What to Do When Everything Goes Wrong with Your Valet Services
What happens when your valet services go wrong?
Valet services are a great idea, right? There are very few people in the world who actually enjoy taking out the trash - and valet services are a perfect solution.
But what happens when your valet services go wrong? What if your porter doesn’t show up? Or if he leaves garbage strewn all the way to the dumpster? What happens when this vital part of your waste management is in crisis?
It doesn’t happen a lot. We work with several really wonderful valet service providers.Their porters come on time and get the job done - and do it well.
But when problems do arise, it’s a major pain.
One of our clients just recently asked for help for this exact issue.
Valet Waste Service: The Problem
First, they had issues with having quality services. Frankly, it was gross - they were leaving streaks down the hallways, which I think we can all agree is really less than ideal.
Maintenance ended up having to hose down the hallways. This successfully cleaned up the mess, but it also damaged the lights on the floors below. They had to be replaced - and it wasn’t a cheap fix.
Once we found out this happened, we reached out to the service provider and secured a $4,000 credit for their account.
But the issues didn’t stop.
The valet porter stopped showing up, and the new one either couldn’t figure out how to operate the compactor, or kept missing pick-up in entire buildings.
The Solution
After going through three porters in about as many months, we decided enough was enough. Residents were complaining and the employees on-site had resorted to picking up the garbage themselves! The valet “services” were anything but good service.
We found them a new valet service that we knew was dependable, and are in the process of ensuring a smooth transition.
When things go wrong with your waste management, you need to have recourse. You need someone who knows the market and who will have your back when problems arise.
Resolving valet services issues are just one way we serve our multi-family clients. You don’t have to troubleshoot valet waste problems on your own! You can have reliable, experienced help on your team.
Do you have valet services at your locations? Have you run into any waste service issues in the past? Sound off in the comments below! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
3 Steps to Getting an Airtight Valet Contract
What if I told you that ten minutes of your time could yield thousands of dollars in savings?
What if I told you that ten minutes of your time could yield thousands of dollars in savings?
Sounds crazy, right?
It’s not actually as crazy as it might seem. By spending just a little time evaluating the long-term efficacy of your valet service contract, you may very well find some ways to save.
Sound intimidating? It doesn’t have to be! We’ve broken it down step by step below for you.
The only thing between you and savings is time - and just a little bit of knowledge.
Let’s look at the process of evaluating your contract.
Know what a good one looks like (and a bad one!)
Evaluate contract specifics: service levels, service provisions, rate stipulations, and terms.
Figure out the next steps: renegotiate the contract or get a new provider.
Ready? Let’s dive in together!
Know What a Good Contract Looks Like
Most people don’t really know what a good contract includes. A good contract is one that has terms that are fair to the client as well as the vendor.
Good valet contracts:
Limit price spikes
Have accurate service levels
Are easy to cancel
Have provisions for poor service
If you have a good contract, a lot of your problems will be addressed before they even begin. A good contract can’t prevent issues, but they can give you immediate recourse.
A bad contract is, of course, less than ideal. It won’t protect you from increased charges. The service levels listed in it won’t reflect your actual needs, and the contract itself will be really, really difficult to cancel. And - you won’t have recourse for when your valet porters don’t service entire buildings. (Yes, this has really happened before!)
Evaluate your Contract
Pull out your contract - it’s likely just a few pages long. Take a look at the term length, your service levels, and your termination specifications.
Take a few moments and ask yourself these questions.
Are my service levels aligned with my needs?
Consider if your current service level is really what you need. Do you residents enjoy having their trash picked up three days a week? They might like having it picked up five days a week.
Are price hikes capped or eliminated?
If there isn’t language in your contract that wards off price spikes, you’ll almost definitely get them. A $20 increase here or there may not seem like much, but it’s vital to remember that increases accrue over time. $20 hikes over the term of a contract can result in thousands of dollars in overspending. And it can all be prevented by just a few lines in your contract!
Do my rates reflect the market value?
If your rates are too high, you may be getting overpriced services. You could likely be getting the same services for less - in some cases, much less! When we recommend switching valet services, we calculate your contract buyout fee versus the amount you’ll save with a cheaper service.
But having rates that are too low can be an issue, too! As I write this, we are in the middle of an issue with one of our valet providers. Their rates are below market prices - but their services leave something to be desired. So we’re bid to other providers. Paying bottom dollar isn’t ideal if you’re not receiving quality service.
Call around to a few other providers to get a feel for what they typically charge for their services.
How easy is it to get out of my contract?
Termination processes may differ from vendor to vendor, but many have a clause similar to this:
All that fine print boils down to this: to cancel the contract, the company that employs this vendor must send a written letter of termination via certified mail 90 days prior to the end of the term. It’s not as simple as walking away.
Are there provisions for poor service?
What will happen when a valet porter “forgets” to service entire buildings? Or when they leave a trail of garbage down the halls? You want to make sure that you have recourse if service issues happen. We typically recommend that you ask for an invoice credit if service doesn’t happen as it should. And if there are enough issues, you need to have grounds to terminate the contract.
Know What You Want to Change About Your Current Contract
Make a list of things you want to change about your current contract. Some of these things may include:
Service levels - the number of pick-ups made by the hauler per week
Term - the length of the contract
Fee Caps - language that limits or eliminates ancillary fees.
