Pest Management Professional, May 2014

MODELS CLIENT COOPERATION SENSORS CONTRACTS HEAT SOPS ERRORS OMISSIONS REMOTE LAWSUITS CIMEX LECTULARIUS RAPID PCR PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA LIA BIL ITY MORBIDITY ECTO PARASITE REFUGIA PUBLIC HEALTH TRAINING ELIMINATION PLAINTIFFS BUSINESS COMMUNICATION INSURANCE INSPECTIONS RATE CARDS SUBPOENAS INCOMPETENT BUGS BED CIMICOSIS BED BUG UPDATE Continued from page B3 The company lost the account but learned a valuable lesson These days Williams insists upon a significant deposit from hotel clients before work begins Its critical to know to the greatest extent possible what it will take and cost to eliminate the problem before you get the clients signature 3 Get when the gettings good There are times when its best to walk away Sometimes people say they want help but clearly they have more serious problems In this business Ive discovered theres nothing worse than a hoarders house with a bed bug infestation says Fred Willey president Invader Pest Management Glendale Ariz As much as youd like to help unless they have family support and an intervention getting rid of bed bugs is impossible and cost prohibitive There are limits to what you can do and its best not to ignore them PMPs like all professional service providers have their limitations Its best to remember them 4 Go the extra mile or into the basement When he was still learning the ins and outs of the business the owner of American Pest Control in Franklin State Mass assumed there was no need to check for bed bug activity in a basement storage room You probably know where this cautionary tale is heading The storage room which was directly below a bedroom with moderate activity was the source of the infestation says Zac Bozza If youre someone who tends to make assumptions why not assume infestation could spread to any contiguous area and check it out Bozzas techs do Putting in the extra effort the first time can prevent costly callbacks and ensure customer satisfaction 5 Get cooperation up front Sometimes trying just isnt good enough C H Boddie Pest Control in Los Angeles wanted to deliver quality treatment in a 34 unit apartment building but the buildings tenants werent cooperating When our technicians arrived they found the units werent prepared properly To make matters worse the resident manager wasnt always on site to handle unexpected difficulties with tenants says Carlton Boddie company president Fortunately our service contract included a clause stipulating the owner would be charged for any delays not caused by our company Make certain your service agreements protect your interests Anticipate difficulties especially on large jobs Make sure that someone such as the resident manager will be on hand to ensure necessary access and to deal with any issues involving the residents Now for large apartment units we require a significant deposit before we start the work says Boddie Ironing out the details and making certain the client knows whats required of him and his tenants if applicable as well as what results he should expect will eliminate headaches later on 6 Treat property like works of art That piece of furniture or artwork might be cheap junk but if you damage it it suddenly becomes a priceless family heirloom warns Jay Bruesch technical director Plunketts Pest Control Fridley Minn Exercise care when handling residents belongings Seemingly worthless items might have sentimental value If possible find out in advance which items have monetary or sentimental value and treat them accordingly Of course techs should treat all possessions with great care PMPs are not in the appraisal business but if you treat every item as you would a Rembrandt youll minimize complaints and claims for damages PMP Mahoney is a PMP contributor You can reach him at word maker@ hotmail com B5 May 2014 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net Photos iStock com Photogal left iStock com pixinstock above