From single location to national franchise: lessons in scalability, sustainability, and customer satisfaction
Junkluggers, an eco-friendly junk removal franchise, is a leader in scalability. Beginning as a local Connecticut operation in 2004, founder Josh Cohen started hauling junk in a dump truck known as “Old Rusty.” Hiring his first driver allowed Josh to focus on building the business through community involvement and networking, and eventually support franchises in 26 states.
Junkluggers President Justin Waltz
That community connection still remains central to the company’s mission today and is even part of the guidance that President Justin Waltz gives franchise owners. “The first scale of the business is getting off the truck and growing through hiring amazing people. Not only did the business scale through our differentiation of rehoming and recycling, but also our people,” said Justin, who started in the business as a lugger himself.
Scaling the business has also had the added benefit of providing more support for each Junkluggers team, combining local owners’ expertise with a proven business model and corporate guidance. “When you’re by yourself as an entrepreneur… it’s really tough to find connection,” Justin said. “One of the best benefits of franchising is the ability to engage with the community, being a part of and having the support from the corporate team, but also learning from each other.”
Below, Justin shares three key competitive advantages that have fueled the company’s growth to a nationwide franchise business that’s still deeply rooted in local communities.
1. Problem solving in stressful situations
Like every service industry, junk removal comes with its own particular challenges and stressors, from last-minute requests after a house closing to perilous parking jobs on narrow city streets. Justin said it’s Junkluggers’ role to offload as much of that stress as possible—a task that requires a combination of problem solving and customer service.
“Ultimately, being able to overcome obstacles without presenting that stress to the customer [requires] the grittiness and the care that our luggers bring to the consumer every day. It’s our job as professionals to deliver tremendous experience,” he said.
As Junkluggers expanded, providing standardized, best practices helped franchise owners replicate this service nationwide. For example, same-day or next-day service is offered at every location and has become one of Junklugger’s biggest differentiators for customers like Vanessa H.: “When you’re moving across the country, time is of the essence, and these guys took away a big source of stress for me, along with the garbage,” she wrote in her Yelp review. “They were even able to find a way to work around the jerk who parked in my temporary tow-away spot so we didn’t have to wait for the tow truck.”
Even in a stressful situation like Vanessa’s, Junkluggers earned her trust by providing fast and professional service. “Same-day and next-day service is so critical for our industry and for the consumer because junk removal and junk oftentimes is a pain point that we may or may not accept or think about until we need it,” Justin said.
That’s why Junkluggers’ corporate team relies on each owner’s localized expertise to anticipate customer needs before they encounter them. “We encounter obstacles every single day. It’s part of the job,” Justin said. “Ultimately, when you think about the business basics of building trust in the community and providing an exceptional experience, it’s being able to overcome those obstacles.”
2. An eco-friendly mission and business model
Sustainability has also been a priority of Junkluggers since the early days, when the team realized they were hauling items steeped in history and sentimental value—and became committed to giving them a second life.
Keeping junk out of landfills is a complex process, however. Junkluggers and its franchise owners have become experts in recycling and diversion, or the process of redirecting waste from landfills. “All of that was done through trial and error,” Justin said. “With a warehouse full of stuff that keeps piling up and piling up, you become the expert really quickly when you are forced to learn how to donate and divert.”
In addition to hauling trash and providing excellent customer service, Junkluggers locations also take on the role of a central rehoming hub, sorting waste and determining what can go to a charity, donation center, or commercial recycling facility. It’s a missing piece in the puzzle, helping customers who aren’t equipped to recycle on their own, especially with more specialized materials like medical and electronic waste.
“We’ve become the centralized element in the community that collects essentially everything,” Justin said. “And then we end up transporting those recyclables to facilities that are more equipped and this is all they do.”
Junkluggers also founded Remix Market, a national chain of second-hand stores that sells gently used home goods at marked down prices, with a percentage of the sales going to a local charity. That way, anything that’s not accepted by local donation partners for scrap material—and still has value—can go back into the community. “It hits on all of our core values, from environmentally to being responsible in the community. It’s been a great add-on to the business,” Justin said.
Pro tip: If you’re interested in adopting eco-friendly waste management practices in your business, check out Yelp’s Sustainability Resource Hub for resources, tips, and more.
3. Employees who provide a human touch
As every Junkluggers employee learns, trash holds memories, and the removal process can be emotional for customers. “We know that going into the home is one of the most vulnerable aspects of any in-home service business, as well as our business is very much based on transition,” Justin said. “I was on a truck myself for many, many years. I’ve had clients crying. I’ve had hugs. I’ve heard stories about the piano that’s been in the family for many, many years. Those are all things that we have to think about every day.”
Despite expanding, Junkluggers has never lost this human touch. The brand’s corporate playbook for franchise owners includes several core values, first among them: Be a force for good in the community.
“Trust and care in the community has been one of the most important aspects of the business today for us going into homes and communities around the country,” Justin said. “We teach this through training and through our best practices, our core values as well as our diversion strategies. We encourage [our team members] to take all of those into consideration [while on the job].”
Starting on the front lines of customer service, Junkluggers trains its inbound booking and customer service agents to have conversations with clients about the reason behind their removal request, so teams on the ground can be prepared for an emotional experience.
Hiring people who exemplify traits of empathy and care is also crucial to Junkluggers’ success, Justin said: “It’s about hiring the best people that live our core values every day, who are able to go into the home and present a great experience and ultimately consider all of the things that are happening in our consumer’s life when they call for junk removal.”
These lessons come from an episode of Behind the Review, Yelp & Entrepreneur Media’s weekly podcast. Listen below to hear from Justin and Vanessa, or visit the show homepage to learn about the show and find more episodes.