Termites Require a Thorough Communication Plan

Multiple articles in this month’s Annual Termite Control Issue reminded me that while communication with customers (and non-customers!) is always important, it’s particularly important in regards to termites. Like you’ve heard a thousand times before, termite damage can threaten your customers’ biggest investment — their homes — but they are perhaps the least known pest to consumers. Termites spend most of their time underground and are cryptic, unlike mosquitoes, ants and cockroaches, which are regularly found indoors and out.

The first step of the termite/customer communication process (OK, maybe the second step after the customer initially calls your office or visits your website) is the inspection.

In this month’s IPM Insights column, entomologist David Moore discusses important tools and prep tips for termite inspections, and how the findings of that inspection affect the homeowner. “Make sure you are performing a detailed inspection, and be as transparent as possible with your findings. This will allow customers to make an informed decision on what the next steps will be if termites are found and if they want a preventive treatment done on their property,” he wrote.

Scott Monds, general manager at National Exterminating, took his communication a step further. He talked to people who weren’t even his customers anymore to find out why they quit his company’s service. What did he learn? “We can do a much better job at communicating with customers than what we’re doing,” he said. He also realized it was a big mistake to assume customers knew anything about termites. Some former clients, he found, didn’t know what termites look like, why they’re attracted to structures, what termite service involves or why homes need ongoing protection from the pests.

How does your company communicate to customers about what termites look like? What conducive conditions are? The differences between termite species? How do you present a discussion of the various termite treatment methods available?

And geez…communication regarding spray foam insulation. Has there been a termite (and pest) issue in recent years that has been as confounding to homeowners? To help clear up the confusion, the University of Georgia distributed a consumer press release and publication advising Georgia homeowners to consult with their termite company before installing spray foam. Proactive communication is, of course, a good start for such a tricky situation, since consumers who are trying to do the right thing by having SPF applied to their homes to reduce energy costs can run into problems on their termite inspection afterwards. “Consumers were stuck in the middle on this and that was the biggest concern,” said Chris Gorecki, chair of the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission.

While your company may not issue a press release about termite control, the proactive nature of such information sharing is the right thing to do. (For an example of best practice proactive communication, see NPMA’s upcoming Termite Awareness Week, taking place March 6-12.)

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In case you missed the news coverage online last month, please be sure to read the article on page 12 about U.S. News & World Report including “exterminator” as a job on its 2022 Best Jobs list. “Exterminator” was listed in the category of “Best Maintenance and Repair Jobs.” The article said, “Workers in these occupations are vastly knowledgeable about their trade and are very skilled at what they do. They can get a car up and running again, rid a home of termites or fix an MRI scanner.”

The article generated lots of buzz on our social media sites, with the prevailing opinion among readers being, “Yeah, tell us something we don’t already know!”

Take a moment to share the article to your network of friends outside the industry so they know the great things you’re doing. I know I did!

The author is publisher of PCT magazine.