Northeast Sanitation Blog

WEBSITE BUILDS BONDS

At first, McNamara relied on established business contacts — the “golden Rolodex,” as he puts it — and word-of-mouth referrals. But three years ago, he realized the company also required an Internet presence. The current website was revised about a year ago, and he says it’s a continual work in progress.

“In today’s world, people want to know you have a website,” he adds. “Everyone should have one that shows their products and explains what they do. But you also have to deliver on what you say on the website.”

To keep the website interesting, McNamara posts a weekly blog that talks about a wide array of issues, from strategic placement of units on construction sites to how many restrooms a customer might need for a wedding or party.

“We aim for information people can use,” he says. “At the same time, we’re also always looking for creative ideas to have some fun with it, too.

We ask our drivers for ideas, and they’ve come up with topics like how to protect units on site, putting stone pads in front of units when it’s muddy, placement of hand sinks and so on. It’s all aimed at benefitting the end-user.”

IMAGE IS MARKETING, TOO

NSC also emphasizes less subtle forms of marketing, like new, clean and well-maintained trucks; uniformed, clean-cut drivers who are courteous and professional; and use of new technology, such as global positioning systems, which helps improve customer service.

“We purchase anything that makes us more competitive in the marketplace,” he says. “We try to stay ahead of the curve on that because it saves you money in the long run.”

The NCS fleet includes a 2006 Ford LCF with a 350-gallon waste/150-gallon steel tank, made by Best Enterprises Inc.; a 2007 International 4300 with a 1,500-waste/500-gallon freshwater aluminum Progress (Progress Tank LLC) tank; a 2008 Hino 268 with a 1,500-gallon waste/500-gallon freshwater aluminum Progress tank; a 2008 International 4300 with a 750-gallon waste/350-gallon freshwater flat steel tank from Crescent Tank Mfg.; two 2010 Hino 268s with Progress aluminum tanks (one 1,150-gallon waste/350-gallon freshwater and the other with a 1,500-gallon waste/500-gallon freshwater); and a 2007 Ford LCF flatbed truck for deliveries. All of the trucks use Masport Inc. pumps.

NSC also owns 1,100 standard portable restrooms, mostly Integra units from PolyPortables Inc.; 60 handicapped-accessible units (30 made by Satellite Industries Inc. and 30 made by PolyPortables); and two restroom trailers, a 15-footer made by JAG Mobile Solutions Inc. and a 24-footer manufactured by Comforts of Home Services Inc.

The upscale JAG trailer has four 18-inch, flat-screen televisions. Customers who run charity events or weddings often burn their own DVDs with photo slide shows and play them continuously on the TVs.

“We’ve gotten lots of positive feedback about the TVs. I’m not sure it makes us more money, but you know people talk about it,’’ McNamara says. “New equipment is a great marketing tool. We wash and clean trucks every day. We want to create the perception that we’re the best company out there … when people see our trucks, they remember us.”

GPS technology helps improve customer service. NCS uses a system made by Navtrak Inc. that provides detailed information, from how fast technicians drive to the duration of a service call to the exact time the vacuum power on trucks is turned on and off. If a customer questions whether a technician made a service call, NCS can e-mail them a GPS report that proves they did.

If there’s any question at all in a customer’s mind, though, McNamara follows the premise that the customer is always right, which means a technician will go back and re-service the units in question again. Most times, however, the report does the trick, and customers realize later on that, for example, a landscaping crew came on-site unbeknownst to them, which explains why units were full or dirty so soon after being serviced.

NSC would like to invite everyone to our booth #702 at The 12th Annual Baystate Bridal Expo on January 22-23, 2011 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston to see our new Restroom Trailer complete with HD Media Center. Allowing our customers to run slide show, PowerPoint presentations or simple music videos in each private restroom stall.

We also giving away Free Passes to the show for the first 6 people who contact us at 978-579-0015.

We look forwarding to seeing you at the show!

Portable restrooms need to be secured for both high winds and from mischievous kids who think tipping over porta potties is a fun activity. Typically some sort of metal spikes or rebar are used to spike down the units however in the winter with frozen ground this is impossible, therefore, sandbags from your local hardware store are the best measure.

Many of our seasonal sports leagues, who are tired of the nuisance caused by kids that think tipping over units is a “fun” activity during the summer, will secure the portable toilet with a chain against a link fence. Usually this is done by municipal fields that have no shortage of kids looking for fun. When a restroom is tipped over, we do ask our customers to call us. We will then dispatch one of our trucks to clean up and possibly replace the unit.

In the winter months, high winds caused by winter storms do cause more problems for portable restrooms than throughout the rest of the year. If you have a portable restroom and you have not anchored the unit down with spikes yet, you may not be able to given the frozen ground, so your next solution is either sand bags or poly rope and cinder blocks.

However, we think that using sand bags is the easiest way to help prevent high wind tip over’s, but putting the unit in the right place, such as along a building or construction container will help as well. Please keep in mind however, for safety reasons; whatever is used to secure the units should not interfere with entry or exiting the unit

Long term construction projects offer many challenges to the foreman, and winter construction sites offer even greater challenges. Not the least of those challenges is portable restrooms for the workers on the site.  If you are starting a long-term construction project this winter, and plan to have a trailer on-site you will need a sanitation solution.

