Dive Brief:

• Republic Services has opened its third and final customer resource center in Chandler, AZ, completing an approximately $20 million restructuring of a system which used to include more than 100 locations.
• The 72,000-square-foot facility currently employs 120 people and 280 more will be hired over the next year. Republic is headquartered in Arizona and employs more than 1,500 people statewide.
• The other two calls centers also opened this year. One is in Indianapolis, IN and the other is in Charlotte, NC.

Dive Insight:

The focus on customer service has grown industrywide as companies have attempted to increase consumer awareness, education and care toward waste management. Republic's new customer resource centers are part of a larger reorganization announced by the company in January which also consolidated its service districts for an estimated $25 million in annual savings. Republic says this more centralized approach will help better serve its 14 million customers by allowing them to communicate with the company "how and when they prefer."

In an industry that works 24 hours a day, accessibility is important and other companies have also been looking at ways to improve their customer relations. As GPS technology has improved in recent years it has now become possible to track trucks more closely and address customer needs in real time. This is especially important during inclement weather, service changes or transitions between companies and is starting to be viewed as a requirement in major cities.