People come first: How SunSkips’ focus on the personal touch grew the business

Skip hire is not usually the first industry that springs to mind when talking about friendly staff and great customer service – but SunSkips decided to change that perception from the very beginning.

As a business that launched during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, founder Mathew Stewart knew that making the team feel safe and customers feel valued was not only going to help the company survive, but to thrive.

Now, almost two years on, we thought we’d take a look back at the people and community that have made SunSkips the successful business it is today…

The reviews are in!

The first step to knowing how well you’re doing as a business is to listen to what your customers are saying about you.

“I’m really keen to read all the new reviews coming in,” explained SunSkips general manager Tim Reinman. “If it’s not a five-star review, I’ll want to know what happened and what we can do to make it better.”

Fortunately, things are looking good on the review front. According to Google My Business, clients are reporting that they were especially happy with SunSkips’ punctuality, responsiveness, value for money and quality of service.

A snapshot of SunSkips’ Google My Business page

“Great customer service is the most important thing. People buy from people, so if you’ve got the right people in place, that’s the key to success,” Tim continued.

“It’s essential that our customers and the community trust us.”

MORE: SunSkips welcomes new general manager Tim Reinman!

And it’s exactly Tim’s sentiment that drives SunSkips to hire the best and brightest team members as the company continues to grow across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire…

‘A really good atmosphere’

SunSkips is a company that truly understands that a business is only as good as the people that work there.

For example, it was clear that to attract the best lorry drivers during such a massive shortage in the UK, the only answer was to offer salaries that reflect such a tough job.

And then Sophie Marshall came along…

“We’re getting loads of compliments about Sophie from customers,” beamed Mathew, proudly. “She’s polite, helpful and always turns up with a smile on her face.

“Sophie is a perfect example of the kind of driver we want to hire at SunSkips.”

MORE: ‘Queen of the Road’ Sophie rides high as SunSkips’ newest driver

The friendly attitude and professionalism of drivers like Sophie are clearly what lead to clients returning to SunSkips time and again (because they tell us as much) and why the company continues to invest in people.

In fact, it’s that same positive spirit that creates a good working environment to keep staff motivated behind the scenes as well.

“We have a really good atmosphere at SunSkips,” says commercial account manager Rob Neal. “The people in the office are what keep you going.”

But on top of having a good rapport with his colleagues, Rob also loves getting out into Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to talk to the people SunSkips serves. It’s a great way to connect with customers and learn what they really want from a waste management company. And he’s not the only one who thinks so…

Helpful and friendly

It probably goes without saying that a lot of people coming to SunSkips for help with their waste disposal haven’t hired a skip before.

And while we post lots of useful information on our website to help demystify the process…

• Skip hire basics: what you need to know before you hire a skip
• Skip size guide: What size skip do you need for your project?
• Skip hire permits: Why you need one and how to avoid the paperwork
• What can’t you put in a skip?: A UK skip hire guide

…we’re also always on the other end of the phone to clear up any doubts.

“It’s nice that I’m able to slowly talk customers through it and make sure they’re getting the right skip for what they want,” said commercial sales team member Anita Butters. “I’d hate for someone to hire something that was too big or not big enough!”

MORE: Meet Anita from the SunSkips commercial sales team!

“For women in particular, I think it’s nice to speak to another woman when you’re hiring a skip for the first time,” Anita added. “That’s why I love that SunSkips has a strong female presence, both in the office and out driving the lorries.”

From talking to so many people across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, it’s clear there are a lot of people that value the personal touch, which is why SunSkips team members like Anita are so valuable to the business.

“Actually knowing you’ve made a person smile on the other end of the phone feels really special,” Anita explained. “It lets me know I’ve done a good job and helped another person the best I can.”

So it’s clear that SunSkips invests heavily in both the drivers we send out to deliver skips and the sales team that answer the phones, but the people-centric approach doesn’t stop there…

‘Welcome to SunSkips!’

As SunSkips has a lot of clients bringing their waste to us directly at our sites in Stowmarket, Cottenham and soon Haverhill, the personal touch needs to be present onsite as well.

In fact, that’s something Lewis Clarke, owner of LRC Environmental Ltd, highlighted during his first trip to SunSkips.

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: LRC Environmental loves a clean skip yard (and friendly staff)

“Last time I was there, we had a laugh and tried to guess the weight of the insulation I was dropping off before it was weighed.”

And sometimes, having great people working onsite means far more than keeping customers happy – it can actually save lives…

Hero

Not everyone would have heard the cries for help, fewer still would have taken action, but when Rory Finn pulled a tiny kitten from under a pile of waste at Stowmarket, the whole county soon learned about the kind of people SunSkips is made of.

Rory – who went on to adopt the kitten (who he named Sunny, of course) – was interviewed by BBC Radio Suffolk and his story was featured in both the East Anglian Daily Times and Skip Hire Magazine.

MORE: SunSkips driver rescues trapped kitten

“Sunny’s definitely found a family that will take care of her forever,” said Rory.

And when the SunSkips team aren’t busy rescuing kittens, they’re pretty keen to help out in the community in other ways…

Community spirit

In October last year, the whole SunSkips team came into the office wearing pink to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Drivers even delivered pink skips all over East Anglia to further spread support and raised £775 for Cancer Research UK.

Mathew said, “It was really well received in the community. Loads of people stopped to comment on the pink skips.”

MORE: SunSkips raises £775 for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

SunSkips also decided to do a good deed for the day by donating a skip to the 2nd Cottenham Scout Group for their clear-out.

MORE: SunSkips helps Cottenham Scouts be prepared for a sustainable clear-out

“Thank you very much, SunSkips! It’s much appreciated. We’re normally running on quite a tight budget,“ scout leader Rebecca Bell said.

People matter

Good quality containers, simple online booking systems and environmentally friendly waste management practices should be part of any good skip hire company.

But at SunSkips, we’re adamant that without great people behind it all, it’s tough to grow at the rate we’re currently seeing.

With a new Haverhill skip hire site on the horizon (opening June 2022), we’ll continue to recruit people that understand the value of customer service and what makes SunSkips such a great company to work for.

Looking to hire a skip hire company that treats its clients and staff with the warmness, professionalism and respect they deserve? Call SunSkips today or book your skip online.