[Exclusive PCT Research] Disinformation

In 8/100ths (0.08) of a second, an Internet search for the term "pesticides" brought up more than 25 million relevant Web sites; and in another 0.16 seconds, it revealed almost 3 million results for the phrase "pest control." With so many sources at their fingertips, how accurate is the information that consumers are finding on the Internet about the pest control industry? Are they actually using the Internet as a resource? And, if so, is this evolving source of information good or bad for the industry as a whole?

According to both a PCT magazine survey and individual PCO interviews, a majority of customers do research pesticides and pesticide safety on the Internet, and while all the information is not accurate, the availability of any information is generally considered to be good for the industry.

More than one-third (38 percent) of the survey respondents believe that the most used source of information for the average customer is the Internet, with the second greatest response being that information is secured through the media (25 percent). Only one-fifth (21 percent) of those surveyed felt that pest management technicians provided the greatest source of information to their customers.

In addition, the majority of respondents believe that customers’ ability to access product information is beneficial to the industry — 60 percent responding that it is good; 12 percent stating that it is bad; and 28 percent on the fence, believing it is neither. (See related article on page 76.)

GOOD INFORMATION. Tim Olson, president, MasterCare Pest Management, Anthem, Ariz., is on the side of "good." "I would rather have an educated customer than an uneducated one," he says. An educated consumer understands the complexity of pest management, he explains, but the uninformed consumer often thinks that it is, or should be, much simpler than it is and doesn’t understand that "you need to service a facility inch by inch."

Knowledge also reduces fear, Olson says. He has found, for example, that more and more consumers are knowledgeable about boric acid and understand it to be an effective, safe product. "You know, I read something about that," he says customers will say to him.

"You better know your stuff," agrees Steve Arnold, Peachtree Pest Control, Norcross, Ga. "Be honest and forthright and don’t try to shoot the customer a line, because they may have already done their research."

The Internet also provides consumers with a means of investigating companies prior to contacting them. In addition to a company’s own Web site, Olson says consumers can ensure a company is licensed and registered in the state, and that these documents are up to date at Arizona’s Structural Pest Control Commission Web site. (Editor’s note: Contact information for your state’s structural pest control board is available at www.aspcro.org.)

And consumers do investigate specific companies prior to making a call, says Phil Clegg, president, Clegg’s Termite and Pest Control, Durham, N.C. When a salesperson begins to tell a consumer about Clegg’s, the person often lets him or her know that they already have that information. "Customers are very educated as to what we’ve got and what options they’ve got," Clegg says. "They’ve already researched your company; they know all about you."

"Just about every termite lead we go out on, the homeowner has done research on the Internet," confirms Chuck Tindol, Allgood Pest Solutions, Atlanta, Ga. "Either they found us on the Internet or they learned about termite treatments on the Internet." Tindol’s perceptions of typical consumer Internet use is first searching on pest control, then the pest itself, then specific companies; and that Internet use is higher in urban areas. "In metropolitan areas, the Internet is prominent. It’s becoming more prominent than the Yellow Pages," he says. In smaller towns and rural areas, though, consumers are "still going the old ways," using the phone book or trusting local suppliers whom they know personally.

Peter Schopen, president, Schopen Pest Control, McHenry, Ill., sees Internet use increasing but finds that the "old ways" are still accessed as well. A consumer’s need for and research on pest control is often "such a knee jerk reaction," he says, that most consumers are finding companies through the Yellow Pages or referrals. He is able to validate this, because he asks new customers how they heard about his company, and most say they got the information from the phone book. "It does happen" that consumers use the Internet, he says, "but I don’t think it does as much as we think it happens."

Willard Brooks, Houston branch manager for Terminix, finds that customers use the Internet to a lesser degree than he would have expected, but says that those who are using it are generally finding good information, and this increased customer knowledge has forced salespeople to rise to the challenge. "Salespeople tend to talk more than listen, but if the customer is knowledgeable, [he or she] can throw holes in the proposal," he said.

A comment provided by one pest management professional to PCT’s recent survey agrees with Brooks’ assessment. "I have found that customers will do research on a new-found pest before they even call us. Then they test our knowledge on the subject," the PCO says. "Gone are the days when a tech could BS their way around something they didn’t know. This is especially true in the termite area. It used to be that salesmen would use the lack of knowledge a customer had and use it against them to force a sale. Now the customer is ready with facts before even making an appointment to talk with a salesman. That salesman’s knowledge is NOW the determining fact in getting a sale."

PRODUCT DEMAND. The Internet has made it so easy for customers to research specific products, Arnold says, "it’s changed the manufacturers’ approach to marketing. Manufacturers are using these campaigns to control flow of product to the marketplace." As a result, product use by pest management professionals is often influenced by consumer demand, as consumers research products online then request their use by PCOs. "It’s almost as if the suppliers have taken on that role of middle man — not the distributors," he said.

Customers do often research pesticide products on the Internet, Clegg agrees. And if a customer has done her homework and specifies a product she wishes Clegg’s to use, the company will generally comply.

