Terminix Employee Review

Former Employee – worked at Terminix

Pros – - The pay is fair when branches are staffed properly (however, many branches are understaffed and highering freezes remain in place)
- Eligible for annual bonus up to 50% of salary
- Company vehicle and cell phone
- Gas card

Cons – - Typical work week consists of 70- 75 hours per week.
- Terminix requires managers to fulfil hourly employee responsibilities, even though branches are budgeted for said number of employees. For example, there is a need for a termite worker and instead of hiring one based on business, has salaried management work duties (often 30 hours or more).
- Upper management infers "number fudging" at month end and places pressures by saying " I don't care how you do it but get it done" , murky wording with a "wink-wink" gives them just enough room for plausible denial. It is evident by anyone reviewing month end numbers that this occurs throughout territories.
- The company participates and often places management in danger of violating state law and potentially being prosecuted. The company has sent reinstatement offers to ineligible customers, offering to reinstate accounts when treatment documents are no longer available for said properties (in violation of the Department of Agriculture laws). The DOA statute clearly states that individual employees can be prosecuted and fined for violations committed during employment.
- For the last two years I was employed, bonus plans were not made available until May, five months after the year began.
- The sales professional compensation is very poor, resulting in lost talent to the competitor and a constant revolving door of personnel.
- New business model "leave the brick and mortar" has left customers unable to contact branches or their technicians, resulting in dramatic cancellations; a metric of the Branch Manager Bonus.
- Pest control services are no longer a customer service business. The company informs the customer when their pest control service is going to be offered (and because the customer cannot reach the local branch or their technician, they often feel the only option is to cancel their service all together).
- Poor technical training overall. Sales force receives the majority of all training (all of which is hard selling). Technicians (pest and termite) are often expected to train fellow techs rather than have training by a Training and Development Specialist.
- Termite damage is assessed by management which creates a conflict at minimum and a violent situation in some cases, especially given that termites must be present at time of claim. Many times homes that received treatment during the building construction are denied because live termites were not actually found.
- Technicians in some areas work 3 Saturdays per month with full schedules. This is mandatory rather than "catch up" for a route that is running behind.
- Technicians are also responsible for REservicing houses for other techs without receiving compensation.
- Human Resource Personnel are a peripheral force and often lack clear understanding of Department of Labor Laws or the ability to overturn management decisions. HR has yet to supersede any management action, though many times employees were in the right.

Advice to Senior Management – The disconnect between the ServiceMaster philosophies- honor God in all you do; excel with customers; help people develop; and grow profitably- and the actuality of the goings on at Terminix is such a disservice to al the employees and customers. People were drawn to the company for its strong moral ideals and are dismayed to discover that everything promised to employees and customers was not only false, but grossly and intentionally violated.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend