PCO RAISES QUESTIONS ON SENTRICON SALES STRATEGY
When stories first began to appear on the pages of your magazine detailing the efforts to test termite baits, I eagerly anticipated the opportunity to use them when they became commercially available. Dow AgroSciences’ Sentricon System looked very promising. I had many customers for termite baits because here on Long Island, many homes are constructed utilizing floating slabs. Homeowners often build obstructions on these slabs, making conventional soil treatments impractical. I began to line up customers for these bait products, assuming I would be able to purchase them from Dow or my local distributor.
You can imagine my surprise when I was told three years ago that I could not buy the Sentricon System or offer it to my customers. I was shocked to discover that they really had no specific reason not to sell me the product, but decided to sell the product to the major companies in each market area. On Long Island, a small handful of companies offer the product supported by considerable advertising.
Undoubtedly, this product is more than a killer of termites. It’s a multimedia marketing program that has created tremendous awareness at the consumer level. Sadly, Dow made sure I would not partake in the benefits of the launch of this new product. Three years went by before another company produced a bait product that I could sell to my customers. However, the best years are now behind us. Competition, lowballers and shrinking customer bases will return this market segment to business as usual.
What have many PCOs lost these past three years? In my opinion, a sharp company could send one technician out in a compact vehicle and generate as much as $10,000 per day with the Sentricon System. And who is that customer going to call when another pest problem arises? Dow AgroSciences sent me a clear message: I am not worthy of being a Dow AgroSciences customer. I will never forget their treatment of me wherever I go and whenever I make a buying decision.
Robert Heiney, President
Ants & Things Pest Control, Bayport, N.Y.
DOW AGROSCIENCES RESPONDS
We at Dow AgroSciences certainly value our business relationship with Ants & Things Pest Control and all who use our products. We take seriously the issues raised by Robert Heiney and want to address these concerns by reviewing our strategy for introducing the Sentricon* Termite Colony Elimination Sys-tem to the pest control industry.
We would love to be able to immediately authorize all who want to sell the Sentricon System. In the short term, it would benefit us to authorize everyone. However we decided to introduce this innovative termite baiting system in a more managed, responsible fashion.
Without judicious authorization and intensive training, we may inadvertently set up firms to fail because of a lack of knowledge and experience on how to properly use the system. We took the route of careful authorization and training among PCOs because (a) the Sentricon System’s performance depends critically on its proper use, (b) the time demands of training and working with Authorized Operators on Sentricon are so great, and (c) the offering and marketing of this unique product is still being fine-tuned.
A variety of factors influences our selection of Authorized Operator candidates. Our primary goal is to introduce Sentricon to the marketplace in a responsible manner. We are willing to sacrifice speed and short-term dollars for long-term success through solid training and education. Dow Agro-Sciences certainly has no desire to cause any injury or ill feelings among members of our industry, but we do feel obligated to market Sentricon in this fashion to help ensure the consumer receives a quality service with this product. The program is an attempt to continue to further professionalism in the industry.
We at Dow AgroSciences are continuing to add Authorized Operators at a steady pace. We will be happy to keep all companies — including Ants & Things — on a list of those interested in becoming Authorized Operators. We thank Mr. Heiney for bringing these comments to our attention and taking the time to express his thoughts.
Kevin Burns, Product Marketing Manager
Dow AgroSciences, Indianapolis, Ind.
* Sentricon is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences.
  |