Auto-renewal - cancelling your auto renewal puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to whom you entrust your valet services.
Now, prioritize that list. You have to be prepared to not get everything you want - especially if you’re trying to renegotiate in the middle of a term. Having clear top priorities will help you let smaller issues go, if need be.
Make Changes to Your Valet Contract
If you decide to make changes, you can go one of two routes:
Renegotiating Your Contract - Some companies don’t need to get out of their contract completely; they just need different terms or different service levels. Other companies may not financially be able to exit their contract. Either way, for a lot of companies, renegotiating their contract makes financial sense.
Finding a New Hauler/Getting a New Contract - Some companies, on the other hand, find that it makes more financial sense to exit their contract, and pay out for the remainder. If you find yourself in this spot, send out bids to other area haulers and see if someone else can provide better levels of services.
Make Sure Your Valet Contract Protects Your Interests
Go the extra mile with your contract, and you could see big returns. If you evaluate your current contract, determine to fix its gaps, and implement changes, you’re securing a better financial position for your company for years to come.
But you’re also doing more than that. You’re setting yourself up for peace of mind. So often, when things go wrong with a vendor or service provider, it’s because the right preventative measures weren’t put in place. When issues do arise, you have recourse.
Set yourself up for success! Take a look at your contract - and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
What other questions do you have about valet contracts? Curious about their typical length? Not sure what changes you should make? Let me know what you’re thinking in the comments below!
Top Three Ways Multifamily Properties Can Save
How much could you save if you did these three things? Hundreds? Thousands?
The waste disposal at multi-family properties can be mind-numbingly complicated. There are so many locations - and often just as many haulers.
So we’ve compiled the top three ways that multifamily properties can save.
This is no simple list. These are actionable steps that we’ve taken at hundreds of properties nationwide. These three things have saved companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. So we know they work - and that they’ll work for you.
Here are the top three ways you can save are:
Get an airtight waste contract
Review your valet services
Do a utility audit
I can’t overstate how critical all three of these are to your bottom line. We typically save 20-40% on waste disposal expenses - when you add in utility audits, those savings can double.
We don’t want you to leave any savings opportunities on the table! Let’s take a deep dive into each of these ways to save.
Get an airtight waste contract
When it comes to your waste expenses, an airtight waste contract is the very best way to prevent overspending - and waste issues!
A good waste contract will:
Prevent price spikes
Have great service provisions
Prevent fee charges
Is easy to cancel
Has appropriate service levels
When you contract has these provisions, you’ll have recourse. When you find a price spike, you can successfully fight it - and get a credit. When your hauler starts charging ancillary fees, you can likewise get a credit. And if the quality of their service levels start dipping, you can keep them in line. (A bad contract can be such an expensive mistake!)
Your contract represents an enormous savings opportunity. Don’t overlook yours.
Review your valet waste services
Valet services are an often overlooked way to save. When we complete a waste audit for multi-family clients, we always look at the valet services.
Valet services is a fancy term for door-to-door trash pick-up. Valet service will pick up garbage bags outside the residents door and dispose of it for them. It’s a fantastic benefit to offer residents because, let’s face it, no one loves taking the trash out. But valet services are often overpriced!
Let me give you an example.
We recently worked with a multifamily developer/manager who offered valet services at their properties. The WCI Project Manager noticed that the price per unit seemed to be awfully high. We were able to introduce a new vendor who was able to save them $28,800/year at just 3 properties!
Make sure you’re not being overcharged for your valet waste services. They can be a huge profit center for valet companies - but you don’t have to fall victim to them.
Examine your contract, and get a feel for market rates. Reach out to other area multi-family residences and ask what they pay for valet services. This will give you a really good idea about whether your services are overcharging you.
(Or, reach out to us for a completely free waste audit! They make savings simple - and they’re guaranteed cash-flow positive.)
Complete a Utility Audit
As successful as most utility audits are, it’s surprising how few companies know about them!
Consider the odds of winning the lottery - typically, there’s a one in a million chance. But if you know that your odds were better, wouldn’t you go buy one? What if your odds were 80% or higher?
This is exactly the opportunity a utility audit offers you. We find savings on utilities 80% of the time - and if we don’t find anything, you’re not charged a dime. I like to tell people that our audits minimize your resources and maximize your savings potential.
How exactly? Our audits work: we typically find savings through tax exemptions, rate adjustments, and eliminating unused meters.
A utility audit is the best way to know that you’re taking advantage of every savings opportunity available to you.
Stop overspending today!
We typically find that multifamily property managers have problems they don’t even know about. These problems typically cost thousands of dollars every year. And most of them are completely avoidable.
Make sure your waste contract is airtight. Ensure it eliminates or regulated price spikes!
Make sure you’re getting fair pricing for valet services. This is a huge savings bucket that companies typically ignore.
Make sure your utilities are under control! So many companies nationwide overspend. And they don’t have to.
Our risk free waste and utilities audits are tailored to your industry and your time constraints.
Why not reach out today? We’d love to show you your unseen savings opportunities - and how you can start taking advantage of them!
