Our Tax Dollars at Work?

On Saturday July 2 I posted about a missed garbage pick even though the garbage can was out at the curb well ahead of scheduled pick up time.

Without rehashing my last post too much, I phoned the city's hotline to report the missed garbage pick up. No one was answering it on a long weekend. There was no option to leave a message on an answering machine. Only a warning that if you don't report a missed garbage pick up within 24 hours they won't be able to arrange another pick up.

Whenever there is a stat holiday in the week garbage and recycling is bounced a day back. For Cloverdale residents who get pick up on Fridays that means our pick up is on Saturday. Seeing as how city hall is closed on weekends it is a physical impossibility for Cloverdale residents to report a missed pick up within 24 hours.

I filled out their complaint form on their web page on July 2 and received an automated response that someone from the city would respond in 10 days.

Today is July 16, 2 weeks later, and I am still waiting for a response.

Our tax dollars at work!

I suppose the person at the City of Surrey decided that our garbage would be picked up the next Friday and seeing as how its 2 weeks later and there have been 2 garbage pick ups since then the problem has resolved itself.

Actually the problem resolved itself on Sunday July 3 when we took the garbage can to the dump in Port Kells, Wastech. I wasn't going to have a garbage can sitting out all week.

10 days response time is unacceptable to me for any business involved in customer service. Certainly by close of the next business day is the bare minimum most companies should strive for in providing acceptable response times.

I have now sent an email to Darryl McCarron who is the Manager of Marketing and Communications at the City of Surrey.

I have let him know I am still waiting a response from the city and have asked him if he thinks 2 weeks plus is an acceptable response time.

I have also asked him what options are available to Cloverdale residents whose garbage and waste pick up is missed on a stat weekend.

So now I wait and see if I get a response for him.

Will keep you posted!