Chris’s Service Company

This is simple. You have trash, they pick it up. They are the cheapest outfit in Champaign-​Urbana.
Most people go for one of two options:
1) If you have a little bit of trash, you use your own small garbage can. They charge you $ 16 per month.
2) If you have a lot of trash, they give you a big garbage bin with wheels. They charge you $ 20 per month.
Best part — they don’t bait and switch! Republic sent me a flyer saying they only charge $ 19.95 per month… but when I called them to inquire they mentioned a couple of fees that make them more expensive.
These guys don’t have a slick website, they don’t send out flyers (that I’ve seen) and they don’t always answer the phone. However, they will pick up your trash. And if you leave them a message on the answering machine, they will call you back. And if you set up your automatic payments to send them a check every month or 3 months, they will cash those checks, pick up your trash, and you never have to talk to them again.
It’s easy folks — just sign up and let them take away your trash.

I have been with Chris’s Service Co for over ten years. For the most part, I have been satisfied with their service. Lately, however, they have been charging extra for every little item that doesn’t fit inside the small trash bin I have. I have placed some extra bags from time to time and have been charged $ 11 for it. I can understand if I was discarding a big item, a piece of furniture, or the like. These, however, have been a few kitchen trash bags of trash. Nothing that would take up any appreciable amount of room. I have been trying to dispose of some unwanted items and have put a small amount out each week. It seems that doesn’t matter. Will be looking for a new company.

Totally hassle free both getting service started and ending service (as I just moved). The office personnel were friendly to me and always were responsive during their limited office hours. I don’t love that you can’t pay online, but it’s affordable, reliable and have had no issues.

We have been customers of Chris’s for residential trash removal for as long as I can remember (we moved into our Urbana house in 1976). In the past two years I’ve had occasion to manage the trash and recycling as part of the process to clean out the house for sale. We still pay for weekly service. No fewer than four times, I have watched from the window as the Chris’s truck collects from the neighbors next door and across the street, and leaves our can full on the curb. I have only gotten an answer at their phone number once. Otherwise, it rings and rings with no answer and no voicemail. How are we supposed to address the problem if no one is there to take a call? I’m at the point of changing services, though it seems ridiculous since we expect the house to be sold within six months. Shame on you Chris’s!

Most of my neighbors have Chris’s Service so we signed up for them when we moved to Urbana two years ago. I did have to call a few time to get hold of somebody but she was perfectly nice on the phone. I have never had a problem with their service. Sometimes we leave out extra stuff and they haul it away no problem. You can also buy stickers from them for them to haul branch bundles and other things they would not normally take. I don’t have a problem with getting a physical postcard in the mail and having to mail them a physical check four times a year.

I have wanted to like this company, but it was not to be. Limited hours, very poor communication, no office front, no online payment option, not following through with what they say they will do, failing to collect my garbage several times without warrant, and no returned phone calls have made me an unhappy customer. My issues have been so consistent that I have finally given up and hired another company.

I completely echo the review of Paul J in every way: limited customer service, no website, no online bill pay option, bill arrives in the form of an easy-​to-​miss postcard, and if you do miss it, they simply do not pick up your trash the following week, with no notice or courtesy call. The one time I called and left a message to order yard waste stickers, the stickers were not added to our bill and never arrived.
I am giving them 2 stars rather than 1, because the actual workers hired for the company always arrived on time on the days the trash was to be picked up and left the cans in an orderly fashion without any mess. I assume the issue is with management, and not with the workers, but plan to switch to a different company just the same.

Completely unprofessional and not at all customer friendly. I used their services for more than 4 years, and am disappointed I didn’t cancel my account with them sooner. Some things to look forward to when dealing with this company:
* limited office hours — difficult to talk to someone if you need help or have a question
* secretary is rude and has not returned my phone calls and voicemails in the past
* there is no online bill pay option (no website, period)
* there is no pay-​by-​phone option
* bills are sent on a small postcard with no return envelope included
My trash service was turned off twice without any warning — no 2^nd notice of a past-​due amount — then they charged a reinstatement fee to resume service. What kind of company doesn’t send a past-​due notice, or at least make a phone call, before doing such a thing to their customer? Additionally, after canceling my account I was due a refund of about $ 35 which has still not arrived. (it’s been 4 weeks). Part of me would rather lose out on the money than call their office and talk to their unhelpful staff.
I’ve since switched my trash service to Republic Services — only about $ 4 extra per month, which I’ll gladly pay for a company who is professional, respectful, and has had great customer service. Republic Services also has convenient online bill pay, and even a handy option for automatic recurring payments. I just wish I had ditched Chris’s Service sooner.