Pest Management Professional, September 2015

2015 PMP TermiTe managemenT Survey Termite management DONts Important what not to do tips from our termite experts Compiled by Will Nepper Senior Editor According to our experts there are several things you should avoid doing if possible Here is their collective list of DONTs Dont do partial jobs because the client doesnt want to pay for the job to be done the way you know it must be done Termite jobs are a high insurance liability and you must know when to pass on a job Josh Alpert President Green Earth Pest Control New York When doing an inspection or treatment dont take pictures on the customers property without prior approval Edward F Schwartz Owner Paladin Pest Control Colorado Springs Colo Dont forget to resell your service and explain your findings to the homeowner every time you check bait stations or reinspect a structure Kevin Hathorne BCE Technical Director Terminix Services Columbia S C Never drill until you know exactly what youre drilling into how deep you must drill and whats behind the surface youre drilling Jay Bruesch BCE Technical Director Plunketts Pest Control Fridley Minn Dont drill without a stop intime product or equipment in place This will help prevent drilling through a customers hidden pipes Tony DeJesus Technical Director Big Blue Bug Solutions Province R I Dont speak badly about other companies in our industry That is a pet peeve of mine Some companies in other industries have a reputation for talking badly about their competitors I would rather talk about what my company can do to help with a termite problem than talk about what someone else cant Tim Kendrick Termite Technical Leader Waynes Environmental Services Birmingham Ala Dont arrive at the account without all of the necessary equipment to do the job and when you arrive stay as long as it takes to complete the job You shouldnt have to leave the site because you left something back at the office Edward F Schwartz Owner Paladin Pest Control Colorado Springs Colo Dont make assumptions Always ask questions about construction and other important information when solving a termite problem Jeremy Clark General Manager Dugas Pest Control Baton Rouge La Dont forget to check for signs of activity on HVAC trunk lines and interior piers of the crawlspace And look up from the baseboards on slabs to check for small holes and pieces of dirt in the drywall Kevin Hathorne BCE Technical Director Terminix Services Columbia S C Never show up late lie to a client to protect you or your company or gouge a client with unnecessary services Stacy A Durfee President ABC Pest Management Virginia Beach Va Dont underprice the job If youre going to do the job right you need to charge the right price to cover all expenses and make a profit After all thats why youre in business Cutting corners to keep the price down and get the sale will prevent you from providing what the customer is probably expecting which is complete protection from termites Josh Alpert President Green Earth Pest Control New York Dont forget to hydrate Termite management and control is hot hard work and often requires techs to squeeze into small spaces Drinking plenty of water when doing this work is essential Jay Bruesch BCE Technical Director Plunketts Pest Control Fridley Minn Never overpromise in terms of how quickly an infestation will be eradicated Heavy infestations can take months to completely eradicate Jeremy Clark General Manager Dugas Pest Control Baton Rouge La Dont offer damage guarantees unless you want your insurance rates to go through the roof or lose your insurance completely This will affect your general pest control division your bread and butter Josh Alpert President Green Earth Pest Control New York TM14 September 2015 Pest Management Professional mypmp net