Meet Cliff Poynter | Owner and CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cliff Poynter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cliff, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Throughout my years, I have had the privilege of working for and learning from some amazing entrepreneurs. I have also competed under the guidance of some phenomenal coaches. The one thing that all of these individuals had in common was their ability to create a culture that people wanted to be a part of. When starting In and Out Trash Services, I wanted to take the very best parts of each of these life experiences and create a company with a culture of respect, honesty, integrity as well as enthusiasm, that could be tangibly felt by every customer and every employee that it touched.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Professionalism is the key!

From single item pickups to entire home cleanouts, it is not complicated to throw away unwanted items. Many people who simply own a truck and trailer believe that they can do it which is why so many individuals attempt to do this work as a side job.

It was my goal from the inception of In and Out Trash Services to hire the best people, provide them with the best equipment and teach the best systems possible with the goal of providing our our customers with the best possible service. The key factors in junk removal are: price, communication / timeliness, and respect of property.

With regards to price: it should not cost customers more to throw something away than it originally cost them to acquire it in the first place. As a local provider, we do not carry many of the expenses that large franchises do. This allows us to price our services reasonably while still affording to hire the quality of professional that people would want in their home. Furthermore, when we look people in the eye and shake hands after providing an estimate, an In and Out Trash Services customer can be assured that the price that they were given will not change.

To ensure stellar communication and timeliness, we have invested in the proper software services and training to allow for our drivers to maintain up-to-date communication with each customer. This includes automated alerts when drivers are in route to a job as well as links to a “before and after” photo gallery for each completed project. This also keeps the crews connected to dispatch so that new customers can be given accurate time windows and for projected schedules to be adhered to.

Finally, we treat each project with a degree of respect and reverence that is uncommon to this industry. This is much more than being mindful of doorways, and driveways while moving items and managing equipment, My 12 years of experience as a home health occupational therapist has allowed for me to develop a sense of empathy that truly emphasizes human dignity. Everything that we haul away was once not trash and our crews are routinely reminded of this. Unfortunately not all of our projects are the result of spring cleaning or someone who just needs some extra room in their garage. Sometimes we are removing people’s belongings who were unable to afford to remain in their home or even the belongings of a lost loved one. Other times the items are filthy and the situation can easily become embarrassing for our customers. Out team is taught to be encouraging, understanding and empathetic to each situation. We treat each project as if we are working for a personal friend or a family member.

This is who we are at our core and who we will always strive to be. The company’s reputation is everything to me and personally motivates me even more than the thoughts of profits and revenue. This is how we have been able to generate over 140 5-star reviews in just over a year’s time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For me, it starts and it finishes with the Swamp Rabbit Trail. As a life long runner and now cyclist, few places in the world can make me happier than when I am on that path. Whether it is a slow stroll with the family to the grocery store where the kids can get popsicles and Casey and I can enjoy local brew or a full-on cycling and running training session, I love every inch of that path from downtown Greenville to TR.

That said, any day in downtown Greenville is a good day to me. I am so personally proud of the growth of this city. I remember being a child and my parents taking my siblings and I to the area that we now call Fall’s Park. We would strap on our roller blades and head down to Cleveland park. However there were very few people on these paths back then and there were definitely areas that we avoided due to not feeling safe. Even then we knew this area was special. I was 10 years old when we moved here from up north and the draw to this particular little corner of the south was something we could just feel. Fast forward 30 years and Greenville has become nationally recognized as being one of the most desirable to live in cities in the entire nation and I could not agree more with that sentiment.

Today I always make sure that my visiting friends have a chance to experience as many of our amazing breweries as they have time for with a special emphasis on Fireforge in downtown Greenville and 13 Stripes in Taylors Mill. If we have time to take a short trip south, Casey’s favorite is Voodoo Brewing in Fountain Inn.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
For the past 20 years, my wife Casey has been by my side and has supported me on every one of life’s twists and turns including some fairly dramatic career path changes. She first moved out of state with me to allow for the completion of my graduate program. Following this, we returned to SC to start a family while I began my 1st career as an occupational therapist. During that 12 year period, we worked as a team to slowly accumulate a small portfolio of rental properties. This involved long weekends and evenings of completing renovation projects, managing tenant relationships and eventually managing short term stay vacation properties. When the time came to conclude my career as a therapist, she was supportive and encouraging and prepared yet again for life to take us in a new direction.

With In and Out Trash Services, Casey has been a rock of stability to lean on in times of worry and doubt and someone to celebrate with in times of triumph. She provides encouragement daily while also assisting with many administrative responsibilities. However she mostly keeps me grounded by encouraging me to not lose sight of the things that matter most in life including our family, our friends and our faith. Without her, I would not take necessary pauses to stop and appreciate all that we have been blessed with.

Website: https://www.inandouttrash.com

Instagram: @inandouttrash

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