Have you ever heard of a waste or utility audit? What other questions do you have about them? Let me know in the comments below!
How Valet Services Overcharge You - And What to Do About It!
Let’s face it, no one likes taking out the trash, right?
In the past few years, valet services have become increasingly popular. No longer do multifamily residents have to haul their own trash to the dumpsters - they can just leave it outside their door! A valet employee collects it and disposes of it. Sounds dreamy, right?
Trash valet services are a fantastic amenity to offer to your residents. But they aren’t always fantastic when it comes to pricing.
As with so many other areas of the waste industry, vendors will often increase prices because they can - or charge fees way above market level!
How can you make sure this doesn’t happen to you?
In this post, we’ll go what valet services are, some ways you might be overcharged, and what you can do to prevent overspending.
Psst! Ever wonder why you should care about waste in the first place?
What exactly is Trash Valet Service?
Valet services are a really fancy way of saying “doorstep trash pick-up.” In most situations, it happens exactly as is described above. Residents leave trash outside their door, and a valet employee picks it up and disposes of it.
Different locations will have different frequency needs. Some will only offer valet waste once a week; others offer it every day during the week.
Most vendors will service your location at night so that your residents aren’t disturbed - and so they have time to place their trash outside their door.
How You’re Overcharged for Valet Waste Services
Your trash pick-up provider can be sneaky - just like waste haulers, unfortunately! In fact, valet services are one of the top ways that multi-family complexes overpay on their waste expenses.
Providers often overcharge you because they think they can. Most multi-family management companies don’t evaluate the valet invoices they receive, or they just don’t know how to ensure their contract is in their best interest.
What you don’t know can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over time - but it doesn’t have to!
Your rates may suddenly increase. Every so often, you’ll see an uptick in the rates listed on your invoice. It can be as little as 5%, but it can also be much more. But even a 5% increase compacts over time! If you’re charged an extra $20 each month, during the term of your contract you may overpay by hundreds of dollars.
Rates can increase as much as 1-2 times a year! Your fees can raise whenever your vendor feels like it. Not all vendors will take advantage of this - but some undoubtedly will.
We recently worked with a multifamily developer/manager who offered valet services at their properties. The WCI Project Manager noticed that the price per unit seemed to be awfully high. We were able to introduce a new vendor who was able to save them $28,800/year at just 3 properties!
Rate increases compound over time. Before you know it, you may be significantly overpaying.
Because there’s so little information out there about valet services and how they do what they do, you may think it’s normal. Or even something that you should expect.
But just because everyone else is paying at these rates doesn’t mean you have to as well.
Make Your Waste Valet Contract Airtight
The two best ways to prevent overpaying? Get a feel for the market, and then evaluate your contract.
Find out:
What are other area trash valet services are charging? Get at least one or two estimates.
What are other area multi-family complexes being charged? Get in touch with a contact, or just make a cold call - you’d be surprised how far a friendly voice and cheerful attitude can get you!
Then, take a good hard look at your contract and answer the following questions:
Are price hikes capped or eliminated?
Are rates locked in?
How easy is it to get out of my contract?
Are there provisions for poor service?
It can be expensive to stay in a bad contract - or have continual service issues with no recourse!
In the end, you may need to weigh your options. If you have a terrible valet service provider who is not interested in lowering their prices, it may be worth it to break your contract and get a cheaper service provider.
Protect your bottom line!
Fix your valet contract, and you’ll not only prevent overspending - you’ll know how to budget for years to come because you’ll have fixed rates.
You can have peace of mind knowing that you’re not going to be trapped into paying outrageous prices. And you’ll have a contract to protect your best interests.
Don’t wait until a price spike hits to worry about your valet services!
Do you use valet services at your multi-family property? Thinking about getting them at some point in the future? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Top Three Ways Multifamily Properties Can Save
How much could you save if you did these three things? Hundreds? Thousands?
The waste disposal at multi-family properties can be mind-numbingly complicated. There are so many locations - and often just as many haulers.
So we’ve compiled the top three ways that multifamily properties can save.
This is no simple list. These are actionable steps that we’ve taken at hundreds of properties nationwide. These three things have saved companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. So we know they work - and that they’ll work for you.
Here are the top three ways you can save are:
Get an airtight waste contract
Review your valet services
Do a utility audit
I can’t overstate how critical all three of these are to your bottom line. We typically save 20-40% on waste disposal expenses - when you add in utility audits, those savings can double.
We don’t want you to leave any savings opportunities on the table! Let’s take a deep dive into each of these ways to save.
Get an airtight waste contract
When it comes to your waste expenses, an airtight waste contract is the very best way to prevent overspending - and waste issues!
A good waste contract will:
Prevent price spikes
Have great service provisions
Prevent fee charges
Is easy to cancel
Has appropriate service levels
When you contract has these provisions, you’ll have recourse. When you find a price spike, you can successfully fight it - and get a credit. When your hauler starts charging ancillary fees, you can likewise get a credit. And if the quality of their service levels start dipping, you can keep them in line. (A bad contract can be such an expensive mistake!)
Your contract represents an enormous savings opportunity. Don’t overlook yours.
Review your valet waste services
Valet services are an often overlooked way to save. When we complete a waste audit for multi-family clients, we always look at the valet services.
