The Leon County Commission received a status report at the July 14 meeting on Waste Pro, the waste collection vendor for approximately 27,200 residents of unincorporated Leon County. The status report, provided by staff, addressed improvements to Waste Pro’s service and included data on Waste Pro’s yearly customer complaints and liquidated damages.
According to the report, Waste Pro received 25,138 total customer complaints in 2019 and has received 8,967 so far in 2020.
The County also levies liquidated damages to assess complaints. According to the report, $201,780 in liquidated damages were levied in 2019 and $11,085 to date in 2020.
“The liquidated damages for 2020 have dramatically decreased in comparison to 2019, with a monthly average of approximately $1,600 versus $16,000 respectively,” staff reports. “This change, in large part, is indicative of the enhanced efforts from Waste Pro management.”
According to the report, new efforts from Waste Pro include adding a position for handling yard debris and bulky items. Waste Pro has also added new hose assemblies to hydraulic systems to reduce leaks and established daily mechanical checks.
Additionally, staff reports, “Due to customer concerns about environmental impacts of hydraulic fluid, Waste Pro has shifted to a biodegradable option. Waste Pro addresses most leaks through a chemical treatment which is sprayed from a manual pressure pump. At the direction of the County, the Company maintains an inventory of the chemical to avoid delays in restocking and being able to timely address leaks.”
According to the report, a crew will be available to respond to spills immediately when they occur.
Leon County Report Shows Waste Pro Customer Service Improvements added by Lexie Pitzen on
View all posts by Lexie Pitzen →
Update. Finally situation of missed waste/garbage pick up resolved satisfactorily. After all I went through as described in my previous comment I called this afternoon 10/27,/2022, an employee at the city, in Tallahassee, I dealt with before, described again all I went through since Monday 10/24/ and this time, things worked out good. The operational Manager of Waste -Pro came in person, and took care of the situation right there. He was super nice, and I greatly appreciate his help. I explained to him all I went through, he listened very attentively., was very cooperative and professional, So, I am very pleased. Then, later on, on another Waste Pro employee came with the Waste- Pro truck, and I told him the situation has been resolved He was also very nice and professional. Then the city employee I had talked to in the afternoon, called me shortly after the Waste-Pro Operational manager, came to resolve the issues, and followed up very nicely to make sure everything was okey now. I thanked her a lot as well as the Waste-Pro Employees.
So, based on this experience of today, I am now very pleased with Waste-Pro and the city employee who was able to address the situation satisfactolrily.
Terrible problems with Waste-Pro, /City in Tallahassee, residential .I am on helping hands service, and on Pick up day, which is Monday, I10/24/ 2022 I noticed that my garbage can container , full of trash had not been put In the street. Waste-Pro truck came past my house, did not stop , and picked up everybody else trash on the street.
I had to make endless calls to supervisor, city employees, and was assured that on Monday, Waste Pro will pick up the garbage by 6.00 pm.They did not show up.On Tuesday, had to make endless calls again to supervisor, other city employees, was assured again, that Waste-Pro will pick up the garbage at my residence on Tuesday Otober 25th 2022..Waste-Pro did not show up.
On Wednesday 10/26/2022, Had to make again endless calls, to supervisor, other city employees, was assured again, that garbage will be picked up on Wenesday. Waste-pros did not show up
Had to make again, endless calls to the city, and was assured garbage will be picked up on Thursday. I even filled out an online form of Missed garbage pick up.I have been verbally assured by city employee it will be picked up on Thursday 10/27/2022.
Will see what will happen. I don’t believe Waste -Pros will pick it up. The garbage can is full, it is overflowing, I do not know where to put the additional garbage ! It is extremely upsetting. Had to contact supervisor again, to day, left messages on his phone. He knows full well the situation the stress it causes in my life, and still seem to be unable to get results with Waste-Pros. Looks like tremendous amount of lack of communication, training of new employees …etc at Waste -Pros!
I am concerned now, that Waste Pros might not pick up at all the garbage can this coming Monday 10/31/2022! due to obvious lack or coordination, communication, instructions,..etc.Supervisor, city employees know about the situation. They have send many messages to city Supervisor about the situation …
Also for over a year, when employees of Waste-Pros bring the garbage containers down to the street, as they are supposed to do , under Helping hands service, they invariably put the containers on my driveway thus blocking my driveway, or by the mailbox, thus blocking access to the mailman to deliver my mail. For more than a year the City supervisor handling issues with Waste-Pros has been trying to resolve this, “blocking” issue and still the problem continues.
This is totally unacceptable ! No one should be subjected to this especially, elderly, handicapped people on Helping Hands Service. The situation must improve , be resolves or else, do not renew contract with Waste-Pros !, It’s got to be a better company somewhere else!
So far, the only complaint I have is that I have to call every time I have Yard Waste or other waste I need picked up since their Trucks stop at my House every Wednesday for Garbage and Recycle and their Yard Waste Trucks drives by my House also every Wednesday but only stops if it is on the list, same for the Saturday Truck. I called the last several times and they came and took my Piles but left my Neighbors Pile, which is just 20 feet away, because he didn’t call.
I have no problems with my services from Waste Pro. Guess I am lucky.
I still have a problem with the City of Tallahassee after negotiations for a price reduction from Waste Pro that the City kept the savings never passing it on to you. Leon County passed the savings back to residents.
(if you use that handy search tool on the top of this page and provide the term ‘waste pro’, you may be shocked at the value of TR)
The county would like to have you believe they passed the savings on to us, but they did not… what they did is they are “under servicing” the county residents, so I would rather the rates would have stayed the same and get better service than get a slightly lower rate and get the most horrendous service ever.
Lets do a little simple math:
In 2019 – 25138 complaints divided into 27200 customers = a 92.4% complaint rate. 92.4% let that sink in and stew and brew in your brain for a bit.
OK lets put some simple math on 2020:
8967 ÷ 27200 = a 33% complaint rate and the year is just 28 days past 1/2 over.
The headline and the happy words in the above article do not reflect a 92.4% 2019 and a 33% 2020 complaint rate on a per customer average.
And I hate to be nit picking here: but in my estimate only 0.001% of the 27200 beleaguered and disrespected customers know or even would care if they did know about the hydraulic fluid issue.
I have seen a Waste Pro Truck broken-down on Capital Circle and at another end of Capital Circle I saw a tow truck towing another Waste Pro Truck.
I have observed the Waste Pro debris truck drive by debris piles ignoring the debris piles.
I have observed the Waste Pro waste truck pick up big containers with its claw only to release them in the waste truck and driving away leaving the customer without their container.
I have witnessed Waste Pro trying to blame debris piles on tree companies and Talquin.
The County Commissioners did the worst negotiation in the history of negotiations on this Waste Pro contract.
When we learned that Scott Maddox and Gary Yordon were involved in this fiasco the foolishness all made sense.
Someone should notify Waste Pro’s accounting department they can stop the $10,000. automatic monthly payments to Scott and Paige’s company “Governance”.
Wow there’s another $10,000. Waste Pro can use to improve Customer Service. That is an impressive $120,000. per year!!!
You are welcome.
They have sprayed the chemical all over the East side roadways. It seems to work but what is the chemical and what does it do to people,pets, and the environment?
Hopefully it’s not worse than the hydraulic fluid on the roads.