Month: April 2016

Tax-cut

Your Junk Could Be Tax Deductible

Posted on | by chad

Although allowances may vary from state to state, charitable contributions are one way to reduce your tax debt, and with tax time upon us, we want you to take advantage of every tax deduction you can.

123JUNK removes many items from our customers’ homes and businesses that are primarily reusable because they are in good condition. These can include household items, furniture, clothing, or even business equipment. You simply have no use or room for the items any longer.

What is Junk to You is a Treasure to Someone Else

In keeping with the 123JUNK philosophy of Donate-Recycle-Dispose, we donate these perfectly-good items to our charitable partners, like Habitat for Humanity or the Pender ReGift Thrift Store so they can reissue them back into the community for people who need or want them.

123JUNK Gives You a Donation Receipt for Your Taxes

But the good news doesn’t end there. When we drop your items off, 123JUNK obtains a receipt for these goods, which we then mail to you so you can take the deduction on your tax returns. (If the contribution value is higher than $250, you must support your deduction with a receipt and a description and estimated value of items donated.)

The IRS has rules that must be followed for your donation to qualify. For example, the donation must be made to a qualified organization (like a church, non-profit or charity) and it cannot be more than a certain percentage of your adjusted gross income, depending on what type of property it is. Your tax professional can help you with the details.

Please note that 123JUNK is not qualified to offer either legal or tax advice. Please consult a professional if you need assistance. But do give us a call to help clear the clutter from your home or business. Our professionals are ready to haul!

Joe-in-car

Some Extra Incentive

Posted on | by chad

At 123JUNK, you probably know by now that donation is a major point of emphasis. It is, after all, the “1,” in our three-step process. We encourage our truck crew to donate as much as they possibly can after removing the items from our clients’ homes. In many cases, the donation component of our process is what made a client decide to choose us over a competitor. We appreciate and value that choice, and we treat our commitment to serving the local community with great respect. Playing a role in prolonging the lifecycle of the items we collect is rewarding for us, and it undeniably enriches the experience of working at 123JUNK.

This month, our truck crew has more at stake than the satisfaction of knowing they helped to keep a table out of the landfill, or that they played a role in furnishing the home of a family that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford a living room set. Joe (pictured above), who many of our clients probably know from his unforgettable personality, has issued a challenge to his fellow Junkmen. If each of our Truck Foremen are able to donate from a certain number of jobs on which they’ve worked, Joe has promised to allow them to shave his head bald! With a head of hair like his, needless to say this is quite a gamble on his part. He just feels so strongly about the 123JUNK pledge to turn “junk” into opportunity that he is willing to risk his hair for the cause! We are proud of Joe and his call to action for his co-workers.

we-take-cars

“I Was Wondering if You Guys Could Take…”

Posted on | by chad

When fielding inquiries about our services, one of the most common questions we hear is in regards to whether or not we can remove certain things from our clients’ properties. While we try our very best to remove ALL of your unwanted items, there are, of course, a few limitations. It pains me to describe something we can’t do for our clients, but 123JUNK is not able to legally remove paint, chemicals, oils, asbestos, gasoline/oil, or concrete/bricks and stone.

Now that we have that out of the way, let me get myself back into a good mood and describe some examples of the unusual things we ARE ABLE to remove for our clients!

  • Rowboats and canoes
  • Above-ground pools (deconstructed, of course)
  • Hot tubs – free-standing, drained, and disconnected from all utilities
  • Sheds
  • Pianos (Spinets/Uprights)
  • Swing sets
  • Basketball hoops

Notably, just the other day we were able to remove the shell of a 1983 Volkswagen Passat from a client’s driveway. What, you don’t believe me? See for yourself!

If you have an unusual, heavy, awkward, or otherwise questionable junk removal situation on your hands and this blog didn’t specifically address it, that’s why we are here. Give us a call and do your best to surprise us with what you need hauled away from your property. Hopefully, we can return the favor when our reply is “Yes, we can do that!”

Core-Value-Setting-Expectations

123JUNK Offers More Than You’d Expect

Posted on | by chad

Come into the 123JUNK offices and the first thing that catches your eye is our Core Values. They are printed, framed, and mounted prominently so that we all remember just what we’re here for.

Just having them posted creates an expectation within our company culture of how we will do business. Not how we should, but more strongly, how we will operate the business and treat our customers.

We Raise the Bar

In our philosophy, the measure of good customer service is EXCEEDING expectations, not just meeting them. This means communicating clearly and over-delivering on what customers expect.

Every one of our customers has a pre-determined “bar” that has been set by some service company or experience they’ve had in the past. They have an idea of “what to expect” before they hire us.

Our goal is to exceed that expectation.

We’re Different, Starting with our Touch Points

The 123JUNK staff is trained to ask a lot of questions on the initial telephone conversation. This way, we can provide an accurate estimate to ensure that the price we give once we arrive on the site aligns with the ballpark estimate the client was given by our appointment scheduler. We don’t want surprises any more than you do, so we make the effort up front to set the expectation correctly.

Most people don’t expect professionalism from a junk removal company. That’s why we like to shake things up and be different. Following the initial conversation, our clients receive a:

  • Confirmation email
  • Reminder call the afternoon before the appointment
  • Call 30 minutes prior to arrival
  • Post-appointment follow-up call (day of the appointment)
  • Handwritten thank you note after the appointment

If you think about it, when is the last time you were given this kind of consideration by a service company?

Creating Expectations is a Core Value

We believe in treating our customers the same way we’d like to be treated ourselves. That’s why we took the time to create our list of core values, and live by them each and every day.