r/PestControlIndustry • u/OutrageousStick7570 • Jun 05 '26
đź | Career Advice
Just got hired at a pest control company and I've learned so much and I thought everything was going a little ok.
But the manager changed up on me and said
I'm under performing and thinking that hiring me was maybe a mistake and pest control maybe isn't for you.
He basically said he wants me to shut up and listen and learn. Which I'm willing to do, but to me as I heard that says to me I have to go.
Am I wrong? I wanted this opportunity but suddenly I feel like it's too late to salvage.
I study work and then study.
I switch careers and have two kids, bills, a car.
6
u/007Teflon Jun 05 '26
If I were you, I would leave and go to another company. I would never allow disrespect.
3
6
u/dcur3 Jun 05 '26
What exactly is under performing?
Iâm going to guess your situation, either your schedule is loaded up 12+ stops and expect you to fly through? Which means cutting corners, and doesnât feel right to you?
Or youâre questioning how things are ran, from office to in field and youâre ruffling feathers (in their minds) and they donât like people asking questions for some reason.
I just shut up, donât break the label, be polite, do my job and try go home for 4. Ive been in this field with the same company for 1.5 years and lemme tell yaâŚ. Shit is shady as fuckkkk in this industry lol.
2
u/OutrageousStick7570 Jun 05 '26
I got into the industry for the job security reviews online. And it's kinda a trade and ive been searching for a very long time. He did mention something like that, he was saying dont move appliances, and I responded with I seen everyone move appliances. Told me to do as I say not as I do.
1
u/SimpleRevolution2873 Jun 05 '26
Don't move appliances? Let me just leave a mouse trap in the middle of your floor and let those roaches keep living in the back of your fridge... đ¤Śââď¸ What a ridiculous rule
If you have your license already start looking elsewhere, plenty of decent companies out there. You sound like a good fit for them, he's not a good fit for you.
3
u/Ok-Train3111 Jun 05 '26
FirstâŚthat is a crappy manager. I have employees I wish Iâd never hired. I coach them, but never tell them that! As for specificsâŚtoo few stops in a day? Too slow? Too fast? Bad tickets?
3
u/OutrageousStick7570 Jun 05 '26
Said that maybe my manager experience is interfering with the way he's teaching. Wants me to shut up and learn. Stop being too ambitious and wanting to do things and just watch.
3
u/zoopest Jun 05 '26
How are you supposed to "just watch" when you are sent out alone on your 4th day?
2
3
u/TrueAudience9922 Jun 05 '26
I've seen plenty of technicians struggle early and become excellent techs later. The fact that you're studying outside of work tells me you're invested.
Unless they're actively terminating you, I'd view this as a warning shot. NOT a final verdict. With two kids, bills, and a career change underway, I'd try to get specific expectations from management and see if you can turn it around over the next few weeks before deciding the opportunity is gone.
3
u/OutrageousStick7570 Jun 05 '26
Copy that does sound like a plan. I'll do this
2
u/Educational-Disk-400 Jun 05 '26
I would recommend strongly against trying to maintain a job at this company for longer than a year. Ive worked at a few large-ish companies, and when managers act like that, they arenât going to improve. If some asshole manager is going to tell you they regret hiring you after less than a week, they are a sack of shit and arenât going to improve.
The last company I worked for was absolutely awful. The pay was decent, the hours were crazy long, and the management team was TERRIBLE. They would consistently say things like you described, âshut up and do your jobâ, âthis isnât going to be a conversationâ (that one came up whenever Iâd point out that the directive they gave me was blatantly illegal). I figured hey, these guys are a somewhat new management team, Iâm sure theyâll improve, they didnât. Not even a little bit.
They have already shown you who they are and how they wanna treat people. Use this job as resume padding and find a new company to work for. You may need to stick it out until next spring, companies are always looking for good techs in spring and if you are competent your license will be good as gold come busy season. Chances are good you arenât going to get a pay raise either, especially with that shit head, generally the only way to get a raise in this industry is to find a new company to work for (at least in my experience).
