The execution however isn’t so simple. The professionals at 1-800-GOT-JUNK have the complex job of examining items, filling schedules, hauling things off, and disposing of them. Business texting has made this task far easier at 1-800-GOT-JUNK headquarters in more ways than one. “Operationally it's good for us,” Evan Kita, an operations manager at 1-800-GOT-JUNK, told Textline.

Why texting?

Before 1-800-GOT-JUNK found Textline they were relying on their website and phone calls to schedule customers and give them estimates. After adding Textline in July 2016 they gained the ability to have customers send photos of the junk they need to remove.
 
Using business texting with Textline allows them to do their jobs as precisely as possible and makes the whole process easier for those involved. “Our truck teams, they love being able to see what exactly they're gonna get into before they arrive,” Kita said. Customers can text a photo of the item they need hauled away and share their availability with the team to schedule a pickup time at their convenience. 

Approach

In addition to using Textline to help give estimates, schedule pickups, and planning, 1-800-GOT-JUNK operators also use other features the platform has to offer. The Announcements feature is a favorite that allows them to set out of office messages, that way customers know they aren’t being ignored and that they’ll get a response when the office is open again.

They also utilize the internal Whispers feature to communicate with the team creating a seamless interaction for the customers while coordinating behind the scenes in the office.

One of the best benefits of texting though is the fact that it gives customers choices. “It also allows a customer to choose how they want to communicate with us at their convenience, and if this is the easiest way for them we want to encourage them to use this texting channel,” Kita said. It’s good for customers too, and what’s good for customers ultimately ends up being good for business.

Results

Using texting in their scheduling and pickup has improved their operations. The process is quick, the median response time is under 90 seconds, and customers and the business only exchange an average of 14 messages covering price estimates, scheduling, and logistics. There are dozens of 1-800-GOT-JUNK agents working on Textline to improve their business on a daily basis.