[Research Update] New Survey Taps Into Americans’ Attitudes Toward Bugs

In today’s competitive marketplace, there’s nothing worse for your business than misunderstanding the mindset of your customers — residential or commercial. One of the key factors in building exceptional relationships with current and new clients is the ability to anticipate and understand their pest-related concerns and frustrations, then build trust and establish yourself as the go-to resource for a quick and long-lasting solution.

To take a pulse on today’s consumer attitudes when it comes to bugs, BASF recently commissioned a consumer survey with Harris Interactive, a global leader in comprehensive consumer and industry surveys. The results provide a clear indication that Americans don’t take kindly to insects that invade their living quarters. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone in our industry, but the numbers do tell a powerful story about the potential for growth in the commercial and residential pest management arenas.

Consider these findings:

STAT: About three in four U.S. adults (77 percent) would not return to a restaurant in which they, or a friend or family member, saw a bug.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: For pest management professionals entering or working with the food industry, a strong working relationship with food plant or restaurant personnel is of utmost importance. When taking on a commercial food account, it is the responsibility of pest management professionals to demonstrate a keen understanding of both the pest control and food industries, and be able to share what makes their service a valuable part of the food operation.

The pest management professional’s skills of inspection and pest identification, matched with the proper sanitation and maintenance performance of facility staff, ensure a successful and pest-free business. Pest management professionals can use this telling statistic to talk to their food industry clients about the fact that regular, thorough pest management services are well worth the effort and money.

STAT: About seven in 10 U.S. adults (70 percent) would not return to a hotel if it had bug problems, and more than half (53 percent) would avoid that particular hotel or restaurant chain.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Pest management often is challenging in hotel and motel settings with the abundance of food, ideal moisture and temperature conditions. What’s more, pest control is not only about meeting government standards in these settings, it’s about protecting a business’ reputation in the minds of its customers. Undoubtedly, the key to maintaining and strengthening relationships with hotel personnel is maintaining open lines of communication. If hotel personnel and PCOs work together, and each understands the other’s point of view, it will be easier to prevent pests from becoming a customer-satisfaction stigma.

STAT: More than half of U.S. adults have had bug problems in their home (54 percent), with ants being the most common type of pest cited. Forty-five percent of adults acknowledged that they had endured an ant problem, and of those, 86 percent reported some level of frustration about the problem.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Home-owners are not the only ones frustrated by recurring ant problems. Pest management professionals struggle for control of tough accounts every day, and it’s critical to know how to educate your clients on their role in maintaining an ant-free home. BASF provides a great resource for consumer education on ant biology, habits, species and professional options online at www.AntInstitute.com.

STAT: About three in five (59 percent) U.S. adults would place at least a little blame on their Realtor if a home they purchased developed bug problems within the first year. About two in five (36 percent) U.S. adults would place a lot/some blame on their Realtor.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: It’s no secret that bug-related problems can damage the value of the home, but just a few termite “problem homes” can make a meal out of a Realtor’s hard-earned reputation.

This presents a valuable opportunity for pest management professionals to become a trusted partner and to uphold a solid reputation by taking termites off the table during a real estate transaction. While you can never predict what you’ll find during the WDO inspection, if you’re using Termidor termiticide/insecticide, you can assure the Realtor and buyer you’re working with a premium non-repellent treatment with high residual value.

STAT: About three in five (61 percent) of U.S. adults would place at least a little blame on their builder if a home they purchased developed bug problems within the first year. About two in five (39 percent) of U.S. adults would place a lot/some blame on their builder.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Builders are recognizing that even a few “problem” termite homes can seriously damage their reputations, and, consequently, they appreciate the value of using premium termite defense products.

Although many pre-construction termite treatments have generally been price driven, Termidor has allowed pest management professionals to more effectively sell a premium product for pre-construction termite prevention. Many custom and upscale homebuilders view a premium termite defense treatment like any other premium add-on installed in a home, and are marketing it to homebuyers as a valuable property enhancement.

FINAL THOUGHTS. In conclusion, the data collected by this survey takes out some of the guesswork when it comes to pest management professionals “getting to know” their customers.

Whether pest management professionals are dealing with harried homeowners, tough commercial accounts or establishing lasting relationships with skilled professionals such as Realtors or builders, the steadfast principle of building rapport holds true: Establishing an ongoing, open dialogue with customers can take a pest control business to new heights and new profits. Because, after all, pest management professionals offer the necessary expertise and solution-based advice that only someone with the knowledge of this industry could provide.

The author is a market development specialist for BASF Specialty Products, Pflugerville, Texas.

About the survey

The statistics in this article come from an online survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of The Termite Institute and Ant Institute between Feb. 2 and Feb. 6, 2007, among 2,055 U.S. adults 18 and older. Sampling error is +/-3 percentage points. This online survey is not based on a probability sample.