Tar Heel Pest Management News
January  2017
Don't Miss the 2017 PCT School
January 23-26, 2017
Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center 

The 2017 Pest Control Technicians' School is coming in one week.  Join us in Durham for this exciting event!

The North Carolina Pest Management Association, in cooperation with the North Carolina State University Department of Entomology, is pleased to present the 67th Annual Pest Control Technicians' School. The program was designed for pest control technicians, their suppliers, nuisance wildlife control agents and others closely involved with pest control operations.  The school's general program offers phase training with the opportunity to earn continuing certification units and information for technicians, owners and managers on the latest developments in pest control.  
 
Register Today!
 
Click here to download the PDF registration form.

In This Issue

Member Spotlight
Mitch Taylor
Chair, PCT School Committee

If you're attending the NCPMA PCT School, you've probably seen Mitch Taylor around.  Mitch has served as the Chair of the PCT School Committee since 2008 and works to ensure that the School runs smoothly for everyone.

Mitch served on the NCPMA Board of Directors from 2006-2013 and is a former NCPMA president.  He currently works as President of Capital Pest Services, Inc. in Raleigh.

When asked what he enjoys most about pest management, Mitch said that he enjoys working in the family business and knowing that the industry is protecting customer homes and their health.

Mitch lives in Raleigh with his family and enjoys traveling, fishing, golfing and attending sports events in his spare time.

jobs_and_careers.jpg
NCPMA Insider
Fresh management approach for a new year

By Bruce Roberts
 
We've all been there. Your day is moving right along and then you get "that call" from a customer that reveals an issue in the field with a technician.  Or maybe it's in the office with a CSR. And then you think what do I do now? 
 
I've definitely been there.  In fact, my company just went through it not too long ago.  In response, we had to review and reevaluate some of our human resources training and policies.
 
At any level of management, you are going to get "that call." But there may be ways to avoid it in the first place.
 
Here are some steps that you can take to implement employee training policies that are designed to help reduce "that call:"
 
  1. Educate.  Teach everyone how it should be done and do this early and often.  If your company is larger, work closely with your trainer to ensure that he/she understands the message and company policies that you'd like conveyed. Sit in on the first time or two that they teach to make sure everyone is getting the same unbiased message
  2. Evaluate.  You and/or the trainer should check in with staff on a regular basis to see if it is being carried out how it should.
  3. Follow-up.  How many times have we told someone something and moved on only to realize later that they never got it in the first place?  It is just like with kids; you have to follow-up for some time before they get it.
  4. Coach.  As a manager the greatest thing you can do for someone that works for you is to give immediate feedback on performance, both good and bad.  No one likes working for the manager that observes you working, takes notes and does not want to address it immediately. 
  5. Follow-up and coach.  Continue the process as long as you have progress.
  6. Check the fit.  If you have done your best with someone and think to yourself, "I don't think he is ever going to get this," then he probably is not ever going to get it.  It's your call now, and that is not an easy call. Is he a good person, trainable, reliable?  Does he like doing service work for people?  Does he get along with others?  Do people like him?  Is there a better fit for him somewhere else in the company? 
During post-game interviews you hear the coach say we just got to get back to the fundamentals.  Make 2017 the year you and your team master the fundamentals.

--Bruce Roberts is the Owner and Manager at  A-1 Termite & Pest Control, Inc. in Lenoir. He is the Secretary/Treasurer of the NCPMA Board of Directors. 
NCPMA Calendar
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NCPMA has worked hard to ensure that members can easily identify training opportunities and upcoming conferences by posting this information in a timely manner on the new calendar page of the NCPMA website.

Visit the site to subscribe to new calendar updates.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for these upcoming events. Click links to get more information or to register.

2017 Pest Control Technician's School
Raleigh/Durham, NC
Jan. 23-26, 2017


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