TrashCanBossPro Blog — Tech App

Skipping a Stop When the Cans Are Still Full or Already Put Away

Every bin cleaning company has the same two problems on the route. The garbage truck is running late, so the cans are still full. Or the homeowner rolled the cans back into the garage at lunch, so there is nothing at the curb. Neither one is the tech's fault. Both turn into complaints if they are handled badly.

Photos First, Then Skip

Photos are covered in Before-and-After Photos: Proof of Every Clean Trash Can. On a skip, a photo is the most important thing the tech does, because it shows what the tech found when nobody else was there.

The routine is short: take a photo, tap Skip, write a note about why. It takes less than a minute, and it turns a missed stop into something the office can fix.

When the Cans Are Still Full

The card says “Trash day Tue” and it is Tuesday afternoon, but the cans are full. That usually means the city truck is behind. The tech has a few options:

• Check the street. If the neighbors' cans are full too, the truck has not come through yet. If only this customer's cans are full, they may have missed the pickup.
• Move on and come back. If the stop is near the end of the route and the truck is likely to pass soon, a quick text to the office can move the stop later in the day.
• Skip with a note. If the truck is not coming today, skip it: “Cans still full at 2:15, truck not through yet, neighbors full too.”

Never try to wash a full can or dump trash to make the stop work. That creates a mess, a liability and an angry customer.

When the Cans Are Already Put Away

The cans were emptied this morning, and by the time the trailer arrives they are back in the garage or behind a fence. Before skipping, the tech should check the can location notes. Some customers want their cans cleaned where they are stored, and the note will say so. Others leave a side door open on cleaning day.

If the note says the cans should be at the curb and they are not, take a photo of the empty curb and tap Skip with a note: “Cans put away, garage closed, no access.” Do not go into a garage or back yard that the notes do not cover.

What a Good Skip Note Says

A skip note should answer two questions for the office: what did you find, and is there anything they should know?

• “Cans still full at 1:40. Truck not through.”
• “Cans back in garage. Customer car gone.”
• “Only one of two trash cans at curb. Cleaned none, check with customer.”
• “Recycling can cracked down the side. Did not clean, customer should replace.”

Short is fine. Vague is not. “Could not do” leaves the office guessing.

Partial stops deserve a word too. If only some of the cans are out, check the can location notes first. If the rest are not where the notes say, it is usually better to clean what is there, take a photo, and note what was missing than to skip the whole stop. Either way, write it down so the office can tell the customer exactly what happened.

What the Office Does Next

The office sees the skip with the note and the photo. From there it is a quick decision:

• Text the customer through two-way texting: “We came by today and your cans were still full. We'll be back tomorrow.”
• Move the stop to another day on the dispatch board, ideally the next day when the trailer is nearby.
• For repeat offenders, a reminder about leaving cans out on cleaning day.

Because the skip has a reason, the office does not have to call the tech to ask. And because there is a photo, the office can answer the customer with confidence.

Preventing Skips in the First Place

The best skip is the one that never happens. A few things cut skips down:

• Night-before reminders. Automated reminders like “we clean tomorrow, leave the cans out” go out by text and email.
• On-the-way and arrived texts. Customers who chose those alerts know the trailer is coming and leave the cans out. See Automatic On-the-Way Texts From the Bin Cleaning Tech's Phone.
• Routes built on trash day. Cleaning the afternoon of pickup, after the truck passes, means more cans are empty and still at the curb.
• Clear can location notes. Customers who always put cans away can tell you where, so the tech cleans them there.

Skip Smart, Not Silent

A skip with a photo and a note protects the tech, keeps the customer informed and gives the office what it needs to reschedule. A silent skip creates a complaint. For more on the tech's day, go back to the TrashCanBossPro trash can cleaning app page.