allied Waste officials. On Sunday, we will end the series with a wrap-up and a blog.

Here is a sample of what NorthEscambia.com readers had to say about Allied Waste:

10 Days Without A Pickup

Upon reading the article about Allied Waste, I too have had many concerns. I have never been able to talk with anyone personally when I call. It always puts me on
hold. Also, I have noticed that during holidays, when the schedule gets moved up a day or two, sometimes we only get one pickup during that week instead of two.
During Christmas holidays, there was a week that the truck didn’t come at all. My garbage can was out by the road for about a ten day before a truck finally came by.

Robert, 6800 block of Bratt Road, Century

Problems, But Area Manager Solved Them

I too had numerous problems with Allied Waste skipping my street all together and making promises not kept. After numerous calls and persistence I finally got in
touch with the area manager for this area. It seems Allied had so many problems that they sent one of their top managers from Mobile. I cannot remember his name but once
I talked to him things improved drastically. In fact they missed my street the next week so I called the manager on his cell phone and he had one of the supervisors
come out in his truck and load my trash in the bed while in a tie. The area manager assured me if things didn’t change he was going to fire anyone and everyone needed.
I have had very little problems since then.Maybe who ever has problems needs to call Mobile and ask for their boss, it seems they have a different work ethic over there.

Andy, Harvest Hill Drive, Cantonment

Nothing But Good Experiences With Allied

My experience with Allied Waste has been good, one time a while back my can was stolen, I was placed on hold for just a short time, which I can understand, they could have been busy, but then I told them my can had been stolen and they said I would have another in just a few days which I did, then I heard the truck coming and the Allied driver said till I get the can just place it beside the roadway and He would be sure and pick the trash up, then a couple of days after I called Allied the can came. Another time we were afraid we were late on our bill because of the due date but the lady said as long as they received the money within a couple weeks after the due date that was just fine.

Isaac, South Century Boulevard, McDavid

Bad Experiences, ECUA Would Be Much Better

I am writing to you regarding the service, or lack of, of Allied Waste “of space”. I have been living up here for nearly 5 years and never have had such rude and crude
people. I have gone 2 weeks without pickup before. I know Allied’s customer service number by heart. Now that’s bad! I have called customer service and been
passed off from person to person until I demand a supervisor to which I get a voicemail and a never returned call. There has to be something done. I use to live
in Pensacola and had ECUA service. There was never a missed pickup and I actually spoke with intelligent human beings. Hopefully IF this deal happens, ECUA will
continue such great service to us “Northerners”. Can’t get any worse. Thanks for the chance to finally voice our opinion.

Heidi, 6300 block of Garrett Road, Walnut Hill

People Don’t Care Who Handles Their Service

People really don’t care who “handles” services, as long as there is trust and reliability built into customer care. Corporate talks So much about “World Class Service” it’s become a joke. Employees are the backbone who carry the weight, those are the ones to whom we give thanks. It doesn’t matter who carries in the water or carries out the trash; naturally we’ve always preferred our county, but now wonder why the franchises were allowed in the first place. Ah, and the saga continues; looking forward to tomorrow’s promising good read. Have a good night. Thanks again.

Joan,3100 block of Byron Place, Cantonment

Paying For Services Not Received

I live just off of Pineville Rd. in Walnut Hill. I did have service with Allied Waste but I canceled it due mainly the fact that the trucks only ran about half the scheduled pickups. My father, who lives in the same area, currently has their service (if you want to call it a service) and he is having the same problem. He is scheduled for pick up twice a week,
which is 8 times per month. He is lucky if they pick up 5 times a month. The main gripe we have had with them is that we are paying for a service we are not getting. They are, however, doing a little better since my father called and informed them that he would be taking a running log of every missed pick up and prorating his payment every month accordingly. They didn’t seem to be too keen on losing that money (go figure).

Also, my father never did get a can. I ended up giving him my can when I cancelled my service because they didn’t bring him one. Just the other day he told me that his bill doubled in one month. He was checking into that so I’m not sure what the reason or outcome of that situation was. I do know that a lot of people on Pineville and Phillips Roads have serious issues with the current garbage service. As far as I am concerned it is a rip off!

Gwen, 7500 block of Dagen Road, Walnut Hill

Your Chance to Be Heard

If you would like to add your comments about Allied Waste’s service (good or bad) in North Escambia, email your comments to news@northescambia.com. Please include your name and your address. In our story, will will only use the area in which you live (such as “the 13000 block of Highway 97″) and will not print your name. You can also send photographs of your can to the email address. We will feature more NorthEscambia.com reader comments on Sunday, the final day of this series.

Also, Larry Walker of the ECUA had requested that NorthEscambia.com readers contact him with their comments, whether good or bad, about Allied Waste by email to lwalker@ecua.org or by phone at 723-6094. Note that emails sent to the ecua.org address would be public record under Florida law (this does not apply to emails sent to the northescambia.com address in the paragraph above).

To read part one of this series from Monday, click here, for background information.
To read part two of this series from Tuesday, click here.
To read part three of this series from Wednesday, click here.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News