What's worse than bugs? FRAUD. (Palmetto: sales, house, buying)

[SellinginFL]

Do you know what your pest control person is doing? Maybe nothing, if you're not there to watch and make sure that it gets done. Our original guy was okay and always showed up and did his job. That guy got promoted and we got assigned "G" who claimed to have come out and done our service but 100% never showed as I was home all day and never saw him. Pest control company's records showed he had been in the area and sprayed but then they questioned that maybe he was just in the area and sprayed outside his truck to make it look like he had done the work. Didn't know that was a thing because you assume people would do the job they are hired for, but whatever. We said we wanted to cancel. They asked us to give them another chance and would assign us "M" from now on. We agreed.

"M" was great. Seemed to do a really good, thorough, job. That is until I wasn't home to answer the door one day and he tried to not do our service. We called up the pest control company and let them know what happened and they made him go back out and perform the service.

Fast forward to today, same thing - not there to open the door. So instead of carrying on with the rest of the job outside, he leaves again! You think people would learn, but no.

So let that be a reminder to anyone with a pest control service - just because you get billed for it, doesn't mean they ever came out and actually performed the service. Security cameras can pay for themselves with the money you can save through fraudulent billing. Same goes with your pool company. We shouldn't have to be at home all day or have security cameras watching all the time to ensure that people are doing the work they are being paid to do. People should just be honest in their dealings.

[Samiamnh]

We're never there to see our bug guy and he's only been inside once but whatever he's doing outside is working great.
Rarely ever see a bug and when we do it's already groggy and on the wy out.
Totally happy with our service

[SellinginFL]

Originally Posted by Samiamnh

We're never there to see our bug guy and he's only been inside once but whatever he's doing outside is working great.
Rarely ever see a bug and when we do it's already groggy and on the wy out.
Totally happy with our service

May I ask who you use? We're now in the market for a new pest control company. Thanks!

[Taratova]

For those people who want to do their own pest control outside there is a product called Demon WP that is not sold in the box stores. It is on the internet and works. A friend tried it and said he wiped out everything with it. He has a real bad problem with roaches. Everyone has a different problem. I had a black beetle problem when I bought my home. No roaches. I have bees but we need them and they don't bother me and I don't bother them.




https://www.amazon.com/Demon-WP-Pest...ustomerReviews


My neighbor also told me about Home Defense for inside the home. It works too. Many people can't stand bugs and I am one who doesn't like creepy crawly things. I am from NJ and saw more bugs there than here.

[BugManTPC]

Originally Posted by Taratova

For those people who want to do their own pest control outside there is a product called Demon WP that is not sold in the box stores. It is on the internet and works. A friend tried it and said he wiped out everything with it. He has a real bad problem with roaches. Everyone has a different problem. I had a black beetle problem when I bought my home. No roaches. I have bees but we need them and they don't bother me and I don't bother them.

https://www.amazon.com/Demon-WP-Pest...ustomerReviews


My neighbor also told me about Home Defense for inside the home. It works too. Many people can't stand bugs and I am one who doesn't like creepy crawly things. I am from NJ and saw more bugs there than here.

Please be careful if you go this route using Demon WP (Active Ingredient Cypermethrin) AKA RAID x 800%

Pyrethroids are Contact Insecticides, whatever insect you spray, it dies.

this particular product leaves an oily residue that can persist for 3 to 4 weeks, this can be good and bad.

Good: Any future roaches, silverfish, and earwigs who cross the path will die.

Bad: Ants, most ants, specifically Ghost, White footed and Pharaoh Ants can detect the barrier. this may cause these Ants to now nest inside your home because they cannot get out.

Moral of the story here: Spraying insecticides have to be done with caution based on the identified pest. There are different "Tools" to be used based on the type and level of infestation.

Example: Pharaoh Ants, you can use that Demon insecticide to spray 3 of your 4 walls, the fourth wall, typically a Wet Wall (Kitchen, Bathrooms, Plumbing areas) should be ANT Bait. The liquid insecticide blocks the Ants path, corals them towards the fourth wall where the bait is. Bait is food for them, undetectable, they consume, move on and die.

Finally, if your home sits vacant for a few months while you are up north, usually you turn the water off to the house. Well, when the P-Traps go dry it is common for American Cockroaches (aka Palmetto Bugs) to crawl up the drain from your sewer or septic system. this is the most common cause to coming home to hundreds of dead roaches when you are away.

Solution: Home watch person stops in every two weeks and flushs toilets, run sinks, showers and baths.

Partial Solution: Blue Painters Tape, cover shower and tub drains. Cover Over Flows. after final wash cycle on dish washer, add 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil to your Dishwasher drain, this helps keep seals protected and slows down evaporation in the drain. Sinks, Kitchen and Lavatory tape of these drains as well.

This will minimize roaches coming into the house while you are away.




To the OP, I am very sorry you had this experience with workers in our industry.

Here are a few pointers when interviewing your next bug guy:

~ How are you paid? this question will throw the entire conversation off of its rails, but it is a good one to start. Bigger companies send out "Closers", Sales People who's sole job is to "Make the deal Happen"

Some companies, will send out the Tech who will actually be responsible for your work, The Primary Route Tech.

