Metro Snow & Ice Management

I'm always disappointed to hear long time client isn't happy. Obviously you were at the end of our route. 6 hours is a normal clearing time.
As per the 'competition', 'being there first', please understand that we also receive countless 'signups' from their clients because 'we get there faster' as a result of these competitors clients being 'at the beginning of our routes' and the 'ends of the competition route'.
As for the 'couldn't care leas' attitude, this is simply not true.
Sorry to see you go.
Ken

I'd be more then happy to speak with you or respond and discuss your concerns personally. Simply email us and put : for KEN
in the subject line.a
Without a name or dress here I can't be of much help.
Thanks for this.
Hope to hear from you.
KEN

Thanks for this. Touchplow was simply an option. Refund are always suggested right u- front if someone is not happy with our service during the first few storms out as Drivers adjust to their ever changing routes.
We apologize for your frustration and it's of course understandable. Since the many storms in the last 2 weeks or so many 'last minute' or 'late' signups could not possibly be 'staked' quickly enough to c;ear as we were busy clearing longstanding clients. We stopped accepting customers 2 weeks ago for this reason. A full refund of course will be quickly supplied.
It's suggested clients sign up by November 1st in the future to avoid problems and frustrations like this.
Many thanks
The Metro Team

Thanks for this Louise and my apologies if your were missed with plow-dumps. I sent a tractor through there again yesterday and we are heading out again tomorrow. I will monitor the tractor this storm on the GPS to insure you are not missed. I'm glad however you are getting the email updates and Tractor Alerts when your driver is near.
KEN

Just so we are clear, I AM the 'predecessor " of the company Appleseed. Change in name only after 25 years in business . As per 'berating' customers in an email? I received hundreds of positive emails back from clients in support of me clearly stating 'if you are 'rude' or 'aggressive ' with my staff your emails or calls will not be responded to. I will never apologize for 'backing up my staff' and protecting them from aggressive bullies or rude people. The $300 a person pays for snow clearing simply does not give them the right to treat others this way. I insist my staff be respectful and polite....and I expect the same from customers. Seems only fair.
The 'respect clause' is clearly stated on the front of the contract. We honor it and so should clients.
Thanks
Ken

Sorry to see this John.
Ive addressed this with both my driver and the Field Manager so you are not missed again.
Ken

Apologies of course for this.
Different companies clear routes in different directions and at different times. We clear first on some streets and last on others. Some people of course fall near the end of routes. This is the the same for my competition. Their customers complain to us of being last and vice versa. Basically, no company can clear ALL their driveways immediately.
There is no way here I can investigate where you are on your drivers route because no address is provided. If you email my office and put 'HomeStars-ken " in the subject line I will try to review your address.
Thanks for this.
Ken

Apologies for this Claude,
A few questions and maybe we can fix this quickly as I want you to continue to get the great service you've been receiving in past years.
Regarding walkway shovelling:
I sent an email out Saturday morning reminding all 'walkway customers' that we had well under the 4 cm threshold of snow thus we were not shovelling Saturday.
Did you receive this email and are you receiving all the notices we send to customers each storm?
Are you getting proper 'tractor alerts' when the tractor is near?
Anyway, I will look up your address today and review with the Area Manager and your driver to see what's happened the past week and timing and investigate for you.
Thanks for this.
Ken

I understand the frustration of every one these reviewers from this first snow event and will answer all these recent reviews from the last storm (the first 'big one' of the season) in a 'common response.
Every one of these reviews likely stems from the same issue:
A driveway not done for too long or quickly and/or 'lack of communication' from the office.
I will address both clearly and honestly below.
Of course after 25 yeas in business I cringe every time we get a poor review.
Not getting cleared in time: (affected 2 areas of 230 areas we service)
Firstly, we messed up on 2 of over 230 routes terribly and I fully own that and apologies for them being missed so late in the storm.
(Ive sent an open email to these areas apologizing as well yesterday and responded personally to at least 90% of emails received on this)
Okay, so here's where things got confused. At the last minute I rearranged some routes in order to get clients done faster and particularly on these 2 routes.
In our 'rush to get out clearing snow' these two Drivers did NOT receive these new Route Lists in there Tractors before heading out.
My mistake, myself and my office staff and Field Managers own this error and apologize for it. An expensive lesson learned for me and it won't happen again. It took quite a while to recognize these two routes weren't being addressed by a tractor.
Again, we apologies for the error.
Second issue: Communications
Almost all of the reviews come from 'first time customers' not used to using a snow service. That's fine as we sign up hundreds of new clients each fall and maybe this is an opportunity for education.
The last 6 weeks I have sent out countless emails to EVERY Metro customer new and old reminding them of the following communication policies:
1) We clearly state upfront and advise clients from the beginning 'we don't return phone calls during storms'. That quite simply is our policy.
Why?
Each storm our phones are 'jammed ' with new people trying to sign up just before and during a storm and as a result we can't always get back to our existing customers. This with over 15 Customer Service Reps there and a very expensive phone system in place.
Or
Frustrated newer clients call the office 5 or 10 times jamming up the phones and mailboxes with messages of 'when are you coming'.
( We DO sent you an Snow Alert Email before and during the storms advising timing AND the tractors even send you an alert when near you!)
No other company in Ottawa does these two things but Metro! Do people read them?
We would spend more time 'taking messages off' and never getting to the issues. It's like pressing the elevator button 10 times. Doesn't make it get there any faster.
2) We have an 'Email Service Issue Ticket" system that works very efficiently and promote and encourage people to use it. Once only!
By one reviewers own admission...."I did over 30 Service tickets'!...that's 29 other people that won't get addressed as we delete her other 29 Service tickets.
So...you Email us ONCE...your 'auto reply' says an email ticket has been created and sent to your Driver. He has it, he knows of it, your CSR person oversights it. No different then Apple, Bell and other larger companies do.
Every Snow Bulletin I send before each storm states......"Click the button below' if there's an issue....it takes you to a 'fast-form' to quickly send your address and issue. This works! Many just don't use it.
Lastly, I personally read and responded to I would guess about 80% of every email received on this issue within about an hour of receiving them. If I missed you I apologize. In cases some people just aren't satisfied until they are told 'what they want to hear', but we do reply and do our best.
Proper Perspective:
There's a reason Metro is the biggest company in Ottawa after 25 years doing residential snow: Reliability
Metro efficiently serviced well over 11,000 customers this first storm with very few complaints through 8 area offices.
We sign up 2000 'new' clients who have never used a Residential clearing service (usually 'just' before a storm) and 'don't know how it works and what to expect'. I get it, and I get the get and frustration that goes with being new. Education of new users is essential and I guess this takes time.
Of 11,000 clients I received about 20 plus 'bad reviews' which after the first storm of the year historically happens, usually from first time frustrated customers.
All this being did, I apologize again and will humbly refund any person who is not happy with their first time, first snow event experience.
I do however hope that most people reading this will keep things in relative perspective and yes, if you come to Metro better understand the methods of communication and 'complaint process' we used to quickly try to address concerns.
I hope this helps.

KEN Dale
President
Metro

Thanks for this. As I explained below 2 lists were misappropriated creating some missed driveways in 2 smaller areas.
Nice to hear you've been well serviced as are most .

KEN Dale
President
Metro