[Bed Bug Supplement] Customer Education is Key to Cooperation

Editor’s Note: In this excerpt from the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control, veteran PMP Richard Cooper shares his “real-world” recommendations for securing customer cooperation in your bed bug accounts.
 

An informed pest management professional is important for effective bed bug control. It is equally important to educate the client as well as to impress upon them the importance of their cooperation in the eradication effort.

The need for effective training cannot be over-emphasized. Technicians need to be well versed in a wide variety of topics such as the biology and behavior of bed bugs, proper identification, inspection tools and methods, as well as management tools and techniques. Effective communications — both written and verbal — are important skills for technicians engaging in bed bug work. Prior to providing service on their own, technicians should undergo field training in order to learn how to effectively conduct inspections, implement control measures, and recognize the challenges and obstacles that may prevent elimination of the infestation.

Pest management professionals also should receive training to prevent personal injury and/or the transfer of bed bugs onto their clothing or equipment when leaving an infested location. Inspection and treatments often require technicians to move heavy furniture or to inspect in areas of clutter, under cushions and other sites they would not normally inspect, thus increasing the risk of personal injury. Not only should technicians be trained in proper lifting and handling techniques for heavy furniture, but they also should be aware of the hazards associated with cuts that may occur from “sharps” when inspecting under cushions, inside dresser drawers, etc.

Client education is equally important. Clients should clearly understand their role in the management process and must be dedicated to working in a cooperative fashion with their pest control vendor in resolving bed bug infestations. This is especially true for difficult or complex situations that may be nearly impossible to solve without the cooperation of the client. For single-family residences, the education process may be limited to verbal communication or a simple fact sheet, while environments such as lodging facilities, apartments, office buildings, hospitals, nursing homes and shelters will typically require a greater degree of education.

Pest management professionals can offer in-service presentations to clients to educate staff members and department heads about the role they and their staff will play in solving the bed bug problem. It is also necessary to communicate recommendations to the residents and/or the occupants of the structure. Presentations at community meetings can be offered or fact sheets and checklists provided to the occupants. Educational materials also may need to be prepared in more than one language for multi-lingual situations.

Gaining the cooperation and commitment of the client is one of the keys to an effective management effort. In many cases the degree of cooperation between the client and the pest control vendor will determine the level of success achieved. Some examples of the type of cooperation that may be required include requesting changes in laundering practices, emptying dressers or closets, or eliminating clutter that may provide harborage for bed bugs. Physical changes to the environment may also be required, such as the removal of old paneling or caulking and the sealing of cracks and crevices.

Obtaining the level of cooperation necessary to effectively control a bed bug infestation can be difficult. Often, client cooperation is sufficient at the onset of the program, but due to the tenacity of the pest, clients begin to lose their patience and the degree of cooperation soon begins to wane. Financial considerations also can affect the degree of cooperation a client is capable of providing. Shelters and other non-profit organizations simply may not have the financial resources to institute all of the measures required to eliminate an infestation. When the necessary level of cooperation is not received, eradication of the problem may not always be possible and both the client and the pest management professional may need to agree that management of the population at low levels is the best that can be accomplished under the circumstances.

The author is vice president of Cooper Pest Solutions.