A Virtual Approach to Training

Well over a decade ago product manufacturers in most major industries were exploring innovative new ways to provide education and push their messages across to end-users and distributors. In pest control, these “online modules” were the very beginnings of virtual training.

While customers would go through these cumbersome online processes – typically called modules – they represented to Zoom and Teams training sessions what the Commodore 64 computer was today’s MacBook Pro.

Even in the year or two preceding the pandemic, Zoom itself was valued, according to CNN, at $16 billion after a successful IPO. Once COVID-19 forced the world into virtual training, Zoom overnight became a $40 billion dollar company as of March 2020 and started experiencing 500,000 downloads per day.

At the COVID-19 outset, pest control associations and other groups immediately cancelled all in-person training events and soon after online training became the norm. Live webinar training is now available with CEUs offered by most states – and in many cases the training sessions are free, sponsored by manufacturers.

Jason Payne, owner of Payne Pest Management, San Diego, says his firm started doing virtual training because of the pandemic, but has continued for other reasons. “More recently it has been by choice because it saves time, gas and money from having team members join from home or wherever they are at,” Payne said. 

Payne added that both internal and external training have worked well for his firm. “Our company definitely promotes ongoing training. The industry and its laws are always changing and we must stay on top of the latest treatment methods, products and laws to provide the best service possible to our customers. Providing service within a population base of nearly 25 million people in Southern California, time is of the essence, so virtual training has been a game-changer for us. Add to that the recent gas price hikes, it’s also a huge money-saver by not having 50-plus vehicles driving to their local offices for a training that can be done virtually.”

Jeff King, owner of Pest Rangers, Hanover Township, Pa., uses virtual training as well. “During COVID-19 a few manufactures flirted with virtual training. I don’t think the technology is there yet to support it 100%,” he says. “We do embrace ongoing training. The pandemic made it easier to get credits via Zoom. This has made things very easy for us to get the training for our employees.”

Jeffrey Weier, recently retired technical director of Sprague Pest Solutions, says that his company promotes ongoing education and provides two or more virtual trainings each month.

“In some ways it is easier on their schedules, but it is difficult for technicians to concentrate on longer trainings when using their phones,” he said. “There are also connection issues. It is difficult to have interactions with the attendees, although we do use polls, quiz questions and games to help. Technicians sometimes try to squeeze these trainings into their days and may not be as focused on the presentation while sitting in their vehicles. There can be distractions that trainers do not see.”