You just got a call from the property manager of the newly-constructed apartment complex about a meeting for your valet trash services. This is great news! You will have so much to put together before the meeting takes place like drawing up a proposal that covers the rate the complex will be charged. But, how do you determine your valet trash pickup cost?
Here are some little-known ways to determine a valet trash pickup cost that you may not have considered before.
Property and Buildings
Your valet trash pickup cost will not be the same for each complex, even if they are with the same property management company. Properties and buildings are unique in layout size, structure, and location, therefore charges will vary as well. Take these differences into consideration before creating your valet trash proposal.
Number of Units
One complex may have only 40 units where another may have 140. Clearly, the larger the number of units, the larger the plan will be to facilitate your valet trash removal and schedule. If the number of doorsteps is large, you may need to plan to service around the number of valets you will have to put on the job and perhaps scheduling changes like rotating different nights of service. Or, maybe the larger amount of units will require more use of your service vehicle or a longer time allotted for cleaning around the dumpsters.
Number of Stories
Sending your valets up and down three stories of units will take more effort and time than it would to send them to a senior community that has ground-level garden apartments. The ease of service between these two scenarios is at either end of the spectrum and should be billed accordingly.
Other Considerations
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- Number and location of dumpsters
- Service elevator availability
- Stairs
- Indoor/ Covered Units or Outside Entrances
- Obstacles Unique to the Specific Complex
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Offer Extra Services
Don’t underestimate the power of offering add-on services to your clients. Options to offer the property managers could be smaller tasks that your valets could easily implement while they are on site. Examples could be pet waste station management, simple doorstep light bulb replacement (since they will be there in the evening, the evidence of a burned-out bulb would be easy to spot), common area cleaning such as sweeping, trash can or recycling bin emptying. Having a flat-rate for these services will make it easy to prepare a cost for the client if they are interested.
Add-On Services
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- Patio or poolside power washing
- Common area trash/recycling can management
- Pet waste station management
- Flyering services
- Small deliveries
- Providing valet waste trash bags in-office
- Dumpster area cleaning
- Maintenance checks
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Don’t limit the extras your valets can accomplish while they are on site. If you notice a service that residents or property managers would benefit from, create it! Having knowledge about your clients shows that you have taken the time to understand and meet their needs.
Check out the Competition
Don’t underestimate the power of competition. It won’t be difficult to do sufficient research to determine your competitor’s rate or what they charge for certain services. Don’t forget about those valet trash add-on services that your company offers that the competitor doesn’t. This is all part of marketing your valet trash business and selling your services with a competitive edge. Understanding what your competition charges for the same or similar services will help you determine your trash valet service cost. It will then be up to you, the valet trash contractor, to decide just how competitive you will be.
When you take the time to consider different aspects of the complexes you service, how your employees fit into the job, and the benefits your particular company can provide the client, you won’t have any trouble sealing the deal. Above all, be knowledgeable about what it takes to deliver the best valet trash services and determining valet trash pickup cost will be easy to do.
