PCOs Safeguarding Employees, Customers Amid Coronavirus Concerns

SEATTLE, Wash. - As the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths in the U.S. has risen (it now stands at 11) so too have concerns among business owners, including pest control operators. Thus far, 10 of the 11 deaths in the U.S. have occurred in the state of Washington. PCT caught up with several pest control operators from Washington to find out how they are dealing with coronavirus.

Cascade Pest Control, Bothell, Wash., is located in proximity to the COVID-19 outbreak in Kirkland, Wash., and Cascade President Kurt Treftz noted, “We have technicians working in Kirkland and other areas where the virus has been reported and have already encountered clients who do not want interior services as they are avoiding public contact.”

Treftz said his team, particularly his office staff, are prepared with basic information about company protocols to reassure customers of safety precautions they take.

In Kent, Wash., Elmer Bensinger, vice president of operations, Eco Elite & Mathis Pest Management, said his firm is closely monitoring the situation, but he said, “So far, no real impact on business. Customers thus far are not overly concerned and technicians seemed to be unfazed at this time.”

Similarly, in Puyallup, Wash., Luke Rambo, president of Rambo Total Pest Control, said his firm has not had any coronavirus-related cancellations yet; however, he’s observed greater concerns in his community. Rambo said his son’s school was closed for deep cleaning/disinfecting because school officials were worried a family member of one of the school’s students might have had coronavirus (that family member did not).

One precaution Rambo undertook was to change a recent all-company meeting from in-person to teleconference. “We thought it would be a good thing to do to allay some of the fears, and we did hear come coughs and sneezes over the speakers, so I think it was a good idea to limit the possibility [of spreading germs],” he said.

Rambo said his firm has been advising technicians to wash hands regularly; not shake clients’ hands; and to keep an greater distance from them. “We’re fortunate in that for the bulk of what our service entails our technicians are not coming face to face with clients; usually it is just for initial visits and follow ups when there is an active issue. In those situations they are pretty motivated to let us inside.”

Technician safety is paramount for all of the PCOs contacted by PCT. As Treftz noted, “We don’t need [Cascade] staff crippled by getting sick. So we pieced together some basic hygienic protocol based on government information and posted this information in our blog.”

In its March 3 ePestWorld, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recommended that PCOs reference the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website, www.cdc.gov, for the most accurate information as it relates to COVID-19. Additionally, NPMA has created a webpage with important coronavirus information that it will be regularly updating. The webpage, https://npmapestworld.org/member-center/coronavirus-update/, includes links, preparedness documents and commonly asked questions that PCOs may wish to consider. NPMA noted, “While sharing this information with your employees, please note that the CDC currently states that statistics demonstrate the seasonal flu poses a far greater and more immediate threat to your employees’ health at this time than does COVID-19.”