Valet services is a fancy term for door-to-door trash pick-up. Valet service will pick up garbage bags outside the residents door and dispose of it for them. It’s a fantastic benefit to offer residents because, let’s face it, no one loves taking the trash out. But valet services are often overpriced!
Let me give you an example.
We recently worked with a multifamily developer/manager who offered valet services at their properties. The WCI Project Manager noticed that the price per unit seemed to be awfully high. We were able to introduce a new vendor who was able to save them $28,800/year at just 3 properties!
Make sure you’re not being overcharged for your valet waste services. They can be a huge profit center for valet companies - but you don’t have to fall victim to them.
Examine your contract, and get a feel for market rates. Reach out to other area multi-family residences and ask what they pay for valet services. This will give you a really good idea about whether your services are overcharging you.
(Or, reach out to us for a completely free waste audit! They make savings simple - and they’re guaranteed cash-flow positive.)
Complete a Utility Audit
As successful as most utility audits are, it’s surprising how few companies know about them!
Consider the odds of winning the lottery - typically, there’s a one in a million chance. But if you know that your odds were better, wouldn’t you go buy one? What if your odds were 80% or higher?
This is exactly the opportunity a utility audit offers you. We find savings on utilities 80% of the time - and if we don’t find anything, you’re not charged a dime. I like to tell people that our audits minimize your resources and maximize your savings potential.
How exactly? Our audits work: we typically find savings through tax exemptions, rate adjustments, and eliminating unused meters.
A utility audit is the best way to know that you’re taking advantage of every savings opportunity available to you.
Stop overspending today!
We typically find that multifamily property managers have problems they don’t even know about. These problems typically cost thousands of dollars every year. And most of them are completely avoidable.
Make sure your waste contract is airtight. Ensure it eliminates or regulated price spikes!
Make sure you’re getting fair pricing for valet services. This is a huge savings bucket that companies typically ignore.
Make sure your utilities are under control! So many companies nationwide overspend. And they don’t have to.
Our risk free waste and utilities audits are tailored to your industry and your time constraints.
Why not reach out today? We’d love to show you your unseen savings opportunities - and how you can start taking advantage of them!
Have you ever heard of a waste or utility audit? What other questions do you have about them? Let me know in the comments below!
How Valet Services Overcharge You - And What to Do About It!
Is your vendor overcharging you? How would you know if they were?
Let’s face it, no one likes taking out the trash, right?
In the past few years, valet services have become increasingly popular. No longer do multifamily residents have to haul their own trash to the dumpsters - they can just leave it outside their door! A valet employee collects it and disposes of it. Sounds dreamy, right?
Trash valet services are a fantastic amenity to offer to your residents. But they aren’t always fantastic when it comes to pricing.
As with so many other areas of the waste industry, vendors will often increase prices because they can - or charge fees way above market level!
How can you make sure this doesn’t happen to you?
In this post, we’ll go what valet services are, some ways you might be overcharged, and what you can do to prevent overspending.
Psst! Ever wonder why you should care about waste in the first place?
What exactly is Trash Valet Service?
Valet services are a really fancy way of saying “doorstep trash pick-up.” In most situations, it happens exactly as is described above. Residents leave trash outside their door, and a valet employee picks it up and disposes of it.
Different locations will have different frequency needs. Some will only offer valet waste once a week; others offer it every day during the week.
Most vendors will service your location at night so that your residents aren’t disturbed - and so they have time to place their trash outside their door.
How You’re Overcharged for Valet Waste Services
Your trash pick-up provider can be sneaky - just like waste haulers, unfortunately! In fact, valet services are one of the top ways that multi-family complexes overpay on their waste expenses.
Providers often overcharge you because they think they can. Most multi-family management companies don’t evaluate the valet invoices they receive, or they just don’t know how to ensure their contract is in their best interest.
What you don’t know can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over time - but it doesn’t have to!
Your rates may suddenly increase. Every so often, you’ll see an uptick in the rates listed on your invoice. It can be as little as 5%, but it can also be much more. But even a 5% increase compacts over time! If you’re charged an extra $20 each month, during the term of your contract you may overpay by hundreds of dollars.
Rates can increase as much as 1-2 times a year! Your fees can raise whenever your vendor feels like it. Not all vendors will take advantage of this - but some undoubtedly will.
We recently worked with a multifamily developer/manager who offered valet services at their properties. The WCI Project Manager noticed that the price per unit seemed to be awfully high. We were able to introduce a new vendor who was able to save them $28,800/year at just 3 properties!
Rate increases compound over time. Before you know it, you may be significantly overpaying.
Because there’s so little information out there about valet services and how they do what they do, you may think it’s normal. Or even something that you should expect.
But just because everyone else is paying at these rates doesn’t mean you have to as well.
Make Your Waste Valet Contract Airtight
The two best ways to prevent overpaying? Get a feel for the market, and then evaluate your contract.
Find out:
What are other area trash valet services are charging? Get at least one or two estimates.
What are other area multi-family complexes being charged? Get in touch with a contact, or just make a cold call - you’d be surprised how far a friendly voice and cheerful attitude can get you!
Then, take a good hard look at your contract and answer the following questions:
Are price hikes capped or eliminated?