You can achieve this without running water lines and digging for a temporary septic tank. A Fresh Water Flushing Mobile Office System can be installed in just a few hours and they cut down on the traditional high costs of running lines and digging holes. The water supply is provided, along with the RV toilet and the waste tank. The system is easily installed and maintained weekly.

You can eliminate the expense of digging and running a temporary water service to the job trailer and there is no need for the temporary water line and large concrete waste tank. 

With mobile office trailer equipment, you can alleviate the stress of wasted materials, manpower, and the associated costs that go along with them. 

Not to mention the decrease of down time for your employees by having a restroom facility on-site. Decrease your loss time, costs and stress and increase your comfort and convenience with mobile office trailer restroom units.

NSC Restrooms provides portable toilets, portable restrooms trailers, portable office trailers and portable sinks to constructions sites, private events, and municipalities in the Boston Area. With so many types of portable toilets and products available we can answer all of your portable sanitation questions and meet all of your needs.

If you are coordinating the city New Year Parade, having an addition built on your home, or managing a large commercial construction site, NSC Restrooms can provide and service your sanitation equipment.

As your local provider of quality portable restrooms, restroom trailers and portable sinks, we have had the pleasure of living and working in our community. NSC Restrooms would like to wish you, our community, a happy holiday season and a happy New Year. It has been our pleasure to service the people in the Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island areas for several years.

Hopefully, the recent news report of the collapse of the stadium dome where the Minnesota Vikings play will not be a sign of more disastrous things to come this winter. With the official start of winter a week away the collapse of the stadium roof reminds us how important being prepared for major storms can be. NSC Restrooms is located in beautiful Massachusetts and our neighbors in the Midwest know all too well just how quickly a small storm can escalate to hazardous conditions. The best we can do is take steps ahead of time to be ready at home, at work, and on the road. By now most of us should know the check list by heart. Did we change the batteries in the fire/smoke alarms? Do we have flash lights and candles and are the batteries for the house or car flashlights good? These are the things we can control. What about those we cannot?

Hopefully the snow that is surely on its way this winter will not bring down our roofs or freeze our pipes. However, in the event that we are met with our own natural disaster, keep in mind that NSC Restrooms can respond quickly to provide toilets to your family or facility. There is nothing worse than frozen pipes in your home or work, but if you are faced with this scenario this winter, keep NSC Restrooms in mind. With hundreds of portable toilets and restroom trailers available, and a speedy response time, NSC can make even natural disasters less disastrous.

If you are planning on using portable restrooms for your construction site, then there are a few important factors you need to take into consideration before you actually get the restrooms delivered. Here are some questions to consider.

How many people will be on site?
There needs to be portable restrooms available for anyone who needs to make use of them, without the units getting clogged and avoiding the long lines that can form while employees wait to use the facilities. Industry standard is 1 portable restroom for 10 workers for a standard work week on a job site. http://www.psai.org/ .  Per the PSAI Usage - Route Units: On a construction site, each weekly serviced toilet unit can accommodate 10 workers (working a single 40-hour shift) ANSI Z4.3-2005.

How often should the portable toilets be serviced?
This answer can vary widely, depending on the type of project you need the restrooms for, how long porta potties are going to be used on site, how many people are around and how often they make use of the restrooms.

What type of portable restrooms do you need?
There are a wide variety of restroom styles, from basic single toilet units to restroom trailers, as well as mobile office trailers for long term construction sites. At short term work sites, single stall units with hand sanitizer may do the job. For construction sites without easy access to water, it is a good idea to inquire about the fresh water flushing mobile office system so that all the necessary sanitary needs are covered without incurring excessive costs.

Will I need insurance?
Yes, when renting portable restrooms from a supplier you should make sure you have public liability insurance. You are responsible for the safety of your employees while they are using the units on your site.

Black Friday is the traditional “kick off” for the holiday shopping season. Not only is the holiday season fast approaching so is winter and the inclement weather. Snow, sleet, and icy conditions will add to an already hectic time of year for many. Combine long work hours, fewer daylight hours, add a snow storm, and you have the ingredients for increased stress and poor judgment in some cases when driving.
Please, remember to drive safely and consider the following when out and about this shopping season.

• Never tailgate a commercial vehicle. You must be able to see both side mirrors of all commercial vehicles, this ensure that the driver can see you.
• In stop and go traffic, commercial vehicles leave space between the vehicles in front of them. This space helps to compensate for the added weight with which these vehicles operate. Compared to the average automobile, large commercial vehicles require a significant amount of distance to stop. Resist the urge to cut in front of these rigs and especially in poor road conditions.
• And lastly, please obey the reduced speed limits in road construction zones. Remember all these road and bridge workers have families who want them home for the holidays.

Once again, the foliage throughout New England offers us a brilliant display of color. Our mornings are becoming crisp as the days get shorter and soon the daily temperatures will drop and the holiday season will arrive. This means freezing temperatures and winter weather are not far off. NSC wants you, our customers, to know that we will be adding a brine solution to our office trailer equipment and portable restroom units this November to prevent freeze-ups of our units. We will keep this solution in our units throughout the winter season.

Freezing temperatures during the winter can present unique conditions on your construction site where employee safety needs to be at the forefront of project management. Also, at Christmas tree u-pick farms where employee and customer safety and comfort are essential, the winter can pose challenges. As always anything you can do to ensure that your employees and customers have safe access to portable restrooms while reducing slip and fall conditions are greatly appreciated all the way around. At NSC your safety and comfort are always on our minds.