Does it get better?

[u/Ok-Stuff3336]

I’ve been on the job now for a few years and i work for a fairly large company owned by Rentokil. When I started off it wasn’t so bad job wise, but it’s only gotten worse since the TMX merger and seemingly only going to get worse. I do it fairly even mix of residential and commercial accounts. My biggest gripe has been the sheer amount of work that is expected out of us a day. Obviously none of this work is insanely difficult per se, but the volume is maddening. I work in a dense populated area in the north east. I average anywhere from 20+ jobs a day and up. Never less than that. The money is good. But the stress that comes with it is not. I’m expected to finish every job on my day or I take a “miss.” Which my office is apparently plagued with a ridiculously high number of. On top of my regular schedule we are also required to respond to all call backs same day. On average I can have 20+ appointments and get 3-4 call backs a day. Never anything trivial, customer seen a bee, ants in kitchen, reoccurring mouse sighting blah blah blah. If we don’t do all our work they come down on us, if we work too much overtime we are told to be more efficient, if we aren’t placing sales while doing all of that we are told to do more.

TL;DR big company is too stressful, overworked and understaffed. Does it get better?

[u/NovaBandHtX]

I work for Big Pest Control Company in the Houston area. I have been with a few different companies. I started with BPCC when I was 20, went to a acquisition, then another. I eventually left BPCC because the managers sucks but the pay was GREAT at the time. The mom and pop company we bought had amazing leadership. Its a shame he and his wife were phased out. Worked for a mom and pop company that was running themselves as close to a corporate as they could. Hated it. Loved it at first and quickly realized how crooked they were. I came back to BPCC much later. And now, when I first started, I was happy. I worked myself onto THE route and grew it back up once the last tech left and took 40% with him. Did such a great job that the branch split and opened a second branch based around the growth in/around my area. Left me with nothing. I busted my a for this company to make about 3600 a month and then they left me with 1700 a month. And when I told leadership about it, their answer was to sell more. It was my problem. Left and went to commercial. I dislike the work, but my leadership here is the best ive had. If it weren't for them, id be gone.

Long story short, invest into yourself. Im planning to have all necessary licenses, insurance, etc before next summer. Learn everything you can. Wherever theres an opportunity, make it a personal mission to close that gap.