Are rates locked in?
How easy is it to get out of my contract?
Are there provisions for poor service?
It can be expensive to stay in a bad contract - or have continual service issues with no recourse!
In the end, you may need to weigh your options. If you have a terrible valet service provider who is not interested in lowering their prices, it may be worth it to break your contract and get a cheaper service provider.
Protect your bottom line!
Fix your valet contract, and you’ll not only prevent overspending - you’ll know how to budget for years to come because you’ll have fixed rates.
You can have peace of mind knowing that you’re not going to be trapped into paying outrageous prices. And you’ll have a contract to protect your best interests.
Don’t wait until a price spike hits to worry about your valet services!
Do you use valet services at your multi-family property? Thinking about getting them at some point in the future? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
What Are Valet Services ( + 2 Ways to Save on Them!)
Trash valet service is when trash and recycling get picked up outside your door.
These services are typically performed at multi-family residences, or apartment buildings. Residents simply put their trash outside their door and the valet service employee picks it up. Then, they either deposit it at your on-site trash receptacle, or they take it to the dump themselves.
This service can be very attractive to potential residents since so few people enjoy taking out the trash. It’s something that can make your apartment complex stand out to potential leasers.
But like trash services, valet trash services can be overpriced. How would you know? Below, we’ll show you three ways you can save on your services.
Check out other vendors.
The easiest way to see if you’re overpaying is to ask other area vendors what they charge for similar services. If other area vendors charge way more or way less than what you’re currently paying, you’ll get a good baseline for how fair your prices really are.
Keep in mind, though, that rates are not the only thing you should compare. Some vendors may have certain clauses in their contract that would impact their overall pricing. Be on the lookout for auto-renewal clauses and language prohibiting price hikes. If vendor A includes rate caps in their contract, and vendor B doesn’t, vendor B will likely cost you more in the long run.
It’s also wise to ask vendors for references. Asking pointed questions of these references can help you understand what potential shortcomings may be. (See the video below for an example of why getting references is such a good idea!)
Rates should not be the only thing you compare! The cheapest service provider may have a terrible track record. You can also google their business and see how their clients rate them.
2. Scour your contract
It’s critical to your bottom line that your contract does not include:
auto-renewal terms
the possibility of additional fees and price hikes
zero provision for bad service
Auto-renewal terms will ensure your current contract renews. Not all contracts have the provisions you actually need to make sure you don’t overspend. You don’t want to be stuck with a bad contract!
You don’t want surprise additional fees on your invoices. And you certainly don’t want price hikes. You must have language on your contract that limits the possibility of this happening to you.
Valet services are an excellent amenity, but they’re not perfect. You need to make sure that you contract specifies that you have recourse in the event that service is not performed well, or inconsistently.
We audit our client’s valet services precisely for these reasons. It’s easy to have a bad contract and not know it. It’s easy to employ the most expensive service in town and have no idea.
Take some time to review your services to make sure they’re actually working for you.
Do you have valet services at your locations? Have you run into any waste service issues in the past? Sound off in the comments below! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Top Three Ways Multifamily Properties Can Save
How much could you save if you did these three things? Hundreds? Thousands?
The waste disposal at multi-family properties can be mind-numbingly complicated. There are so many locations - and often just as many haulers.
So we’ve compiled the top three ways that multifamily properties can save.
This is no simple list. These are actionable steps that we’ve taken at hundreds of properties nationwide. These three things have saved companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. So we know they work - and that they’ll work for you.
Here are the top three ways you can save are:
Get an airtight waste contract
Review your valet services
Do a utility audit
I can’t overstate how critical all three of these are to your bottom line. We typically save 20-40% on waste disposal expenses - when you add in utility audits, those savings can double.
We don’t want you to leave any savings opportunities on the table! Let’s take a deep dive into each of these ways to save.
Get an airtight waste contract
When it comes to your waste expenses, an airtight waste contract is the very best way to prevent overspending - and waste issues!
A good waste contract will:
Prevent price spikes
Have great service provisions
Prevent fee charges
Is easy to cancel
Has appropriate service levels
When you contract has these provisions, you’ll have recourse. When you find a price spike, you can successfully fight it - and get a credit. When your hauler starts charging ancillary fees, you can likewise get a credit. And if the quality of their service levels start dipping, you can keep them in line. (A bad contract can be such an expensive mistake!)
Your contract represents an enormous savings opportunity. Don’t overlook yours.
Review your valet waste services
Valet services are an often overlooked way to save. When we complete a waste audit for multi-family clients, we always look at the valet services.
Valet services is a fancy term for door-to-door trash pick-up. Valet service will pick up garbage bags outside the residents door and dispose of it for them. It’s a fantastic benefit to offer residents because, let’s face it, no one loves taking the trash out. But valet services are often overpriced!
Let me give you an example.
We recently worked with a multifamily developer/manager who offered valet services at their properties. The WCI Project Manager noticed that the price per unit seemed to be awfully high. We were able to introduce a new vendor who was able to save them $28,800/year at just 3 properties!
Make sure you’re not being overcharged for your valet waste services. They can be a huge profit center for valet companies - but you don’t have to fall victim to them.
Examine your contract, and get a feel for market rates. Reach out to other area multi-family residences and ask what they pay for valet services. This will give you a really good idea about whether your services are overcharging you.
(Or, reach out to us for a completely free waste audit! They make savings simple - and they’re guaranteed cash-flow positive.)
Complete a Utility Audit
As successful as most utility audits are, it’s surprising how few companies know about them!
Consider the odds of winning the lottery - typically, there’s a one in a million chance. But if you know that your odds were better, wouldn’t you go buy one? What if your odds were 80% or higher?
This is exactly the opportunity a utility audit offers you. We find savings on utilities 80% of the time - and if we don’t find anything, you’re not charged a dime. I like to tell people that our audits minimize your resources and maximize your savings potential.
How exactly? Our audits work: we typically find savings through tax exemptions, rate adjustments, and eliminating unused meters.
A utility audit is the best way to know that you’re taking advantage of every savings opportunity available to you.
Stop overspending today!
We typically find that multifamily property managers have problems they don’t even know about. These problems typically cost thousands of dollars every year. And most of them are completely avoidable.
Make sure your waste contract is airtight. Ensure it eliminates or regulated price spikes!
Make sure you’re getting fair pricing for valet services. This is a huge savings bucket that companies typically ignore.
Make sure your utilities are under control! So many companies nationwide overspend. And they don’t have to.
Our risk free waste and utilities audits are tailored to your industry and your time constraints.
Why not reach out today? We’d love to show you your unseen savings opportunities - and how you can start taking advantage of them!
Have you ever heard of a waste or utility audit? What other questions do you have about them? Let me know in the comments below!
What to Do When Everything Goes Wrong with Your Valet Services
What happens when your valet services go wrong?
Valet services are a great idea, right? There are very few people in the world who actually enjoy taking out the trash - and valet services are a perfect solution.
But what happens when your valet services go wrong? What if your porter doesn’t show up? Or if he leaves garbage strewn all the way to the dumpster? What happens when this vital part of your waste management is in crisis?
It doesn’t happen a lot. We work with several really wonderful valet service providers.Their porters come on time and get the job done - and do it well.
But when problems do arise, it’s a major pain.
One of our clients just recently asked for help for this exact issue.
Valet Waste Service: The Problem
First, they had issues with having quality services. Frankly, it was gross - they were leaving streaks down the hallways, which I think we can all agree is really less than ideal.
Maintenance ended up having to hose down the hallways. This successfully cleaned up the mess, but it also damaged the lights on the floors below. They had to be replaced - and it wasn’t a cheap fix.
Once we found out this happened, we reached out to the service provider and secured a $4,000 credit for their account.
But the issues didn’t stop.
The valet porter stopped showing up, and the new one either couldn’t figure out how to operate the compactor, or kept missing pick-up in entire buildings.
The Solution
After going through three porters in about as many months, we decided enough was enough. Residents were complaining and the employees on-site had resorted to picking up the garbage themselves! The valet “services” were anything but good service.
We found them a new valet service that we knew was dependable, and are in the process of ensuring a smooth transition.
When things go wrong with your waste management, you need to have recourse. You need someone who knows the market and who will have your back when problems arise.
Resolving valet services issues are just one way we serve our multi-family clients. You don’t have to troubleshoot valet waste problems on your own! You can have reliable, experienced help on your team.
Do you have valet services at your locations? Have you run into any waste service issues in the past? Sound off in the comments below! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
3 Steps to Getting an Airtight Valet Contract
What if I told you that ten minutes of your time could yield thousands of dollars in savings?
What if I told you that ten minutes of your time could yield thousands of dollars in savings?
Sounds crazy, right?
It’s not actually as crazy as it might seem. By spending just a little time evaluating the long-term efficacy of your valet service contract, you may very well find some ways to save.
Sound intimidating? It doesn’t have to be! We’ve broken it down step by step below for you.
The only thing between you and savings is time - and just a little bit of knowledge.
Let’s look at the process of evaluating your contract.
Know what a good one looks like (and a bad one!)
Evaluate contract specifics: service levels, service provisions, rate stipulations, and terms.
Figure out the next steps: renegotiate the contract or get a new provider.
Ready? Let’s dive in together!
Know What a Good Contract Looks Like
Most people don’t really know what a good contract includes. A good contract is one that has terms that are fair to the client as well as the vendor.
Good valet contracts:
Limit price spikes
Have accurate service levels
Are easy to cancel
Have provisions for poor service
If you have a good contract, a lot of your problems will be addressed before they even begin. A good contract can’t prevent issues, but they can give you immediate recourse.
A bad contract is, of course, less than ideal. It won’t protect you from increased charges. The service levels listed in it won’t reflect your actual needs, and the contract itself will be really, really difficult to cancel. And - you won’t have recourse for when your valet porters don’t service entire buildings. (Yes, this has really happened before!)
Evaluate your Contract
Pull out your contract - it’s likely just a few pages long. Take a look at the term length, your service levels, and your termination specifications.
Take a few moments and ask yourself these questions.
Are my service levels aligned with my needs?
Consider if your current service level is really what you need. Do you residents enjoy having their trash picked up three days a week? They might like having it picked up five days a week.
Are price hikes capped or eliminated?
