Coastal Waste Services article misleading

Unfortunately we find it necessary to respond to the article written on February 21, 2008. This article contains incorrect and incomplete information.

To the editor:
This has cast an unjustified negative light on Coastal Waste Services.

We of Coastal Waste Services take great pride in our work and performance on a daily basis. It is our understanding that the alleged 7,100 calls to the contract monitor was all waste related calls. However, some were from new residents requesting a cart for delivery, some for collection dates, some for cart repairs and/or replacement and possibly some for  a miss pick up.

Coastal Waste Services provided 1.9 million services to the citizens of St. Charles Parish last year with only 7,100 calls for various reasons listed. This would constitute a better than 99% success rate even if every one of the 7,100 alleged calls were complaints and none for service information. Can any company boast of a better success rate?
Additionally, Coastal Waste Services provides many services every collection day that exceeds the  contract requirements with no additional compensation. Most of this dialog is the result of having to service 10 years plus old trash carts the parish owns.

Please know at the start of our contract we suggested and offered to replace every cart in the parish with a new uniform cart for 68 cents per month per resident. This would virtually remove all calls for repair. However, the former council and administration chose not to do so and we respect that decision. We feel if this was a serious enough issue that could possibly result in a fine or indicate a possible failure of service that Coastal Waste Service at some point would have received some sort of notice from the contract monitor in the form of a phone call, e-mail, written correspondence or conference request.

To our knowledge none of the above has occurred. We have only received routine service requests from the assistants monitor and/or staff to our field personnel to our knowledge.

We value every customer we have and service them with that commitment. May we just add that Coastal Waste Services has never had a service related fine from any customers at any time in it’s history for service.

We stand now as always ready to meet with any committee or individual regarding this or any other matter.

Coastal Waste Services