Pest Control and Bug Exterminator Blog

As we recently posted, we are currently sending out our customer surveys for 2010.  We send surveys to all of our active customers.  The surveys require about 200 man hours just to get them sent out. They will require close to the same when inputting the surveys.  And they will require many more hours of manger’s time reviewing and ultimately improving.

Setting a bench mark isn’t always easy.  It requires that individuals take a real look at where they are in relation to where they want to go. These measurements will determine future evaluation of where one has been.  All in all, these numbers are a true statement of progression or digression. Our previous posted score for the surveys was that of 2007. We had a customer referral rate of 94%.

94% of Customers surveyed in 2007 and 2008

Meaning of all the customer surveys we received back from our active customers, 94% Answered the survey “Yes” for “Would you recommend Bulwark’s pest control service to a friend?” This was higher then all previous scores. In 2008 the difference was 1/10th of a percent so we left the score.

Bulwark Exterminating’s 2009 survey warrants a new title.

Last year’s customer satisfaction rose across the board, but Bulwark was suprised at just how much the percentage changed. The score moved 3 percentage points and went from 94% to 97%.

97% Recommended. 100% Guaranteed

The increase in customer satisfaction was attributed largely to proactive retention measures, new customer welcome calls, follow-up calls on callbacks, and tech service improvements. In a year when most numbers meant a down economy, Bulwark was able to buckle down and work on keeping customers happy.  With a 3% improvement, Bulwark employees have received a huge pat on the back.

Bulwark currently service 50,000 plus customers through out the United States. While Bulwark’s customer count pales in comparison  to other national pest control companies, Bulwark is satisfied overall that close to 50,000 homes would recommend Bulwark’s pest control services to a friend.

Customer Satisfaction is becoming Customer Conversion

Taking care of customers and putting them first turns customer in to “Sneezers” as Godin in Purple Cow puts it.  Being good just isn’t good enough these days.  Smart consumers know the difference between good and “Great.” Disneyland is iconic for providing a “Disney Experience”.  They understand that putting smiles on their customer’s faces is what brings in more and more customers, year after year.  The day that Disney stops worrying about their Princesses catering to the dreams of little girls is the day Disneyland looses it’s savor.  J.D. Powers knows that a company that listens to the consumer and gives the consumer what they want plus a little more, is a company mastering customer conversion. Customers that are wowed to the point that they become “advocates”.  These advocates become Facebook fans.  Those Sneezers become twitter followers. Customer Converts are infectious and spread viral word about companies they love. Spreading the love via a recommendation makes a friend happy.  It makes the giver happy when the friend is treated well.  And the business is happy, because one happy customer is now two happy customers. Win-Win-Win.

We hope that you will call the Bulwark Pest Control team in your area and experience the difference yourself.

Bulwark Exterminating is

97% Recommended & 100% Guaranteed.

Call Bulwark Pest Control today.

Raleigh pests may be cooling down as winter settles in, but that doesn’t mean that the bugs are not still there.  Pest do disappear for a little while, and with most things “Out of sight, Out of mind.” But you may just want to rethink that thought.  Bugs don’t just disappear into thin air during the winter and then magically reappear in the spring.

Insects settle in for the winter and then lay and wait for that perfect moment to attack again next spring.  But its best to “Be Prepared” my scoutmaster taught me years ago.  Why wait for the ants and the spring crickets to attack?  Wouldn’t you rather eliminate those Raleigh bugs now?  If you are the type of person that likes to keep things running smoothly then we’ve got a Raleigh winter special coupon for you. Just click it… Raleigh Pest Control

And we hope that everyone enjoys a wonderful pest free winter.

In light of the recent FTC law that will attempt to cure the blog-o-sphere from the potential false and/or misleading reviews, one blogger makes an excellent point:

If you deliver enough value BEFORE asking for the sale, you should be able to sell plenty of stuff forever.

- Frank Kern http://masscontrolsite.com/blog/?p=59

What Frank is getting at is that if you provide a quality service or a quality product then you shouldn’t need to worry about using underhanded or sneaking marketing tactics.  Companies that build on solid foundations will be solid companies.  This applies to pest control just as much as any other industry.  Read J.D. Powers book on Satisfaction.

BUT… I do disagree with Frank a little on the customer testimonials.  I believe that customer testimonials are the blood line of successful marketing.  You do what’s best for the customer and then they talk about it.  Those are the testimonials that sell.  Our pest control marketing efforts ultimately pale in comparison to our referrals.  So again, it is…

Quality Service first – Marketing Second.

If you don’t have a quality service or product then marketing becomes a black hole, sucking your money up almost as fast as it brings it in.

But just to make sure we are compliant with the FTC here is our disclaimer… **Customer testimonials on google are reviews from the customers and happy customers is a typical result of quality service as evident in our company wide survey that reports; 94% of customers would recommend us to a friend or family member.  All other companies listed on this site have not paid us, to date, anything to be listed here.  We offer our praises of other pest control companies freely and of our own accord.  We do accept backlinks from some of these companies and would gladly accept more backlinks from more quality services.

P.S. I, Thomas (not Bulwark Exterminating) feel that this FTC law is going to be very ambiguous and unenforceable.  So those the FTC wishes to take a beating on will be subject to a whipping post that has no bounds.

Reports are flooding in right now about a pest control company in Florida that has allegedly been operating without a license.  Its rumored that the techs were not licensed and the Alabama based pest control company was not licensed.  Fine is currently set at $30,000.

