Dive Brief:

• Houston-area residents are complaining that trash is piling up in neighborhoods around the city, yet trash hauler Waste Corporation of America (WCA) is unresponsive. Of the 38 complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau in the last year, 23 remain unanswered. 
• "It looked like you were walking through a slum, and it smelled like sewage," Michelle Goldberg, a resident of Houston's Greater Heights neighborhood, told KTRK regarding what happened when WCA didn't pick up trash. 
• A few months ago, an area trash provider, Royal, merged with trash-giant Waste Corporation of America. Many residents told KTRK that they are now looking for different companies to collect their trash. 

Dive Insight:

WCA Regional Vice President Matt Graham apologized to residents in a statement, which read: "We have addressed the concerns of those customers who have been affected by the interruptions and, to our knowledge, all outstanding trash has been collected. The extraordinary rainfall in Houston and the surrounding areas experienced in May and June interrupted our normal collection service, with many residents needing to set out additional trash caused by water damage. WCA has taken steps to ensure we always have the resources necessary to meet our customers' expectations."

However, resident Marcus Taliaferro tells a different story. "It's overflowing, plastic bags are laying on the ground, feral cats are digging into them," he said to KTRK regarding the trash problem in his West Houston neighborhood. 

There's a clear disconnect between Graham's statement and residents' experiences. Keeping customers in the loop during extraordinary circumstances, like heavy rains, is essential. In order to improve its customer service, the company must be more efficient in responding to complaints.

Northwest Harris County resident Debbie Flint has waited nearly two weeks for a trash pickup. "On Wednesday and Thursday, they assured me they'd come yesterday and get it," Flint told KTRK.  "They didn't."