Jim’s Termite & Pest Control Tea Tree Gully

1) Why did you decide to join Jim’s Pest Control?

After spending a lot of my previous working life in a car dealership, I would always have that feeling at the end of the day I had not achieve anything as I would be doing the same job with the same issues day after day. That’s why several years ago I decided to buy a Jim’s Pest Control Franchise, because in pest control I meet new people and see different problems each day or even each hour, there is just so much variety. This means at the end of the day I have that feeling that I have really helped someone and made a difference to their lives. It also enabled me to free up some time in my days and weeks so I can pursue other interests.

2) What are your values?

I like to treat other people and their homes the way I would want to be treated. I am also honest if it I think I have made a mistake will inform my clients of what has happened and rectify it. I like to go to bed every night with a clear conscience knowing I have not stepped on anyone to reach my goals and I have done the best possible job I could have for my clients.

3) Tell us about your Family?

I am married with one child; I have a dog, cat and six fish. My daughter loves to dance and is in the school dance team. My wife works part time and helps me out with my Jim’s paperwork in her spare time, she has been very supportive and understanding of my business and without this support it would not have been possible.

4) What do you like to do outside of work?

I am very committed to developing and growing my Jim’s Pest Control Franchise so at present I don’t get a lot of spare time and most of that time is taken up watching my daughters dancing. When I get a day off over the weekend I do love to go and watch the AFL at the new Adelaide oval and enjoy socialising around this. In what other little spare time I also have I am also on the board of the South Australian branch of the ATAA.

5) What tips can you give to customers?

The biggest tip I can give my clients is to take your rubbish out at night and not in the morning as most pest use the cover of darkness to come out and scurry around for food scraps and crumbs. Most clients do not know they have a pest problem until they get up in the middle of the night as see cockroaches or mice running over their counter which is then usually followed by a blood curdling scream. For this reason I tell all of my clients that they should get an all year protection plan in place, it usually works out a lot cheaper in the long run as if a maintenance program is put in place you are unlikely to get an infestation which can be quite costly to remove and treat.

6) What has been one of your most interesting jobs?

The most interesting job I have done so far was a call out I got for a town house that had been attacked by rats, it was in a group of 6 and one was rented out. The tenant of the rented one had left suddenly and had left chickens with food and water. The rats then found the food but the water supply had run out so they then went and chewed on the water pips in the ceiling to get to the water. This of cause had caused flooding of the lower floors and required a plumber to come out and fix. This was also a huge problem for the owners as the insurance did not cover rats chewing on pipes and the flood damage that this caused, it was a very taxing and emotional time for the owners. I was then able to come up with a program using baitsafe, a South Australian invention that enabled me to put rodent bait in between the two floors in the void that you cannot normally access. This meant that I was able to put in place a long term baiting program that would protect these units against future damage cause by rodents in this area.

7) How has your Jim’s Pest Control Franchise been for you since joining?

It has been good so far, Jim’s has enabled me to work with a similar group of motivated professionals that deliver great customer service. My Franchisor is there for support all the time and always answers, or ring me straight back. It is good owning and running my own pest control business but there is a huge advantage in being part of a larger group and sharing our knowledge and experiences with other Jims Pest Control Franchisees. Other Franchisees are always only too willing to come out and give me a hand or just catch up for a chat.

8) Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

In 5 years time I see that all my work will be coming from the valued clients and relationships I have developed. I regard my clients as just not another customer but regard them as my family and hope from the exceptional customer service they receive from me is the reason they will always call me or recommend me to their friends and family. I have a mantra that customer service is why my business is and will be so successful and I will keep reminding myself of this every day. I judge this by the amount of return business or referrals I get as I know this is a true gauge of what my client’s thing of my customer service.

9) Pest issues that you find in your area and unique content.

In Tea Tree Gully and the surrounding suburbs we are blessed with great parks and walking and bike tracks. There are a number of ponds and wetland areas which I enjoy taking my dog and family for walks to and if I am lucky grab a coffee at a local cafe. We also have a public swimming pool with slides and lots of fun things for the kids and most schools have their end of year parties at this pool. If you want shopping you can’t go past the Tee Tree Plaza shopping centre and the great bargains you can get there, according to Tammy my wife there is nothing better than to go there on a Sunday and doing some shopping, eating in the local restaurants or personally I like to catch a movie while they girls are shopping. As I live and work in the area I also have a great appreciation of the pest issues we are confronted with in our community. We have fantastic water ways and wetlands but these are also the perfect breeding ground for insects, spiders and rats and in the colder months we see more rodent activity as they seek out a warm ceiling to sit out the cold winter. In summer they soon vacate but then it is the time for spiders and insects to move into your home as the warm weather brings on the breeding season and population explosions. As we sit outside in summer enjoying a BBQ we quite often get annoyed by these pests and many a BBQ in the area have been ruined by this.

Servicing the areas including:

Visa
St Agnes
Houghton
Banksia Park
Ridgehaven
Redwood Park
Fairview Park