"I use anything," he says. "I typically do not try to convert a customer from a product if they’ve already picked it." Clegg’s salespeople and technicians will, however, discuss the pros and cons of that product and others that could be used, then let the customer make the choice. This means that Clegg’s field personnel must be completely knowledgeable about a vast array of products, but, he says, "We pretty much try to have everyone up to speed and knowledgeable on all products anyway."

Brooks also will work with a customer’s preferred products whenever practical and applicable. But he also makes a point to discuss the preference with the customer to determine her real pest control need, find out what it is that the customer knows about the product and why she believes it to be a good choice. Then he can discuss similar products with her to see if there’s perhaps a better fit.

BAD INFORMATION. Even when Internet information is inaccurate, it can still be helpful to the industry. Inaccuracies are out there, Brooks says, "Those tend to seep out, but it can still be good because it helps the customer ask the right question."

Schopen also believes that bad information can be good. "My best customer is one who is wrong about everything about pest control," he says. "You have to educate your customer; that has been said ad nauseam." When the customer quotes inaccurate sources or cites invalid information, "I gently correct them," Schopen says. "They see me as they would a dentist or chiropractor — someone who knows his trade and will protect their home from problems. They know their money is well spent."

Customers occasionally will have bad information, Clegg agrees. When they do, Clegg’s field representative will tell the customer their experiences, then provide information to explain and educate the customer on a specific product, treatment or pest.

Probably the worst example of disinformation that Schopen has seen, he says, is that expressed by a home inspector he met at a networking breakfast. The man, who had researched termites on the Internet, was explaining infestation and control to the group. "Everything that he said was wrong," Schopen says. After the man’s presentation, Schopen took him aside and told him that his information was incorrect, then went on to provide accurate information, explaining, "Here’s what I know about termites from doing it for the last 10 years."

In fact, with all the information that is available on the Internet and PCOs’ survey responses that the Internet is the primary source by which the average customer secures information, the responding PCOs did not feel that the customers, in general, know much about pesticides and pesticide safety. Only 8 percent of the responding PCOs answered that customers are "very knowledgeable," and 35 percent stated that customers are "not very knowledgeable" at all.

This is perhaps a result of the cross-purposes of the Internet. It’s not always that Web information is inaccurate, but that so many Web sites are set up as advertising venues rather than as educational resources. "So much of what is on the Internet is marketing," Tindol says, but it is interpreted by consumers as straight fact. "It’s similar to magazines, newspapers or whatever — people see it in print, and it becomes true when it’s not necessarily true."

One example Tindol has run across is consumers surfing the Internet for pesticide products and deciding, from the sites checked, that they want no termite baits used at their homes, only liquid termiticides. "They get steered into the liquid side because they got information that baits aren’t effective," Tindol says. Sometimes the salesperson or technician can talk with the customer, asking what it is they don’t like about baits, explaining treatments and, sometimes, getting them to understand that baits can be safe and effective, and that the best solution depends on the home itself. "The consumer we deal with today is more up to speed on products and techniques," he says. "They are much more knowledgeable today — or at least they believe they are. Not all information on the Internet is true."

Because of these contradictions, Tindol believes that Internet information can be both good and bad. "It’s good most of the time, except when somebody shuts out an alternative," he says.

Brooks cites last year’s e-rumors on termite-ridden mulch as the only really bad information he’s heard come off the Internet. The rumor circulating through e-mail and the Internet stated that consumers should be wary of mulch purchases because of Formosan termite infestations in mulch originating from New Orleans-area trees downed by Hurricane Katrina. As stated in the first line of a press release distributed by the Louisiana’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Bob Odom in response to the rumor, "Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet."

"The e-mail is not accurate and doesn’t even mention the quarantines this department put in place last fall to keep Formosan termites from spreading," Odom said in the release. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry issued a 12-parish quarantine following the hurricanes, banning woody debris movement from the areas unless a plan for treatment were submitted to the department. "In my opinion, someone is using the Internet to cause hysteria about a problem that doesn’t really exist," Odom said.

ON THE OFFENSE. To combat the mulch rumor, both the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service posted information on their Web sites (www.ldaf.state.la.us and www.lsuagcenter.com) about the quarantines, Formosan termites and debris disposal shortly after the story broke.

Including educational information and links on your company’s Web site to combat Internet inaccuracies is becoming more and more the standard in the industry. "It’s very important to have information on your site," Brooks says. Terminix includes Termite and Pest Information as one of its four main site categories; clicking on the category then links the user to such options as Pest Library, Seasonal Advice, Pest and Termite Tips, and, for the young, Just for Fun and Teachers’ Pests activities.

Schopen also understands the importance of the Internet as a tool for both the industry and the consumer. Almost immediately after starting his company (having previously worked in the family business, Mid Central Pest Control), Schopen already had an interactive Web site with educational pages and links. "At this point, I’m a start-up company, so I’ve played every card in the hand that I can."

Whether it is considered good or bad, whether the information being gained is accurate or not, the growth of the Internet has forced an increased accountability on all those in the pest management industry. This is aptly illustrated by the frank but colorful survey comment on Internet information: "It forces the professional to be better informed on technical matters. Put bluntly, you cannot BS your way out of a situation when the customer is holding a download from the University of …"

The author is a frequent contributor to PCT magazine. She can be reached at llupo@giemedia.com.