Pest Control and Bug Exterminator Blog

Working at Bulwark Exterminating has been the most full filling job that I have had. Hello, my name is Tarria and I have been with Bulwark for about three and half years. Working for the pest control branch in San Antonio, TX. One experience that I had this past summer is a customer who called in to get scheduled for a callback for interior ants. Of course with our summers we are very busy and it can be very difficult to find a time and day to schedule an appointment for a customer. After, searching the routes I was not able to find an appointment for at least two days out. The lady was very understanding when she had to wait for two days for an appointment, to have the interior service done. However, later that afternoon, I noticed that someone had rescheduled a service and I got the customer scheduled the very next day. The “Mrs” was very pleased with the customer service that she received and how quick we could get someone out to her home. She told me she was very happy with our service and that she has been a customer for over four years. It makes my day to know that we continue to do such wonderful work and have great customer service.

Pest-Control-Stories Story C, customer service, San Antonio TX

As a technician in San Antonio, Texas you see a lot of different things, meet a lot of people & enter some interesting houses.  As usual, on one of our hot summer days, I stopped by a customer’s home that was on my route for a routine service.  I parked my truck, got out & walked to the front door to greet the customer.  A lady pleasantly answered the door. I proceeded with my routine script, “Hello Ms, my name is Ande. I’m from Bulwark Exterminating & I’m here to do your routine service. Are you having any pest problems or seeing anything inside your home?” She replied, “Yes. I’ve seen a couple of those pincher things inside my kitchen,” as she moved her fingers in a pinching motion. I smiled & informed her that I could do an interior & exterior treatment for her.

I went to my truck, grabbed my equipment & returned to the home. She told me to come on in. I asked her if she wanted me to treat just her kitchen or the whole interior. She opted for the whole interior. I tend to work clockwise in a home, so I informed her that I would start by the front door & just work my way around. She responded okay. The first room to my right was a bedroom as I entered I noticed there was a lady lying on the bed, under the covers watching TV. I asked her if she wanted me to treat her room. She said yes.

As I proceeded to the window, to do a window treatment, I could here a faint growling sound. I turned around to see where the sound was coming from, but I did not see anything or anyone besides the lady. I continued towards the window and as I’m treating the window the growling continues. I looked back towards the lady on the bed and she just smiled. As I move towards the back bedroom corner to finish checking the corners for pest, all I keep thinking about is why is this woman growling at me? I tell myself that I need to hurry up & finish this room because the lady no longer wants me in her room. The growling intensifies & as I turn to head out the room barking begins. Now I’m really thinking this woman is crazy & I need to get out of this house. Just then she grabs the covers & says, “Princess stop barking!”

To my relief she pulls a small tea cup Chihuahua from under the covers.  I’ve never been so on edge in a in my life. I’m glad my imagination didn’t run wild, the lady wasn’t acting crazy & a cute little “Princess” could entice more than just pests to leave a room.

Pest-Control-Stories Story 3, D, Dog, funny, San Antonio TX

Pest-Control-Stories Story A, inspirational, San Antonio TX

I was in San Antonio Texas to do my Thursday termite route. I went to a customer’s house at 10 am to do his free termite inspection. I rang his doorbell and proceeded to ID myself as Randy with Bulwark Exterminating and that I was there to do his free termite inspection. He asked me where I was going to start and I told him I would do the outside then come back and do the Interior.  He asked me if I brought a ladder because the home didn’t have a pulldown and that’s where he was hearing a chewing sound coming from. I told him I did indeed have a ladder and I would bring it when I was coming inside. The home was a two year old two story, xx home. I drew a diagram of the outside as I inspected it. After I finished I knocked and then went inside. I inspected the inside and then went into the attic to see I what he was hearing.

I climbed into the attic with my flashlight and could see a lot of mouse droppings but no termites. I climbed down and went to find the customer. He asked me if I found anything and I told him I had good and bad news.  What’s the good news he asked. I told him, you have mice in your attic not termites. He said that’s great, what’s the bad news. I told him” You don’t have any Insulation in your attic.”

He said “You have to be kidding me.”

“I’m being 100 % honest,” was my reply.

He climbed up the ladder and looked around with my Flashlight.  “Someone stole my insulation out of my attic!” he exclaimed very loudly as he came dome. “How am I supposed to pay to fix this?”, he said to himself.

I informed him that since there wasn’t a trace of insulation in the attic that it most likely was never done. He said “But they have inspectors to check that.”

I agreed with him and told him “Sadly, it must have been missed.” I suggested that he call the xx office in the subdivision (they were still building in the neighborhood) and tell them about it. He called and they told him all homes were insulated when they were built and that if his was missed then they would insulate it and set up a time for their inspector to come look at it. The customer told me that his electric bill was always really high and he couldn’t understand why but now he knows why,… thanks to some mice.

He was a happy man when I Left.

Randy Schulle

San Antonio, TX

Pest-Control-Stories Story 1, A, funny, mice, pest control, San Antonio TX, Termites

Pest-Control-Stories Story 5, A, bed bugs, customer service, Extra mile, San Antonio TX

Pest-Control-Stories Story 1, A, customer service, funny, Misunderstanding, San Antonio TX

Sometimes being in the service industry, service men and women might be asked to go beyond the normal realms of a normal job.  I like to joke about the fact that we are not the electric company and we have to actually strive to keep our customers happy.  Our customers have other options that they could leave us for.

So, one day I had a route that seemed to be a little demanding.  What I mean is that there was a lot of driving.  Sometimes this happens because we cannot control when our customers get pest problems and where they live.  Well, when it rains it pours.

By 2 PM I was calling my 5:00 service and letting them know it would be closer to 7 PM.  They were ok with this.  I also called my 6:00 service telling them it would be closer to 8:30 or so.  Well, if you have ever driven through Austin, TX in Friday rush hour, you know where you have been and you know how slow you were going.  After calling my 5:00 service for the 3^rd time, I let them know it would be closer to 9:30.  I honestly thought the customer would want to reschedule for another day and I was a little worried that the customer would be upset with me.  To my surprise, the customer said, “we will be here”.  I was happy to do the service late at night just for the simple fact that I was worried the customer would be upset for me falling so far behind.  On top of that, I called my 6:00 service for the 5^th time and told her that it would be closer to 11 PM.  To my amazement, she was good to go.  My 5:00 service that I was finishing up with around 10:30 was walking around his house with me while I did the treatment and he held the flashlight.  He was happy, I was happy.

Could it rain and pour some more?  By this time the rush hour was over so that was a relief, but that is when the roadwork started and I35 was shut down!  I called my 6:00 service for the 6^th time and said, I am sitting still on I35 so I don’t know when I will get there.  She said, “I am just up doing laundry, so don’t worry, I will be here and I will be up”.  I showed up at her house at 1 AM!  She was happy to see me as she had a horrible problem with some very large roaches.  She had just moved into and older house in a college neighborhood.  I think I got some pretty good advertisement as there was a very loud party happening next door!  They did not expect to see the bug guy!  I finished her house at 2 AM and somehow I was on time to my first house the next day.

The moral of the story?  If you have a pest control technician show up at your home on a Saturday morning and that technician is dragging his feet, has blood shot eyes, and might be slurring a little bit, it does not necessarily mean he was out parting the night before.

- George Bryant

San Antonio, TX

Pest-Control-Stories Story 4, A, Cockroaches, customer service, Extra mile, roaches, San Antonio TX