Is Your Pest Company Trustworthy?

“I can’t believe you’re out here in this.”

I’ll never forget the man’s face, staring in shock from the doorway while wind and rain assaulted me from every direction. Yet there I was, ready to do his pest control service.

Every product in my truck had a label that specified it couldn’t be used in the rain, and the label was the law. Yet my employer had not given its technicians permission to go home. Bringing in revenue was all that mattered.

I wish I could say that this was an isolated incident, but I’ve worked with numerous pest services over the years and encountered precious few that were honest.

With thousands of pest control companies around Austin, the competition has largely corrupted the industry. So how do you know the company you’re with now is a good choice?

Here are four questions you can ask your technician

Here are four questions you can ask your technician to find out.

“How Many Jobs Do You Have Today?”

If your technician has 14 stops or less, you’re with a good company. 16 stops and over is a red flag. Believe it or not, many companies expect their technicians to do 19 or more houses a day. This forces the technician to rush through services and cut corners.

“How Long Will This Service Take?”

If the answer is under 20 minutes, then it’s time to cancel your service, or at least request a refund. A good treatment takes between 20-30 minutes for a small or medium-sized house.

“Will You Be My Regular Technician?”

Good companies give their technicians their own routes with regular customers. That way they get to know the people they work with as well as the region’s special pest issues.

If your company doesn’t have a dedicated technician for you, they’re probably disorganized or their people are quitting so fast they can’t dedicate an employee to an area.

“What seasonal treatment will you be providing?”

Most companies do the same treatment every time they come out, regardless of the season.

If you only have occasional spiders, it may not be an issue, but there are a lot of insects in the South Austin area that require different methods to vanquish.