Getting Everyone on the Same Page

Education is critical to successful green services. First, company leaders need to stay current with natural products and IPM practices; then, they need to pass that knowledge along to technicians and customer service representatives; and finally, the technicians and CSRs need to share that information with customers.

“When we do the research into emerging products, we enable ourselves to offer our customers the best options,” said Dalin Russell of Green Balance Pest Control. “We need to stay up on the science, because it’s always changing and moving forward. The customers who invite us into their homes rely on us for the safety of their families and pets. They trust us to protect them, and the environment, from potentially harmful effects, so we need to really know what we’re doing, whether we’re applying a conventional or green product.”

Earth Right Exterminating’s Chris Thornton, who is an entomologist and served for several years as a state inspector, takes the education of his team seriously. “We require our technicians to complete six months of in-house training before they can even start any of their testing to get certified by the state. Our rigorous program includes two months of training with organic products, two months with conventional pesticides and two months focused on customer understanding. We’ve found this to be the best way to equip our team to make the best decisions about how to deliver the safest, most effective pest management services.”