LEIGH FRYXELL Smart Operations Manager, Anticimex Marshfield, MA How did you get started in the industry? I applied to a position as an observational biologist for a pest control company in the Boston area in 2015. During my interview, I realized that the position was a service technician role. Although skeptical at first, I quickly grew to love helping customers ...

Sponsored Content BY RYAN NEFF, Ph.D., WEST COAST TECHNICAL FIELD SPECIALIST, MGK Q: What is the most common pest ant in the United States? A: This is a difficult one to answer: Do you go by total number of accounts that treat for a certain ant? The geographic range a particular species covers? Total abundance in the U.S.? If you ...

Essential to Retaining Employees   BY CATHY LANDRY A strong company culture is essential to providing world-class customer service and keeping employees focused, happy and on the job for the long term, several experts say. “A company’s culture plays a huge role in excellence,” said Travis Aggson, branch manager and associate certified entomologist at American Pest Management, a Rentokil company. ...

Sponsored Content Q Where does automation fit into pest control? A For a lot of folks, the term “automation” conjures up mental images of complex code and robots carrying out jobs that would best be left to people. As a result, some businesses hesitate to consider automation because they incorrectly assume that software will make mistakes or go awry without ...

Morgan Manderfield, Entomologist Ecolab St. Paul, Minn. Morgan Manderfield always loved bugs and knew this passion would play a part in her future career. While she never imagined a career in pest control, she’s found her ideal role as an entomologist with Ecolab in St. Paul, Minn. After earning her undergraduate degree in biology, she explored possible career options that ...

DO YOU GENERATE A MULTIPLIER ABOVE OR BELOW 1.0? This is a question we do not often ask ourselves or think about, but the experience modification multiplier is a critical component of calculating your Workers Compensation premium. It ultimately determines how much you will pay. ACCORDING TO THE WORKERS COMPENSATION BOARD OF NEW YORK: “Workers’ compensation (WC) is insurance that ...

We all seem to know someone—a nephew, a child, a friend, a grandchild, or even ourselves—who simply will not talk on the phone. Not only do they avoid phone calls, but they also seem to have little interest in e-mail. Instead, they text to check in with a friend, book a hair appointment or manage a doctor’s appointment. Different generations ...

How to handle complaints, negative feedback and hostile situations Everyone has had them: The difficult customer who you just can’t seem to satisfy. Rather than looking at them as just a headache at the top of the to-do list, these customers can give you insight into your business operations—and provide an opportunity to keep them as loyal customers. Eve Pappas, ...

In an everchanging digital age, it can be demanding to constantly come up with new and interesting content for social media, email and your website. With all this pressure on you and your team’s shoulders, it may be tempting to lift and reuse something you saw on the internet. However, this type of activity is considered plagiarism and can have ...

Every pest control company wants its employees to remain safe, and effective planning and training can safeguard all involved. While laws and regulations are in place to protect workers, setting up a robust safety program that includes company investment, preparedness, identifying potential hazards and continuous training that fosters employee buy-in is the key to excellent safety performance, two industry safety ...