If there isn’t language in your contract that wards off price spikes, you’ll almost definitely get them. A $20 increase here or there may not seem like much, but it’s vital to remember that increases accrue over time. $20 hikes over the term of a contract can result in thousands of dollars in overspending. And it can all be prevented by just a few lines in your contract!
Do my rates reflect the market value?
If your rates are too high, you may be getting overpriced services. You could likely be getting the same services for less - in some cases, much less! When we recommend switching valet services, we calculate your contract buyout fee versus the amount you’ll save with a cheaper service.
But having rates that are too low can be an issue, too! As I write this, we are in the middle of an issue with one of our valet providers. Their rates are below market prices - but their services leave something to be desired. So we’re bid to other providers. Paying bottom dollar isn’t ideal if you’re not receiving quality service.
Call around to a few other providers to get a feel for what they typically charge for their services.
How easy is it to get out of my contract?
Termination processes may differ from vendor to vendor, but many have a clause similar to this:
All that fine print boils down to this: to cancel the contract, the company that employs this vendor must send a written letter of termination via certified mail 90 days prior to the end of the term. It’s not as simple as walking away.
Are there provisions for poor service?
What will happen when a valet porter “forgets” to service entire buildings? Or when they leave a trail of garbage down the halls? You want to make sure that you have recourse if service issues happen. We typically recommend that you ask for an invoice credit if service doesn’t happen as it should. And if there are enough issues, you need to have grounds to terminate the contract.
Know What You Want to Change About Your Current Contract
Make a list of things you want to change about your current contract. Some of these things may include:
Service levels - the number of pick-ups made by the hauler per week
Term - the length of the contract
Fee Caps - language that limits or eliminates ancillary fees.
Auto-renewal - cancelling your auto renewal puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to whom you entrust your valet services.
Now, prioritize that list. You have to be prepared to not get everything you want - especially if you’re trying to renegotiate in the middle of a term. Having clear top priorities will help you let smaller issues go, if need be.
Make Changes to Your Valet Contract
If you decide to make changes, you can go one of two routes:
Renegotiating Your Contract - Some companies don’t need to get out of their contract completely; they just need different terms or different service levels. Other companies may not financially be able to exit their contract. Either way, for a lot of companies, renegotiating their contract makes financial sense.
Finding a New Hauler/Getting a New Contract - Some companies, on the other hand, find that it makes more financial sense to exit their contract, and pay out for the remainder. If you find yourself in this spot, send out bids to other area haulers and see if someone else can provide better levels of services.
Make Sure Your Valet Contract Protects Your Interests
Go the extra mile with your contract, and you could see big returns. If you evaluate your current contract, determine to fix its gaps, and implement changes, you’re securing a better financial position for your company for years to come.
But you’re also doing more than that. You’re setting yourself up for peace of mind. So often, when things go wrong with a vendor or service provider, it’s because the right preventative measures weren’t put in place. When issues do arise, you have recourse.
Set yourself up for success! Take a look at your contract - and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
What other questions do you have about valet contracts? Curious about their typical length? Not sure what changes you should make? Let me know what you’re thinking in the comments below!
How Valet Services Overcharge You - And What to Do About It!
Is your vendor overcharging you? How would you know if they were?
Let’s face it, no one likes taking out the trash, right?
In the past few years, valet services have become increasingly popular. No longer do multifamily residents have to haul their own trash to the dumpsters - they can just leave it outside their door! A valet employee collects it and disposes of it. Sounds dreamy, right?
Trash valet services are a fantastic amenity to offer to your residents. But they aren’t always fantastic when it comes to pricing.
As with so many other areas of the waste industry, vendors will often increase prices because they can - or charge fees way above market level!
How can you make sure this doesn’t happen to you?
In this post, we’ll go what valet services are, some ways you might be overcharged, and what you can do to prevent overspending.
Psst! Ever wonder why you should care about waste in the first place?
What exactly is Trash Valet Service?
Valet services are a really fancy way of saying “doorstep trash pick-up.” In most situations, it happens exactly as is described above. Residents leave trash outside their door, and a valet employee picks it up and disposes of it.
Different locations will have different frequency needs. Some will only offer valet waste once a week; others offer it every day during the week.
Most vendors will service your location at night so that your residents aren’t disturbed - and so they have time to place their trash outside their door.
How You’re Overcharged for Valet Waste Services
Your trash pick-up provider can be sneaky - just like waste haulers, unfortunately! In fact, valet services are one of the top ways that multi-family complexes overpay on their waste expenses.
Providers often overcharge you because they think they can. Most multi-family management companies don’t evaluate the valet invoices they receive, or they just don’t know how to ensure their contract is in their best interest.
What you don’t know can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over time - but it doesn’t have to!
Your rates may suddenly increase. Every so often, you’ll see an uptick in the rates listed on your invoice. It can be as little as 5%, but it can also be much more. But even a 5% increase compacts over time! If you’re charged an extra $20 each month, during the term of your contract you may overpay by hundreds of dollars.
Rates can increase as much as 1-2 times a year! Your fees can raise whenever your vendor feels like it. Not all vendors will take advantage of this - but some undoubtedly will.
