Love for Pest Control Drives His Performance

Larry Bloechl, a 37-year veteran of the pest control industry, loves the job he performs so well as a service technician for Sun Prairie, Wisconsin-based Wil-Kil Pest Control. And it goes without saying that he loves his family (his wife of 21 years, their three children, five grandchildren and a sixth due next year). Born and raised in the Fox Valley, he loves the Green Bay Packers too. “My family and I try to get to at least one game every season, but if we can’t be at Lambeau Field in the stands, we’re at home, in our Packer gear, with our eyes glued to the TV,” he said.

When it comes to his love for pest control service, “Larry represents all the traits that make up a fantastic residential technician,” said Tom Majors, his supervisor at Wil-Kil, a Copesan-owned company. “His dedication, expertise, strong work ethic, and willingness to lend a hand can be seen in everything he does. Because he’s a professional through and through and has a superior customer service orientation, he’s earned the distinction of being named PCT’s 2015 Residential Technician of the Year,” said Majors. “Over the years, he’s seen the pest management industry grow by leaps and bounds, and with that, he’s gained a technical expertise that is unmatched.”

“We call on Larry to help train new team members and impart his wisdom before they make their own path,” said Majors. “He’s always eager to answer their questions, offer advice and encourage them when they feel defeated or overwhelmed.” Working out of Wil-Kil’s Appleton office, Bloechl treats mostly residential customers who are found in the cities along Wisconsin’s Fox River, including Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha and Sherwood, but he occasionally fills in for fellow technicians and treats customers’ homes in the Sheboygan area, too. “I also have some industrial clients in the Fox Cities. Some of them are paper mills, experimental paper mills, and paper product companies,” he said.

Bloechl is proud of his ability to solve the pest problems that affect his approximately 650 customers, he said. “I’m almost always up against bed bugs, carpenter ants, spiders, bees, wasps or fleas in my territory. And I’m proud of the fact that my customers have stayed with our company long-term because of my successes.”

Because of the resurgence of bed bug problems in Wisconsin and around the country, he makes it a point to assure customers whose homes have been invaded by those “nasty little creatures” that they have nothing to be ashamed of. “I explain that bed bugs usually originate elsewhere but can hitchhike into their homes. I want to comfort my customers and explain that it isn’t necessarily their fault and inform them about what they can do and what I’ll do to solve that problem.

“The same holds true for customers with a flea or cockroach problem. I’ll comfort them and make them aware of what must be done.”

Bloechl’s pest control knowledge and application skills have been honed by his years of experience and the more than 50 online pest control courses that he has taken, including Biology and Control of Carpenter Ants, Safety with Rodenticides, House Mouse Behavior, Importance of Documenting Inspections, Principles of IPM, Hazard Communication, and Pesticides and Health.

Actually, Majors said, “Larry is one of only a handful of company employees who has been honored with Wil-Kil’s annual QUALE Memorial Award for outstanding service. Larry is one of the most well-respected individuals in our company and has proven himself through his service excellence and dedication to the company.”

WHAT IPM IS ALL ABOUT. In explaining his service philosophy, Bloechl said he always focuses on prevention first and material application last. “That’s what IPM is all about. And I believe it’s so important to spend the necessary amount of time in each home I service, getting to know the property and assessing the problems that are present.”

His typical day starts at 6 a.m., when he leaves for his scheduled route. “Some customers want me there bright and early before they leave for work. I’ll treat their basement and inspect the upper floors. Then I’ll do a thorough treatment of a house’s exterior and inspect as I go along looking for possible entry points. Of course, I’ll document everything that I find. Some days I’ll treat 10 houses and some days 18 or 20, if they just require exterior treatments. The days can be pretty long but that’s the nature of the business especially from April through October. My wife, Sue, understands and supports that aspect of my job.”

Majors said that Bloechl treats his clients’ homes like they were his own and he never hesitates to perform a quick maintenance task to prevent pest entry. “He’ll also work with them on ways to prevent future issues, such as recommending they move firewood away from the house or trim tree branches that are just a little too close to the structure,” Majors said.

Bloechl is also proud of the relationships he has established with his customers. “That means a lot to me, and hopefully to them, too,” he explained.

In his work he is guided by the “pest control golden rule”: He treats his customers the way he wants to be treated. “And I want to go the extra mile for them — even when it comes to carrying patio furniture indoors for elderly customers as the weather turns colder, or moving their garbage cans from their driveways into their garages.”

Those activities go a long way in building good relationships as evidenced by a married couple in Neenah, who explained they have found him to exceed expectations in accurately diagnosing a challenge then following thorough with a “spot on” appropriate solution. They commented, “He is more than attentive to detail and extremely thorough and efficient. He listens carefully and patiently to our concerns and offers his knowledge of entomology and updates on the latest research and is prepared to go beyond the usual service in an attempt to ward off potential problems.”

Another client stated that Bloechl is highly regarded and is like a member of their family. “In addition to servicing our home so well, he’s gotten to know us and shares his stories of his family and community. And he does small things to show his appreciation for our business.”

Yet another client said that he enjoys having Bloechl service his home. “He’s been doing that for about 15 years and is always prompt, very courteous, and trustworthy. He’s great at handling a variety of pest control issues. Living on the Fox River means that spiders, ants, wasps and mice are a threat. Larry has diligently and professionally handled it all.”

Majors said that Bloechl has helped Wil-Kil grow in more ways than management can count. “His relationships have helped drive new business to us. He has helped to mentor some of our best technicians, getting them ready for the next step to management. But Larry is happy where he is. He likes interacting with his clients and doesn’t want to leave them. Being a service technician is in his blood. And we hope he continues to be one for us for years to come.”