[Technically Speaking] It's about quality - not quantity

I felt compelled to write this article for several reasons. I saw the phrase, “It’s about quality not quantity” used in a recent TV advertisement for an alcoholic beverage and thought how appropriate this is for a service industry like ours (not the alcohol). I can assume from the lead-in to the product that it is expensive when compared to similar products. The sales pitch was obviously to promote the idea that the manufacturer is interested in selling a quality product for a commensurate price in lieu of selling large quantities of a less appealing product. Since the ad was during a prime-time football game — they must be making some money.

In December I had the opportunity to interview the president and quality assurance director of a large bakery that supplies all of the hamburger buns and English muffins to McDonald’s in the eastern half of the United States. What impressed me most was that five years ago this company was on the verge of losing half of its business (the McDonald’s account) due to several factors, not all related to the quality of the bun. But with a lot of hard work, innovation, and establishment of a total quality management system, they were able to turn the company around.

The major difference between these two examples and our industry is that they sell a tangible product that can be quantitatively measured, whereas we are selling a product for the most part that is qualitatively measured. In most cases it is not simply about killing bugs or other pests, but the quality of the service we provide. Thus, to a much greater extent we must deal with customer perceptions, i.e., did they get value for the money they spent, were they valued as a customer and treated with respect?

Why not start your new year off with a resolution to start a quality assurance program in your company? Even a one-person operation needs to think about this issue; granted sole proprietors personally know their customers, however, as they grow and add technicians, a need arises to know what is happening in the company.

So for the sake of discussion, a small company (three to five technicians) should consider some of the following factors when setting up a quality assurance program:

COMMUNICATION. This is the heart and soul of a business. It doesn’t matter if you are a mom and pop company or the largest pest control company in the world — if you don’t have effective communication you don’t have anything. Probably the most important component of communication is listening. Are you listening to what your technicians and customers are saying?

Unfortunately, too many of us only hear what people around us are saying and fail to listen.

Consider having at least monthly technician meetings and if you are large enough, include supervisors and management personnel. Encourage an environment of open communication allowing everyone to express their feelings, concerns and problems. Then in a timely fashion take action to correct the most important issues and then move on to the next group.

Customer communication is a completely different element and it is multi-dimensional. As much as possible attempt to have a person answer the phone and not have a phone system send the customer into an interminable cycle of prerecorded advertisements or music they don’t like. Ensure customer service representatives provide a courteous and professional greeting to every caller.

They should be knowledgeable about company services, pricing and scheduling so they can provide a timely response to the customer, preferably without having to call back. However, when callbacks are necessary, they need to be done in a timely fashion.

PROFESSIONALISM. The ambassadors for pest management companies are their technicians. The technician’s appearance, demeanor and knowledge are the things your customer will remember best or worst about your company. Rude and unknowledgeable technicians wearing dirty and un-pressed clothes hanging out of their pants, or jeans and T-shirts, and perhaps smoking at the property will be remembered as a person the customer does not want back. NPMA is going to great lengths with the QualityPro program to raise the public’s perception of our industry and unless pest management professionals walk the walk, it will not change.

SERVICE. Service means different things to each of us. Like many of you I have the need to deal with a variety of service companies, e.g., plumber, electrician and lawn service, and each of us prioritize our expectations accordingly. Certainly we all have the expectation of the job being done right and according to agreed upon specifications. This latter point is where many customers are disappointed by our industry — they do not get what they were told to expect.

Service glitches can be unintentional when the service representative explains the service to the customer and fails to communicate the details of the service to the technician. On the other hand, the technician may simply blow the service off hoping not to be caught. For example, a service ticket specifies that exterior rodent bait stations will be inspected monthly, in actuality the technician repeatedly ignores the service ticket until the property manager or the company QA inspection picks it up. And, there is the occasional technician who performs a drive-by service.

Typically, I’m less concerned about how long it will take to complete the job than I am about it getting started on time. Perhaps it’s my military background but punctuality is my biggest pet peeve, and in the hustle and bustle of our society (time is money) it is probably the easiest way to irritate a customer — arrive one hour after a scheduled appointment, don’t call and let them know you are going to be late and offer to reschedule at a convenient time, or be late twice. In the latter case I doubt there will be a third opportunity. I have heard Lloyd Smigel comment that if you set a window of time, e.g., between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., the customer expects you closer to 2:00 and is more than likely planning to be out the door at 4:00.

DOCUMENTATION. As well as being a legal requirement in most states, documentation is the historical record of what the technicians and your company have or haven’t done for the customer. Make sure your technicians are documenting the services they are performing for the customer. The records must be legible — documentation should not be subject to interpretation. I have had technicians not even be able to read their own handwriting so why should we expect the customer to do it?

Records must be accurate, indicating the time and date of service, areas serviced, target pests, areas of application, products and amounts used. The service record also should indicate what the owner or manager can do to help mitigate pest problems. These records need to be checked periodically by management to assure fulfillment of the service request and regulatory compliance.

This was a discussion of just a few of the elements that form the basis of an effective quality service program. You need to regularly measure the pulse of your customers and your employees to have a better understanding of where your company is when it comes to customer service. Focus on quality during the winter and quantity during the summer.

The author is president of Innovative Pest Management, Brookeville, Md. He can be reached at 301/570-3900 or via e-mail at rkramer@giemedia.com.