Having spent time with over 500 technicians in all kinds of settings, I realized a pattern of missteps technicians often make that can disturb customers. To help maintain professionalism and satisfy customers, I put together a list of things technicians should avoid on the job. Feel free to add your own and use it in training materials to stress the importance of professionalism. - Showing up late without explanation
- Not talking to the customer
- At the very least, greet them with a smile, ask if they have any concerns, explain the services you’ll be providing and tell them when you’re finished
- Not reading the service slip before leaving the office, which may have special instructions about the property
- Leaving a slip on the door, which announces to the public that no one is home
- Tracking in dust, mud or debris
- Not wearing booties before entering the customer’s home
- Dressing sloppily or having poor hygiene
- Flipping a cigarette butt onto the customer’s lawn
- Blocking vehicles in the driveway
- Leaving lights on in the attic or basement
- Talking politics or religion
- Saying something negative about a neighbor, competitor or even your own company
- Not listening to customers’ specific concerns
- Switching technicians without alerting the customer
- A new technician should have a detailed list pertaining to specific customer concerns
- Leaving fences or gates open, which could enable pets to escape (in my case, it was my pet turtle — I still miss him)
- Breaking something and not telling the customer
- Driving on wet grass, causing tire marks to appear on the lawn
- Promising something and then not following up
- Charging a customer more than their neighbors for the exact same service — neighbors love to talk
- Using the restroom and leaving it messy
- Leaving a stain or smell without warning
- Leaving the door to a crawl space open, which could allow pets to get inside and become dirty
To reiterate: A technician may know the life cycle of every pest, but it takes more than that to keep a happy, long-term customer. To receive articles by Dr. Austin Frishman, advanced pest management information and more, subscribe to our emails.
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