I am one not to jump to conclusions.  I would be shocked if this is true, but its not unfathomable.  Many individuals in life make decisions that seem to have good short term benefits, but that will hurt them in the long run.  As Adam says, ” It will catch up to you and some day you will have to pay the Piper.”  Running a business in an industry like pest control, where a state license is required you best get licensed.  Sure you can rack up a little more money not paying for licenses, but is it really worth the risk?

As the old tale goes about a truck driver bragging that he was so good at driving his truck that he could drive with half a wheel hanging off the edge of a cliff, another driver chimed in, “I am so good at driving a truck that I stay as far from the cliff as possible.”

Do it right, all the time, every time, and you won’t have to worry about “getting caught.”  If you are doing it right then there is nothing to catch.

“Former President Clinton recently had to clear out of his office for a few days because it’s infested with bed bugs.” according to the New York Times laugh line… but bed bugs isn’t a laughing matter for pest control companies and victims of this spreading epidemic.

Sure its funny to insinuate that Clinton has a new guest in his bed, or multiple bed buddies for that matter, but these guests are blood suckers.  Bed bugs are nocturnal insects that feast on the host.  The bites are painless since they inject a numbing agent which keeps the victim from feeling the bed bugs while they feast.  Most infestations go unnoticed for a couple of weeks as they feed and reproduce more feeders.  Victims usually begin to note something unusual after their skin breaks out with red eruptions. Some of these sever cases require medical attention for the skin irritations.  But by the time all of this has happened the bed bugs have not only infested the bed, but have moved on to couches and out the door with clothing.  Within relatively short periods of time entire apartments, hospitals, and other structures are crawling with this tiny invaders.  And so the epidemic roles forward.

Perhaps its good that this problem has finally bitten a politician.  Of course, one blood sucker may have compassion on the other blood sucker.  And since “politics” can be broken down into “poli” meaning “many” and “tics” meaning “blood sucking creatures” we may be able to conclude that they are indeed in bed together.

Do-It-Yourself Bed Bug Control

Yes, there are those in the pest control industry that get a chuckle out of referring to themselves as “professional killers”.  But what if you were a regular ole’ pest control guy advertising your professional killer status which happens to get you mistakenly recruited for a  real “hit man” job?  Well that’s exactly what happens in the imaginary world of James J. Mellon as a professional bug killer gets miss-profiled by both the CIA and the Mafia.  And so the chase begins.  Ironic that a professional killer who is normally chasing smaller creatures is now being chased by the bigger mafia and even bigger CIA.  But don’t worry this musical is probably one pest problem that won’t be making it to your neighborhood anytime soon.  Visit Pest Control the Musical.

Its Friday and all of us hard working Americans deserve to start winding down and have a day or two to rest.  Or at least a day doing something other than the mundane.  As for me, I don’t think that my day tomorrow fixing up my yard and cleaning out the garage is going to be less work, just different work.  But work is good, and for the 90% of us that are still employeed we should be grateful to have work that pays. So have a fantastic weekend, even if it is just work away from work.

The other day we were delighted to receive a phone call from the wall street journal asking about our green pest control solutions.  Adam spent some time on the phone with her explaining the pest control industry and how efficacy directly affects profit margins.

Mesa, Ariz.-based Bulwark Exterminating LLC, which operates 11 branches in eight states, uses only botanical sprays and boric-acid products (also derived from boron) whenever customers request all-natural solutions and often includes them as part of an overall treatment plan even when they don’t.

“About 35% of people who call now ask us, ‘Will this hurt my kid or dog?’ ” says Bulwark founder Adam Seever. One customer, Carol Kidd, lives in a rural suburb of Phoenix and recently rang Bulwark to cancel her service because she was experiencing hormone imbalances and had read pesticides might be a contributing factor. Bulwark instead switched her to an all-natural service, employing botanical oils and boric-acid bait around her foundation instead of a synthetic solution, and didn’t raise her $44-a-month price.

“I’ve seen no excess insects since switching,” 39-year-old Ms. Kidd says, “and I’ve got bugs in the yard around my chicken coop, but not on my patio or in my house.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204563304574318231044370704.html

Bulwark has always offered a green pest control service and for those that want even more bulwark offers an all natural pest control solution.  We deliver what the customer wants, a bug free home in the cleanest and most friendly way possible.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

ABOUT OUR GREEN PEST CONTROL

Proud to be an American regardless of the overall economic, political, or world turmoil. This is still a great nation and I am thankful for our freedoms.

Make it a great day!

According to Thomas, co-writter here, its valued at $4500.  Check out his new site www.OptimismSoup.com

While this is a pest control site, I believe that every great company should incorporate Optmism into their culture.  It helps morale.  It keeps customers around.  Its just a good thing. So put a smile on your face and live life too the fullest.

Live a Pest Free Life!

Atlanta, GA

770-904-4141

Charlotte, NC

704-391-9838

Las Vegas, NV

702-255-6313

Raleigh-Durham, NC

919-481-0007

San Antonio, TX

210-402-0492

Austin, TX

512-291-1200

Houston, TX

713-983-7378

Mesa, AZ

480-969-7474

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P 435-627-8840
F 435-627-8842

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918-252-3548

Phoenix, AZ

http://pestcontrolphoenixaz.com

Gilbert, AZ

480. 545.7378

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http://www.scottsdalepestcontrol.net/

http://www.queencreekscorpioncontrol.com

(480) 969-7474

Cave Creek, AZ

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(623) 934-8700

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