We recently worked with a multifamily developer/manager who offered valet services at their properties. The WCI Project Manager noticed that the price per unit seemed to be awfully high. We were able to introduce a new vendor who was able to save them $28,800/year at just 3 properties!
Rate increases compound over time. Before you know it, you may be significantly overpaying.
Because there’s so little information out there about valet services and how they do what they do, you may think it’s normal. Or even something that you should expect.
But just because everyone else is paying at these rates doesn’t mean you have to as well.
Make Your Waste Valet Contract Airtight
The two best ways to prevent overpaying? Get a feel for the market, and then evaluate your contract.
Find out:
What are other area trash valet services are charging? Get at least one or two estimates.
What are other area multi-family complexes being charged? Get in touch with a contact, or just make a cold call - you’d be surprised how far a friendly voice and cheerful attitude can get you!
Then, take a good hard look at your contract and answer the following questions:
Are price hikes capped or eliminated?
Are rates locked in?
How easy is it to get out of my contract?
Are there provisions for poor service?
It can be expensive to stay in a bad contract - or have continual service issues with no recourse!
In the end, you may need to weigh your options. If you have a terrible valet service provider who is not interested in lowering their prices, it may be worth it to break your contract and get a cheaper service provider.
Protect your bottom line!
Fix your valet contract, and you’ll not only prevent overspending - you’ll know how to budget for years to come because you’ll have fixed rates.
You can have peace of mind knowing that you’re not going to be trapped into paying outrageous prices. And you’ll have a contract to protect your best interests.
Don’t wait until a price spike hits to worry about your valet services!
Do you use valet services at your multi-family property? Thinking about getting them at some point in the future? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Top Three Ways Multifamily Properties Can Save
How much could you save if you did these three things? Hundreds? Thousands?
The waste disposal at multi-family properties can be mind-numbingly complicated. There are so many locations - and often just as many haulers.
So we’ve compiled the top three ways that multifamily properties can save.
This is no simple list. These are actionable steps that we’ve taken at hundreds of properties nationwide. These three things have saved companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. So we know they work - and that they’ll work for you.
Here are the top three ways you can save are:
Get an airtight waste contract
Review your valet services
Do a utility audit
I can’t overstate how critical all three of these are to your bottom line. We typically save 20-40% on waste disposal expenses - when you add in utility audits, those savings can double.
We don’t want you to leave any savings opportunities on the table! Let’s take a deep dive into each of these ways to save.
Get an airtight waste contract
When it comes to your waste expenses, an airtight waste contract is the very best way to prevent overspending - and waste issues!
A good waste contract will:
Prevent price spikes
Have great service provisions
Prevent fee charges
Is easy to cancel
Has appropriate service levels
When you contract has these provisions, you’ll have recourse. When you find a price spike, you can successfully fight it - and get a credit. When your hauler starts charging ancillary fees, you can likewise get a credit. And if the quality of their service levels start dipping, you can keep them in line. (A bad contract can be such an expensive mistake!)
Your contract represents an enormous savings opportunity. Don’t overlook yours.
Review your valet waste services
Valet services are an often overlooked way to save. When we complete a waste audit for multi-family clients, we always look at the valet services.
Valet services is a fancy term for door-to-door trash pick-up. Valet service will pick up garbage bags outside the residents door and dispose of it for them. It’s a fantastic benefit to offer residents because, let’s face it, no one loves taking the trash out. But valet services are often overpriced!
Let me give you an example.
We recently worked with a multifamily developer/manager who offered valet services at their properties. The WCI Project Manager noticed that the price per unit seemed to be awfully high. We were able to introduce a new vendor who was able to save them $28,800/year at just 3 properties!
Make sure you’re not being overcharged for your valet waste services. They can be a huge profit center for valet companies - but you don’t have to fall victim to them.
Examine your contract, and get a feel for market rates. Reach out to other area multi-family residences and ask what they pay for valet services. This will give you a really good idea about whether your services are overcharging you.
(Or, reach out to us for a completely free waste audit! They make savings simple - and they’re guaranteed cash-flow positive.)
Complete a Utility Audit
As successful as most utility audits are, it’s surprising how few companies know about them!
Consider the odds of winning the lottery - typically, there’s a one in a million chance. But if you know that your odds were better, wouldn’t you go buy one? What if your odds were 80% or higher?
This is exactly the opportunity a utility audit offers you. We find savings on utilities 80% of the time - and if we don’t find anything, you’re not charged a dime. I like to tell people that our audits minimize your resources and maximize your savings potential.
How exactly? Our audits work: we typically find savings through tax exemptions, rate adjustments, and eliminating unused meters.
A utility audit is the best way to know that you’re taking advantage of every savings opportunity available to you.
Stop overspending today!
We typically find that multifamily property managers have problems they don’t even know about. These problems typically cost thousands of dollars every year. And most of them are completely avoidable.
Make sure your waste contract is airtight. Ensure it eliminates or regulated price spikes!
Make sure you’re getting fair pricing for valet services. This is a huge savings bucket that companies typically ignore.
Make sure your utilities are under control! So many companies nationwide overspend. And they don’t have to.
Our risk free waste and utilities audits are tailored to your industry and your time constraints.
Why not reach out today? We’d love to show you your unseen savings opportunities - and how you can start taking advantage of them!