FCC Environmental Services issues more than $205k in credits over missed trash pick-ups

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — FCC Environmental Services has distributed more than $205,000 in credits to frustrated Buncombe County customers amid missed pick-ups.

During a May 27 briefing with Buncombe County commissioners, Charles Merkley with the FCC gave an update on the company’s effort to improve its service reliability and customer satisfaction.

“We hear a lot about some of the things we did wrong. We stand here today and admit some of the things we have done wrong,” Merkley said. “But we’ve also tried to correct those.”

Merkley went on to say FCC has allocated 7,776 credits to residents, totaling $205,550.10.

In January, the company received 436 complaints, a number that dropped to 231 in February. By March and April, complaints decreased to 90 and 99.

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As May comes to an end, FCC reports that the company is on pace to see similar numbers from earlier this year, having recorded 31 complaints as of May 12.

Merkley said in a statement:

“At FCC Environmental Services, we’ve taken several key steps to improve our service in Buncombe County. We’ve re-optimized our service routes to ensure the right trucks are assigned to the appropriate areas, increasing efficiency and reliability. To better accommodate the growing number of customers, we’ve also added an additional route and continue to adjust our service model to meet local demand.

To further strengthen our local operations, we’ve enhanced our small pup truck operations by reducing the number of homes on each route and adding more routes on certain days. We’ve also added additional Operations Manager, two Route Supervisors, and a dedicated Dispatcher who helps monitor routes in real time and manage customer inquiries. Additionally, we now have a local billing agent onsite to assist customers directly with payments and concerns.

We know one of the consistent concerns in the community has been the lack of a local call center. This is something we take seriously. In response, we have made strategic adjustments to our centralized call center operations and are actively increasing our local staffing presence at our Sweeten Creek Facility. These changes are designed to strengthen our customer support and create more direct access to our local team.

At FCC Environmental Services, we remain focused on continuous improvement. Our team is actively exploring additional ways to expand local customer service support as part of our long-term strategy to deliver reliable, responsive service—working responsibly today for a better environment tomorrow.”

During the briefing, Commissioner Terri Wells said she continues to hear from some community members about “ongoing misses” in service and asked how FCC plans to rectify repeated issues.

In response, representatives with FCC’s operation team in Buncombe County said it added to its staff to monitor routes better. They said they’re now doing more than just taking care of repeat issues; they are looking into root causes.

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As part of the FCC’s ongoing effort to improve service, they plan to host community outreach events. You can find the days and times below:

(Note: FCC Environmental Services has set community outreach events dates for the districts it serves)

• District 2: June 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at North Windy Ridge Intermediate
• District 3: July 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Ferguson Auditorium at A-B Tech
• District 1: August 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at a to-be-determined location

Residents can reach out to the company at 828-820-7022 or at buncombe@fccenvironmental.com.