She is elderly — and accidentally paid for the contract twice. Sent $1,000 and then sent another $1,000. Terminix realized she had overpaid, but instead of telling her or refunding her — they re-routed her money to pay for several other products and services they offer (even though most of these extras overlapped with the big contract she had already paid for.)

When I caught the error and called them on it — they guility admitted that she had not asked nor signed up for the other services. And after more demanding on my part — they refunded her money.

One word: DISHONEST.

The name of their game is sales, not integrity or relevant service.

I also worked for Terminix as a sales rep up until end of 2010. I also worked for a very large insulation and building materials company for 15 years. I am also a contractor and energy consultant. I am only working for Terminix as a learning experience and to see how they market the products they sell. I have been astonished by their business ethics. They are completley ripping the public off. Employees are getting 10-15% on all sales while they are making 65-70% of the profit after buying materials which usually calculate too 20% of a job.
It makes me sick to know they are pricing jobs 2-3 times higher than should be priced. For example- I had to price a crawl space insulation job plus the vapor barrier @ $4,100 per their price list. Knowing the material cost was $707 & it takes two guys 4 hours to install it.It takes 1 guy selling the job @ a total of 30% commision for all which equates to $1,230. OK now we are up to $1,937 minus the $4,100 for tatal cost equals $2,163 profit for Terminix. What do you think?
That is absolute greed!!!! The sad part is that they sell a sh!!!!t load of them. What will it take to wake up the puplic and let them know what Terminix is doing?

Earl,
You can justify this all you want but this is a real public ripoff!!!!!! And it is not only insulation but every thing you buy from Terminix.

Now concering Terminix’s Insulation Service. I do agree with Mr. Wear that there is a whole lot more that goes into an installation quote than the price you see down at the local home improvement store. There is a lot of labor intense work that is well worth the extra cost of having someone else break a sweat over…and I literally mean break a sweat over! Not only are you paying for the labor but you are also paying for a product that you can’t purchase at Lowe’s. The insulation used has a pest control element that kills common household pest that seem to thive in the attics homes with normal fiberglass or blown in insulation…this also includes mice and other rodents. Terminix is in the pest control business and this is why we are promoting this product. The other advantages out side of pest control is the tax incentive and energy savings.

I will conclude with this thought…

I agree with Jason that each customer should be well informed about products and services they are interested in purchasing. But the well informed customer will read more than just the blog of a person who feels the need to express his dissatisfaction or negative experience. There is always another side of the story that will give you a different perspective of the situation. Take what Jason said for example…$35 a month being too expensive for pest control. In fact that is really cheap for this service, compared to doing it yourself Especially when you take into conderation the following: 1. The cost of the products. 2. The time needed to go and purcase the products. 3. The time to prepare the products. 4. The time to apply the products. 5. The time to properly clean up and store the products. Heck, I guess $35 could be considered too much money if your time isn’t worth much to you. But for me… I would rather be fishing or golfing and I am sure I spend more than $35 on bait or a round of golf.

Finally, let every man speak for himself and stand on his own character. Why did the price go from $1740 to $640? Its hard to say. Most people will conclude that it is because the company or salesman is ripping someone off. But I will say that the bug business is no different than any other product or service oriented company. Supply and demand control prices. If the price you feel your are being quoted is too high, shop and compare prices, but make sure you are getting the same product and service for the price. Not all companies offer the same coverage, protection or guarantee. If price is all that you are interested in, then don’t be suprised when you get what you pay for… or don’t get what you thought you paid for. Remember that it is really hard to get a Lexus ride on a Kia budget. Here is a good industry tip for you. Sales in the pest control industry becomes particularly hard during cold weather months. Bugs are an “out of sight, out of mind” business. Since most sales people are compensated on a commission basis… a sales person who goes 7 days, or longer, without making a sale becomes extremely hungry…both he and his manager. Like the housing market… you are more likely to get a better price on pest control when everyone is selling and no one is buying..but also like insurance…it is better to have it and not need it than it is to need it and not have it.

Sincerely,
The Good Salesman.

Spare me, lord. Monday morning I’m paying $670 to install 1300 square feet of R-38 insulation.

I got the name of the insulation company off Angie’s List. At the time, A.L. was new to the area and you didn’t have to pay to access the site–now you have to pay a small annual fee. But…with rip-offs like that going on, it might be worth the subscription fee.

Here’s something else to watch for: Ask the salesperson how long it should take to install the product. Then be present while the crew is working. If they claim to be finished in much less time than the sales rep predicted, that’s likely because they’re installing less than you’re paying for. A$k. This happened to a friend: turned out the company was trying to short her by about half the amount of insulation she’d purchased.

BTW, I have yet to encounter a nationwide bug-spraying company that appears to be honest and ethical. Avoid, avoid, avoid!

Funny about Money’s last blog post..Later!

Adam’s last blog post..Master’s Degree, Now Off to Work for Me!