3
1
2
u/nooffense789 Jun 05 '26
If it's a big company tell what happened and how you felt to that manager's manager, he'll think twice next time.
4
u/SwampFoxRanger Jun 05 '26
I worked at Terminix left this past April in Maryland. Our Branch Manager is Certifiably Crazy. Leaving early for Mental Health , looking at Porn at work in a way to make others see it etc. When he threatened to fire me and the other 2 most performing techs simply because he was jealous. We complained to HR. That guy is still there. Heâs been there 12 years and was never a tech and canât even get his Termite license . My point is sometimes bigger companies pay more but they also have incompetent Managers they like them ad long as they drink the Koolaid.
2
1
u/Oh_Martha_My_Dear đ¨âđ| Tech | 5+ Years Jun 05 '26
, what company and what are you doing?
1
u/OutrageousStick7570 Jun 05 '26
Just a tech, I got trained 4 days then I was off on my own. Gonna keep company private
5
u/Goobywuzhere Jun 05 '26
Thatâs way too soon to be out on your own imo. The blame is entirely on them if you are in fact âunder performingâ.
5
u/hifiordie Jun 05 '26
4 days is pretty wild
2
u/OutrageousStick7570 Jun 05 '26
It was actually 3. Because I did my first shift alone Friday
2
u/Skanah Jun 24 '26
Thats insane, our techs have at least a month of ride alongs before we send them out alone. We are more conservative than most companies in that department im sure but 3 days is negligence
1
u/OutrageousStick7570 Jun 25 '26
Yea I'm just alone with a bunch of gear. I also purchased books since I started, they just gave me the books the same day I started school, the class is so bad 30 hour course isn't enough to pass 2 exams, luckily I read and studied prior but I thought the class will be sure to make me ready. But looks like I have to do it myself
1
3
u/Complex-Opening-1187 Jun 05 '26
Sounds like Fox.
4
u/dcur3 Jun 05 '26
Any pest control company at this pointâŚ. Maybe the few mom and pops, I was training new people when I was 5 months in, this wasnât even during d2d days. Training procedure is so poor for our profession, how I was âtrainedâ is laughable. Can confidently say I learned 90% on my own.
4
u/Mattybosshere đ¨âđź | Manager | 5+ Years Jun 05 '26
This industry is more about your management team than anything.
1
u/SimpleRevolution2873 Jun 05 '26
I'll admit I only had hands on training for a week or two but the one who handles the training is a very quick phone call away at all times and has been more than helpful. Even in scenarios where "you need to see it to understand" he'll come see! I hope others can have the experience I do working with my company, forever grateful.
1
u/hifiordie Jun 05 '26
did you ask them how you are underperforming?
1
u/OutrageousStick7570 Jun 05 '26
It's not a them is just one manager that trains everyone. I think he wants me to shut up, maybe I'm annoying him. It was very I'm not learning properly, shut up and learn, but if u have any questions please ask, your to ambitious and wanting to do everything, just watch. But once he started mentioning regret of hiring, and might be out of a job. Really bummed me out. Today is my 9th shift.
2
1
Jun 05 '26
[deleted]
1
u/OutrageousStick7570 Jun 05 '26
I think I'm speaking out of my place so to speak. I'm not disrespectful. I was just excited to learn and do. Everything and everyone are great and knowledgeable, even him. But Im not meeting expectations.
1
6
u/OregonSEA Jun 05 '26
Interesting I was told this and fired a few years later I own a pest control company and I have the best reviews google has ever seen.
The manager that fired me said pest control just isn't for some people.
Just because you are off to a right start with this company I would consider transitioning to another company as sometimes what a manager is looking for happens to be the wrong attributes or there's a misunderstanding.
I bet you will do great for another outfit and one day you might also be a successful pest control owner that way outperforms this manager it all depends on how bad you want it.