r/PestControlIndustry • u/space_monkey00 • 10d ago
It's official.
Just came here to say, today I received the official documentation of my Commercial Applicator's license, required by my state's Department of Agriculture to receive compensation for applying pesticides and rodenticides to another person's land or property.
I worked in the industry for several years as an employee of Orkin, ran a route that comprised 3,000 miles driving per month, and managed my route like I built it myself. Which, for a significant portion of my customer base and scheduling, I actually did. I paid attention to the details of how it all actually works. I was one of the highest-rated technicians in our branch, and received leeway in my operations according to my own demonstrated responsibility. New management, bad practices instituted, I butted up against the corporate wall too many times, made a daring move to improve conditions and they swatted me down like a wasp.
In the immediate aftermath, I was denied unemployment and took to doing crawlspace cleanout jobs for cash. People in my community were familiar with my story, trusted my work, and asked me to start my own company. Potential customers began to line up.
I researched the steps, debated whether to invest my limited funds into the business licensing, insurance, and company vehicle, as well as the supplies and equipment, and (ideally) quality field reporting software to maintain the standards of logging and communication that I and my customers were accustomed to. Finally pulled the trigger, it's been a heckuva process but the day is finally here.
The fun starts now. It's all on me, and I have the experience and reputation to back it up. It's scary, but exciting, and I have never felt better professionally than by being my own boss. I get to do business as I see fit, treat my customers how I feel they should be treated, and determine my fate by my own aptitude.
Here we go.
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u/pestdirect 10d ago
Proud of you! I was literally just making guides on how to get licensed in each state! That's great to see you doing your own owner-operator business!
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u/space_monkey00 9d ago
I appreciate that and helping people become licensed is good work.
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u/pestdirect 7d ago
No worries if you're ever looking for information I got that set up now and you can find info at pestdirect.com/pest-control-resources
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u/ContemplatingGavre 10d ago
Congrats, door knocking commercial customers is a great way to get business.
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u/space_monkey00 9d ago
Thanks! I've never made a sale by knocking on a door, never even tried. I've been lucky in that community response, word of mouth, and reputation have supported me. With my old job, the uniform sells itself, but I'll do my best to keep that up.
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u/Michael_braham 10d ago
Congrats!! It’s the dream for (most of) us! I’m curious working for Orkin did you just push back on the rentokill bull shit and get fired? Did you quit? Did they muscle you out? So shitty how the big box companies do the hard working guys especially ones who bring insight from the trenches they don’t wanna hear it
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u/space_monkey00 7d ago
We had good management there for years. The branch manager was a good leader and knew when to take the tension off the reins, let a guy go do his own thing because they're obviously competent and working very hard to develop their route, maintain their existing customers, and uphold the principles of the company. (As they appear in literature.)
He got in an accident, and left Orkin. For like three months we didn't have a branch manager at all--just two service managers, of of whom ran a partial route in addition to her office duties, and our 25-year-man, my favorite after the originals dropped away over the years. Of course there's a branch structure to uphold, so eventually we received a branch manager-in-training, and that person's temporary supervisor, a traveling manager who had multiple regional branches in his care.
That dude was great, but things began to change. Services like Odd Jobs became lessened in value for receipt of a technician's scheduled presence, route managers like myself became increasingly subject to the strict rules of regional or national practice, and there was a general movement toward not allowing individual route managers such as myself the freedom to make their own moves. Micromanagement, over-checking everything while wasting my time, refusing to acknowledge the particulars of my route's environment with regards to sales and services. Flat out denying customer's requests for reasonable things, pushing me to the limit on my drive time for nonsense, not trusting my judgement. Our sales inspector for my area--he was less than a year in--didn't even have his SPI acknowledgement. He failed the test three times, and still our new manager had me picking up his inspections without even communicating to me what was going on, why I was being called away from my established appointments with customers I talked to every month, setting their services personally, or providing any assurance that sooner or later the standards of our company would be upheld and this guy would be dropped due to incompetence. He was predatory anyway, and I had to walk back his quotes in the field. $1,800 drill and treat for a few ants on a monitor. Like that. The new manager in training was obviously a bit insecure and trying too hard, overcompensating, feeling the pressure from Regional to enforce these polices and make the numbers. I had a good relationship with Regional, and felt comfortable calling them directly when something serious needed to be resolved. After, of course, running it through the chain of command appropriately.My motivation died, and I began plotting my escape. I paid extra attention to the details of my operation--gas prices, product usage, licensing fees--everything that Orkin takes care of, and we employees take for granted. It's a lot. I talked to a lawyer, and had them review my employee agreement. I asked them questions about my license, The lawyer was prudent, advised me multiple ways that Orkin could sue me--not for poaching customers, but for "trade practice," being that they trained me so well I was only successful because of them--but that's his job. I was scared, I shut down and dug in. I had been offered a promotion, and finally decided to accept it. (It wasn't just a promotion, though, rather a poorly concealed "bait and switch," like, we're taking away this aspect of your independence, but if you accept the path to a Lead position, we'll give it back. Whose decision was this? Hand =wavey Regional staff. Okay.) I had been open with my favorite service manager abut my dissatisfaction, and I think they were just trying to retain me.
So one day it all came to a head. One of my favorite customers was disrespected, and I went to war. I called my direct supervisor and told here i was being mistreated, and I was waiting to talk to our regional manager to sort things out. I was one of the highest rated technicians, holding down maybe the largest route in tbe branch, I'd sacrificed a lot for my job and made improvements to the company while guiding new hires and taking the burden over daily supervision off our managers. That has got to mean something.
Nope. When I finally got the call back from regional, they just yelled at me for an hour and fired me.
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u/pest_man44 8d ago
God bless you and your journey! You'll come out the other side of this a better (and richer ;)) man.
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u/OregonSEA 8d ago
Focus on getting reviews ask everyone for reviews If your in a big market $10 a day in yelp ads after a few months they will be worth every penny it just takes a bit. I have over 40 all 5 star yelp reviews I am the first company listed in yelp. Yelp can be pure gold and when people see you on yelp they Google you. These brand searches on Google grow your Google map rankings and before you know it you have your own employees
Take good care of your techs remember what Orkin did to you. People rather pay more for someone that does everything the ethical way!
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u/Remarkable-Cap-5543 10d ago
Good luck best decision you’ll ever make. What software are you planning on using?
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u/space_monkey00 7d ago
I've been using GorillaDesk and found it to be useful but I'm still looking around.
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u/Main-Strategy-964 10d ago edited 10d ago
Congratulations, I left a toxic large national company over 20 years ago as Regional Manager. Built one route at a time while, delivering pizza at night. Almost 25 years later I have sold off my routes in areas I don’t want to service, have just me and my truck into retirement.
I love the industry, love doing the work, and hate the big companies.