PMPs Divided on the Use of Body Cams

CLEVELAND – Pest management professionals have found video to be useful for variety of reasons, such as setting up video cameras in attics or outdoors to track rodents and wildlife pests. For example, Dan DeCarlo, owner at Dan's Pest Control of Idaho, wrote on PCT's Facebook page: Cameras are a must for difficult roof rat jobs. 

But when it comes to equipping service professionals with body cams, PCT’s readers were split. According to a recent PCT Reader Poll, 70 percent said they dislike (36 percent) or are undecided (34 percent) on the use of body cameras, while 16 percent said they would consider using them “in some accounts.” Only 14 percent said they would consider equipping all of their service professionals with body cams.

We decided to pose this question to PCT’s readers after reading “Lights, Camera, Action,” in our sister publication Lawn & Landscape. In that article, GrassRoots Turf CEO Josh Wise shared that each of his company’s spray technicians, at each of its franchise locations, wear body cameras while on the job. Wise said GrassRoots Turf has benefitted from the use of these cameras in several ways, including documenting that his technicians were on site and were properly spraying, and to prove to “speculative customers” that technicians did not damage property, or that they were legitimately not able to treat a yard because of a locked gate.

But what about using them for structural pest control, where much of the work is done indoors? Privacy concerns were cited by those contacted by PCT and by those who responded to our poll on social media. Paul Alley, president of Pestmaster Services of Kingston, N.Y., told PCT, “What happens when cameras catch people’s kids? People have the right to a certain expectation of privacy in their own home.”

Similarly, Geffry Gorman, owner/operator of Green Flag Services, Orlando, Fla., wrote on PCT's Facebook page: Typically when you’re spraying lawns with fertilizer and for insects the customers will know if you weren’t really there. Results wouldn’t show. PC techs go inside homes and I don’t think they’d want you recording inside especially with children.

Alley acknowledged that body cams could be a tool for outdoor applications because outdoors there is not that same expectation of privacy. “Whatever you can see with your eyes you can film,” he said.

One PCO who does use body cameras is Thomas Jenkins, owner of Jenkins Pest Control, Murfreesboro, Tenn. Jenkins bought his first body camera after an incident where a customer withheld payment because she did not think Jenkins was treating. Jenkins bought his first camera in 2019 and he and his one service technician do use them for indoor service (after getting customer consent). “I haven’t had but one customer ask me to not wear it on the interior of their home as both the husband and wife do medical billing from home (HIPA concerns),” Jenkins told PCT.

Other reasons cited by PCT’s readers for not using body cams included; cost; not wanting to micromanage their service technicians; and the fact that cameras are already used by many customers.

Melisa Arnold, owner of Horizon Pest Solutions, New Cambria, Kan., wrote on PCT’s LinkedIn page: I’m still solo but probably wouldn’t initiate a body cam policy when I hire. I just assume there are cameras watching my every move anyway. All of my commercial and most of my residential clients have some type of camera system installed. No need for me to incur that expense.

Our current poll asks:  Does your company employ door-to-door sales professionals?