If either answer the question "Performance Pay" "Piece Rate" or "Commission" this is code for, they earn a % of the ticket price they are selling to you. $65 = $13.65 @ 21%, the percent range is 17 to 21%.

If they say hourly..... Next Question

~ What is the penalty for not doing my home when you show up? What happens to you if you GHOST my property?

Answer: Should be termination

~ How long are you trained before you can treat my home?

Answer: Florida Department of Agriculture Requires a Minimum of Two Weeks.

Small companies are usually run by Owner / Operator, their licence is on the line if the technician does something wrong. Most small companies train for a month to 90 days.

~ What is your companies Employee Turnover Rate?

Answer: Most people at the Technician Level are not going to know this, its actually a secret. Especially if it is a very high number. If he is honest, he should say; "I don't know, may I call my Supervisor?"

You can also ask: How many new technicians does your company train per month?

~ Do you spray my home when severe weather is in the forecast?

If answer is anything other than No, see follow up question:

~ If you cannot do my service when it is scheduled, do you send the invoice anyway?

Remember: Hourly guy gets paid regardless, Performance Pay Guy, Has to meet a daily quota in order to earn a check.

~ If I have a problem in between services is there a charge for coming back and doing it again?

Remember: Hourly guy gets paid regardless, Performance Pay Guy, Has to meet a daily quota in order to earn a check. If performance pay guy has to come back, his company trys to not pay him if he is in Overtime, they are only paying him time and half at minimum wage.

Moral of the story here: Performance Pay Shops Set Daily Production Quotas in order to mitigate Labor Cost, those route employees MUST complete a certain amount of work in order for the company to Bill.

This pay method and management style encourages technicians to GHOST, they will log a GPS marker near your home, they will sit in the truck for 5 or so minutes and then try to Flag the yard or Door and drive off.


At our place of business, we terminate employees for GHOSTING. I am happy to say our turnover rate for 27 employees us less than 3%.

All of our work is performed by the person you meet, if a supervisor is requested, we do the follow ups for our guys in order to get a second set of eyes on a job.

If we give you a price, per service or per year, all work is guaranteed. We come 6 times or 16 times, the job has to be done right.


Lastly, BIG Companies have BIG Marketing Budgets, they call it Customer Acquisition Cost. Smaller Companies focus on paying employees a livable wage with benefits vs. Large Dollar Marketing Campaigns. Smaller companies are usually Owner Operated

When you call for quotes, just ask the question, Do you have a Owner Present in the company?

or you can search the company ahead of time before you call.

Public Database Searches

I hope this is helpful.


Professionalism is very important to me. Serving our community is a privilege. Being an insider, I will always strive to provide useful information here for home use as well as provide caution when it comes to people caring for their home on their own. What we do is dangerous and necessary, it is not for everyone.

[SellinginFL]

Originally Posted by BugManTPC

At our place of business, we terminate employees for GHOSTING. I am happy to say our turnover rate for 27 employees us less than 3%.

How many have been terminated over the past 2 years for this behavior within your company?

[BugManTPC]

Originally Posted by SellinginFL

How many have been terminated over the past 2 years for this behavior within your company?

Zero

But we did recently Terminate a Trainee who exhibited behavior we did not agree with.

Going way to fast, not following instructions from a supervisor and not staying on task (Talking on the phone too much)

He was with us for 45 days, every new employee is on probation for 90.

We have been fortunate with his replacement and we are hopeful that fourth quarter will present new growth opportunities so that we may grow to 30 employees.


Thank you for asking!

[SellinginFL]

Originally Posted by BugManTPC

Zero

Then I would have to say that I don't believe that you practice what you preach on here or I wouldn't be looking for a new pest control company.

Thanks for the info, Taratova! We'll have to check that out.

[nhkev]

Originally Posted by SellinginFL

Then I would have to say that I don't believe that you practice what you preach on here or I wouldn't be looking for a new pest control company.

Thanks for the info, Taratova! We'll have to check that out.

What you just did was very unfair to bugman. I don't know him personally , or professionally but he has been a contributing member to this forum in a very helpful way. he always shares knowledge with no solicitation of business. by his explanation, he owns his business, is active in the hiring , training and ongoing supervision of every one of his employees. pays them well so they are not pressured to falsify reports. when he says he has fired zero in two years I think it is indicative to his pride of ownership in his business.

[SellinginFL]

Originally Posted by nhkev

What you just did was very unfair to bugman. I don't know him personally , or professionally but he has been a contributing member to this forum in a very helpful way. he always shares knowledge with no solicitation of business. by his explanation, he owns his business, is active in the hiring , training and ongoing supervision of every one of his employees. pays them well so they are not pressured to falsify reports. when he says he has fired zero in two years I think it is indicative to his pride of ownership in his business.

As a customer, I expect that the services I am paying for are actually being provided. In regard to being "fair" I would have to point out that Bugman only offered comment after someone else suggested buying a product online that could potentially replace his company's services. I take offense when someone goes online and apologizes for "others" in the industry when maybe reality is they don't know what's going on within their own company. That being said, I do agree with you that his posts are very informative.