[Crown Awards] 2005 Commercial Technician of the Year

It may be 4 o’clock in the morning, but it’s not unusual to find 2005 Commercial Technician of the Year Steve Atchley providing pest control services at one of his many accounts. In the case of a restaurant, he notes, it’s better to provide the service early, before food is prepared. "It’s better to be there when their customers are not in the building," he said.

This level of concern is typical of Atchley, a commercial pest control technician with Cook’s Pest Control’s Albertville, Ala., office. Putting his customers first is one of the top reasons Atchley has earned their long-time loyalty and trust. It’s also why he has earned the respect and admiration of his co-workers at Cook’s Pest Control, which is headquartered in Decatur, Ala.

DIVERSE MIX OF ACCOUNTS. Atchley services accounts located throughout Marshall County in northern Alabama. This rural area is home to many industrial and commercial accounts. Atchley services all types of operations, including hospitals, restaurants, school kitchens, feed mills and production facilities.

A number of Atchley’s accounts have chosen to stay with him since he began his commercial route 23 years ago. "They trust him to take care of their problems and they know Steve is knowledgeable of the business," said James Bridges, district manager for the Albertville office and the person who hired Atchley.

Bridges too, has put his trust in Atchley. "He’s been with me all of these years and I’m familiar with the way he handles himself and the way he handles his customers," Bridges said. "If it’s 2 o’clock in the morning, he’s willing to be there."

Atchley, a 27-year veteran of the company, does have the luxury of setting his own schedule, but he doesn’t arrange it to his own benefit. On the contrary: his time with customers depends on what works best for them. "I find out their schedule and I work my schedule around that," he said. To some degree, he works from home, stopping at the office several times a week.

"I work sometimes from four in the morning until five in the afternoon," he said. "You basically just have to make it convenient for your customer."

Atchley’s flexibility in dealing with customers hasn’t gone unnoticed at Cook’s. "I’ve never seen a person so willing to work whatever time it takes to service that account," says Bridges. He notes that Atchley has even visited accounts on his day off when necessary. "He has a feeling of responsibility for his customers and the problems they have and always goes the extra mile to take care of them," Bridges said.

What’s more, Bridges said, Atchley is sincere and honest in his dealings, and his customers recognize that. "He communicates very well with his customers," Bridges said. "He does not stretch the truth. Whatever he needs to tell them, he does."

And Atchley seems to be just as impressed with the Cook’s operation as his colleagues are with him. "Mr. Cook is a very ethical person," Atchley says of John R. Cook Sr., chairman emeritus of the board at Cook’s and son of the founder. "He’s a very dedicated, Christian person and his ethics are very high. I like that, and I like the professionalism that we portray."

Atchley cites the company’s uniforms, dress code, trucks and equipment as simple examples of the company’s high level of professionalism. He also holds his own work to a higher standard. In recent months Atchley, along with a colleague, earned his state certification. It wasn’t a requirement, he noted. "We did it because we wanted to increase our knowledge," he said.

A DISTINGUISHED CAREER. Atc-hley joined Cook’s Pest Control in 1978, at the age of 21, as a termite technician in the company’s Albertville office. He was soon transferred to residential pest control, and two-and-a-half years later he accepted a position as commercial pest control technician. It was the first strictly commercial pest control route for the company’s Albertville office.

Throughout the years, Atchley has experienced his share of memorable pest control situations, like the time he worked at one of his hospital accounts when an armed bank robber, fresh from a robbery and being apprehended by police, ran through the building, scattering money down the hallway. Although Atchley did not see the thief run through, he did witness a security guard hiding behind a door with his gun drawn.

Atchley says his favorite part of the job is simply talking with his customers. "I enjoy seeing and dealing with people," he says. He always makes it a point to find a contact person at each account who has the authority to get things done. "I always try to find someone in the know on every account, because believe me, on commercial accounts you can get runarounds," he said.

Pest management work has changed throughout his career, he observes. Educating each customer now plays a pivotal role, especially in the commercial sector. "There is less treating and more public relations work," Atchley said. "You have to talk with people, you have to educate people."

Toward this end, Atchley has several key objectives. "I make sure they know what we are doing and what we are applying," he said. "I provide labels and MSDS sheets. I talk about what I’m going to be leaving on the premises and try to let them know the importance of it."

Another change Atchley has experienced has been increasing amounts of documentation and paperwork associated with each account. Atchley explained that with all of the institutional audits being conducted on many commercial accounts these days, documentation is critical.

"There are many, many times points will be lost because of pest control," he said. "Merits can be taken off if the pest control program is not up to par." A few of the governing bodies that perform audits on his accounts include the American Institute of Baking, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "We are not just there to eliminate something," Atchley notes, "we are there to provide a service and do it correctly and keep them up to par."

A PEAK PERFORMER. One of Atchley’s many achievements at Cook’s has been earning membership to the company’s prestigious President’s Service Club for 18 out of 19 possible years. For the last 10 years, Steve has maintained a cancellation rate average of less than .5 percent, and an accounts receivable average below 31 percent. "For others in our industry, these figures would be unheard of, and to some, unbelievable," said Bridges. "Steve is definitely doing something right."

As part of this club, Atchley has earned gifts and vacations over the years. This year, for example, Atchley and his entire family went on a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico.

Not being one to sing his own praises, Steve credits just simply 1) listening to and 2) responding to customers as his keys to success. "I have great customers," he says, "and I think the main thing is just talking with them, so that they know what to expect."

Atchley also credits Cook’s Pest Control’s dedication to customer service as another reason for his success.

"Our company guarantees 24-hour response and we usually try to make it the same day," he says. That’s a promise Atchley has taken to heart. "If it’s an emergency and I’m working 20 or 30 miles away, I will get on the phone and call my supervisor, and he’ll get out there if I can’t make it." And, Atchley adds, if his supervisor can’t get there, he’ll find someone else who can.

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A Family Man at Heart

While Steve Atchley is about the most loyal and dependable employee you’ll find in the industry, his dedication to his work runs a close third to his family and his church involvement.

Atchley and his wife, Sherry, have two sons: Kevin, 14, and Ben, 10. The couple is intensely involved in their children’s lives, with one or both having served as scout leader, baseball coach, and band parent volunteer. Both sons are involved in scouting organizations, with Kevin nearing Eagle Scouts and Ben in Cub Scouts.

“Whatever they do, we’re involved in,” Atchley said.

Atchley and his family also enjoy camping and vacationing in their RV. Some of Atchley’s other interests include fishing and rock-and-roll music, with a favorite artist being Stevie Ray Vaughn. Atchley also owns a guitar but is careful to note, “I strum but I don’t play.”