Best Way owners Mike and Ralph Balkema will be the first ones to tell you that websites and graphic design aren’t their strong suit. But one thing they do know better than anyone is the importance of putting customers first. So when members of the Best Way team — who also happen to be members of the Balkema family — identified opportunities to improve customer service by updating the company website and branding, Mike and Ralph came to the table with open minds.
“We’re not as current on technology as some of the next generation,” Mike explains. “But we do know that for people to trust and feel good about the work you’re doing, you have to be responsive, you have to provide the information they need in a way that’s convenient.” Enabling easy, streamlined access to specific local service information is one of the greatest benefits of the new BestWay-Disposal.com, but the refreshed logo and branding signify far more than updated technology.
“Our new logo looks clean, it looks professional,” says Ralph. “And that’s how we do business.” With a laugh, Ralph elaborates, “In a funny way, when we do the best job possible, nobody knows we’re even there. That’s how you want it to work in the trash business. We take care of things, and our customers don’t even have to think about it.”
From Kalamazoo to Cincinnati, the new Best Way branding will lend a fresh look to trucks and signage throughout the company’s growing service area. But what won’t change is the quality, care and attention behind the waste disposal operations. Local fleets will continue to function as they always have, with special consideration for the weather, traffic conditions and neighborhood needs that make each region unique.
“Our operations, drivers and customer service representatives are part of their communities,” explains General Manager Dan Batts, who’s been with the company for over 40 years. “We try to keep drivers on the same routes, so they really get to know the neighborhoods. They know what’s going on with the school buses, or local road issues. It all adds up to better service, and that’s what we’ve always stood for.”
Dan points out that even under the incredible pressures of the early months of COVID-19, his local teams did what it took to keep operations running smoothly — even if it meant putting driver supervisors behind the wheel of route trucks. “We all had to step up to the challenges placed before us as teams to get the job done,” he recalls. “And that’s how we do things. No matter what’s going on, we’re not going to let the customer suffer.”
That culture of service and positive community impact is exactly what keeps Media Manager Danielle Dungey so excited about the business her great-grandparents created. “I can’t begin to take credit for what we have here,” she insists with typical Best Way humility. “But I do feel proud to be associated with this organization, especially after working on the website update, which brought me into contact with people from literally every corner of our company.”
From central headquarters to every local fleet, Danielle notes a common commitment to supporting communities in the best way possible — whether that means a driver taking extra care to leave an alley in tidy condition, or an office team embracing innovative technology to optimize customer service. “We’ve always insisted on doing the right thing, and that even includes having gone into facilities where things weren’t being done right and turning them around,” says Danielle.
She observes that today’s customers are more focused than ever on the integrity and values of the companies they do business with, and that’s a positive thing for everyone. “Now just feels like the right time for us to put a little more focus into telling our stories, and being known for what makes us special. We really are helping set communities up for a healthier future, and we’re excited to tell that story.”
