The Company
For the last 17 years, the Scoopy Doo Dog Waste Removal Service has been helping pet owners living in Long Island, Westchester and Upstate New York eliminate the most unpleasant part of pet ownership — poop pickup. The company employs 12 drivers and operates a fleet of 11 Nissan Frontiers and Ford Rangers.
The Challenge
“Our business is very different from that of the average delivery-based fleet and has unique fleet tracking needs,” explains Jim Coniglione, Owner/President of Scoopy Doo and self-proclaimed ‘turd herder.’ “Most fleets operate to a regular schedule, but in our business, the frequency of visit for each customer varies. Some people want us to visit once a week, others three times a week. So it was really important we maximize the efficiency of our trucks and drivers. Prior to investing in Webfleet Solutions, tracking of vehicles and drivers was a completely manual job. “It was a huge problem,” confesses Coniglione. “We didn’t have answers for people when they would call. They would ask, ‘what time was your driver at my house,’ and we’d have to call the driver, hope his memory was sufficient. It was all very time consuming. The company was using printed maps to help drivers navigate to their customers’ residences. “Drivers got lost all the time or hung up in traffic delays.”
The Solution
Recognizing the business needed to up its technology game, Coniglione brought in Webfleet Solutions for fleet tracking and StreetSync for optimized route planning. The system was then custom-configured for Scoopy Doo’s unique needs by Webfleet Solutions partner, Route Solutions.
A driver’s daily route is built in StreetSync, and then pushed to Webfleet Solutions terminals in the trucks. “The information provided by Webfleet Solutions allows us to be accountable to our customers and adds that professional touch,” says Coniglione. “When a customer calls to ask, we can say confidently, yes, our driver was at your house at 3:05 PM today, and was there for 20 minutes.”
The PRO Navigation device’s voice guided instructions help keep drivers hands on the wheel (in accordance with New York’s hands-free driving laws), and near real-time traffic routing also helps drivers navigate tricky New York traffic to stay on schedule. Back at the office, Coniglione and his wife/business partner Kathy can also keep an eye on drivers’ adherence to schedule and their behind the wheel behaviors, such as speeding and harsh braking, through the use of OptiDrive 360. Since adopting Webfleet Solutions and StreetSync, Coniglione estimates he has been able to cut fuel costs by 10% due to improved route optimization. He has also been able to save on labor costs through improved route optimization and better visibility into driver whereabouts.
Better information means better customer accountability and service for Scoopy Doo and it is helping Jim Coniglione grow his business and improve the bottom line. “Many of our older retired customers are sitting waiting at the window for the guy to come scoop poop. The information provided by Webfleet Solutions works in our favor. When our driver arrives on schedule, does a good job, that customer often recommends our service to three other people.”
Coniglione is now planning to expand his service across the entire United States with the launch of a business-in-a-box model called Mr. Scoopy, where he’ll provide others with the tools (including the Webfleet Solutions fleet tracking solution) they need to start their own poop scooping business. He is also pitching a reality TV show by the same name. “We’re looking forward to the next wave,” says Coniglione. “Who knows, if all goes well, Mr. Scoopy could bring Webfleet Solutions technology into the living rooms of television viewers all across the country.”
