I was somewhat surprised this week to find that our refuse had been collected on the day that for years we have been used to it happening. Over the past couple of weeks, if not months, it seems to have taken a rather random pattern. I took the time to investigate what exactly has been going on and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.
Those who seek transparency and every effort being made to not only deliver service but to also correct errors should consider applauding Pikitup. A few calls revealed that Pikitup was experiencing an unusually high number of trucks requiring maintenance coupled with a delay in delivering the new trucks they had expected.
That's a run of bad luck that could hit any Company. To their credit, they didn't hide the problem and they did do all they could to address the issue. Whereas they did not work around the clock, they have been working through the entire week, making rounds on weekends to try and "catch up" and resume normal service. For me that's worthy of applause, and certainly an approach that various other public service areas could follow the example of.
Their website is also superb. Unlike certain other official ones, it is a piece of cake to navigate and find what you need, is clearly updated regularly and makes the effort of putting the important points, like where delays are anticipated and what you should do in such a case, right there as the first thing you see when you open the site. Most helpful.
The answer could well be "money", but you have to ask how Pikitup motivate their staff to work like this - it is, after all, a pretty thankless and undesirable job. However they get their staff to share a vision of getting something right, well done.
Going on a previous article of mine, I have no doubt that, should anyone take the time to comment, I will be reminded of the strike they went on not so long ago. I dare say there are tales of arguments about things like where and when the Pikitup workers leave bins, and of course how some solicit "Christmas Boxes" during December. Not for one moment do I say all is perfect with Pikitup, but I do say they are clearly and visibly striving to be perfect with what they do and it seems to be working. Can you ask for more?
I am sure others see the first part of my post as a nuisance. I wonder if they will change their mind in the light of what I discovered in regards of why they had delays.
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