Practical writing on the problems pest control operators actually have. Finding people, training them, keeping them, and proving the quality of the work.
Written by Dominique Sauvage, ACE, PCQI, founder of Sequoia Quality Solutions, drawing on forty four years in pest management across seventeen countries.
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How much field training is enough?
Most companies train for the license, run the classroom first and the field second, and let the trainer do the work while the new person watches. All three are backwards. Here is the sequence that works and the check schedule that keeps it working.
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How many callbacks are normal, and what do they cost you?
Nobody publishes an industry callback rate, and the rate was never the useful number anyway. What separates a callback from a courtesy call, why the repeat is the only signal worth acting on, and the four costs most operators never count.
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How do you know your food safety training actually worked?
A sign-in sheet proves a person sat in a chair while somebody talked. There are six steps between trained and it works, and the record you keep can be used against you in an audit. What to measure instead.
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The Hidden Power of Third-Party Assessments in Food Facility Pest Control
In today’s food industry, where safety, brand protection, and regulatory compliance are under constant scrutiny, pest control has evolved far beyond simple service contracts. It is a mission-critical component of food safety management systems — one that cannot be taken for granted. Many food facilities rely solely on vendor reports or internal reviews to evaluate…
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From Checkbox to Career: Why Training Should Build Futures, Not Just Meet Requirements
One of the most overlooked drivers of employee retention and service quality in the service industry isn’t compensation. It’s training. But not just any training — I’m talking about training that builds careers, not just skills. Onboarding is Just the Beginning When a new technician joins your company, onboarding is where it all begins. It…
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The Cost of Rushing: Why Strong Onboarding for Service Technicians Matters More Than Ever
In service-based industries, especially those involving technical expertise like pest management, HVAC, or electrical, the onboarding experience can make or break a technician’s success — and, in turn, the client experience. Yet, in far too many organizations, onboarding is treated like a necessary checkbox rather than the powerful foundation it’s meant to be. Clear Expectations…
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Not Everyone Should Lead, And That’s Okay: Rethinking Service Manager Development
In my last few posts, I’ve focused on technician training — onboarding, career pathing, and building long-term value in our frontline teams. But today, let’s talk about another layer of the business — one that’s often overlooked or misunderstood: Service Managers and Branch Managers. These roles are the bridge between execution in the field and…