Derek Roach works in marketing at Pro Pacific Pest Control in Southern California. He graduated from Texas A&M University — Corpus Christi in 2008 and enjoys guitar, snowboarding and soccer.
Being in a service-based industry where entering a customer’s property is the norm, pest control technicians often encounter peculiar situations. I’d like to share one of those situations with you.
Recently, one of our Pro Pacific Pest Control technicians headed to a quiet residential neighborhood in Southern California for a routine service call. As usual, he made a courtesy call the day before to remind the customer. The woman on the other line happily confirmed.
Upon arrival the next day, the technician rang the doorbell to greet the client but there was no answer. Fortunately, our staff had permission to perform routine services even if no one was home. Our technician did just that – spraying, sweeping eaves, identifying potential problems and distributing Talstar® PL granular insecticide on the property.
After treating the front lawn, the technician headed toward the backyard through a gate at the side of the property. As he made his way toward the back, he couldn’t help but admire the tranquility of the neighborhood and the beautiful landscaping adorning the yard. But as he turned the corner, a sight that would be forever embedded in his mind appeared just a few feet ahead of him.
Two nude sunbathers screamed and darted toward their clothes as they spotted the blank-faced technician with a backpack and metal rod in-hand turn the corner of their Victorian-style home.
After a few seconds of hysteria, the technician identified the half-clothed couple as the clients he had met before a previous service. After they regrouped, our technician completed the pest service and hurriedly left the property.
Still loyal customers, the couple is a bit more interested in exact schedule times and always gets a courtesy call 20 minutes prior to their service.
Pest technicians travel to their scheduled jobs every day, not knowing what lies ahead. All they can do is prepare themselves for the unexpected!
Do you have an interesting, humorous or just plain wacky story to tell regarding a particularly strange pest control call? Share it in the comments section below or send us a tweet @FMCpest.
