The average person is more likely than not to react harshly to the presence of household pests or rodents. Even those who aren’t necessarily frightened by such creatures are still apt to cringe at the sight of them wandering about the premises. Fortunately, those who work in the area of pest management don’t seem to have such strong reactions to encounters with creatures of the less-desired kind. Amazingly, they are somehow able to come in and do their jobs without so much as batting an eyelash. How do they do it?
Vic Palermo is president of Boston’s Ultra Safe Pest Management Inc., and according to him, the reason that his workers don’t tend to react strongly to pests and rodents is that by the time they’re able to physically respond to customer complaints, they’re used to the idea of seeing and interacting with vermin. In fact, given the training involved in proper pest management and control, it actually makes sense that workers would reach a state where the sight of pests wouldn’t faze them in the slightest. According to Palermo, all of his employees are required to extensively studying and train prior to being allowed to work in the field. And since the requirements for licensure and certification in Massachusetts are rather significant, those interested in pest management must put in the time and effort needed to do their jobs well.
Contrary to what some might think, working in the pest management field actually requires a fair degree of dedication. Those whose careers are focused on pest management must commit to continued education training as mandated by the regulations set forth in the state. This means that simply getting a license to deal with pest issues is rarely enough. Instead, pest management workers must undergo continuous training in order to retain their certifications.
While different pest management businesses might employ varying policies as far as company training is concerned, Palermo has a rule that all new employees must undergo extensive amounts of training prior to being allowed to respond to customer calls on their own. When a new technician joins his team, he is partnered with an experienced employee so that he can learn how to combat pest issues hands-on. When it comes to practical, on-the-job knowledge, Palermo’s philosophy is that experience cannot be taught. Ttherefore, the best way to get all of his workers up to speed is to enable them to practice the art of pest management in a supervised fashion and learn from those who truly know what they’re doing.
One thing that sets the Ultra Safe team apart from other workers in the pest management field is the training they receive in compassion and customer care. After all, Palermo realizes that the presence of pests within one’s home can cause an array of reactions. Plenty of people freak out over the idea of disease-ridden creatures crawling around their homes. In fact, some folks have been known to go so far as to pack up their things and leave the premises until the pest-related issues have been resolved. While certain people are able to react more calmly to pest problems than others, one thing’s for sure: Nobody wants to have to walk around in constant fear of encountering a mouse, rat, or creepy crawler. Therefore, as part of the training process, Ultra Safe employees are taught how to handle customers who are upset, anxious, or disturbed by the presence of unwanted pets. And while sensitivity is not something that can necessarily be taught, Palermo’s customers tend to wholeheartedly agree that the company’s technicians are more than adequately responsive and respectful.
While Palermo believes that his employees should maintain the attitude and approach that give his company its good name, when it comes to customer service, he also holds himself to the highest of standards. He therefore offers 24-hour service so that those with pest-related emergencies can call in and speak to a live person at any hour. And since Palermo himself is often the one to answer those midnight calls, he practices the art of customer care on a somewhat regular basis.
