California - 3/00.  Terminix is ill equipped to do California escrow termite inspections. They are the worst customer service company in the world.  I worked for them for 3.5 years, and I can tell you that they are crooks. I was a branch manager for them in Santa Cruz, California, and did a great job even though I was handed a stack of 15 complaints just like yours the day I took the job.  The so-called inspectors are salesmen and aren’t qualified to inspect for real estate transfer.

Tennessee - 3/00.  I used to be a sales manager in the Terminix call center in Memphis, and I have never experienced a more unprofessional, hypocritical organization in my life.  That company is more worried about their employees’ compliance to a draconian dress code than they are about the satisfaction of their customers.  I worked directly for the VP of marketing, and I can tell you with sincerity that Terminix’s problems come from its poor leadership.

Georgia - 3/00.  You are right on the money about Terminix.  My spouse is employed by them and is desperate to get another job. But to add insult to injury, it’s not just shoddy business practices they commit.  You would not believe the things that are allowed to go on in his branch, which are blatantly against company policy.  God knows they don’t pay their employees. For instance, we are told that if a customer cancels a contract, the tech does not get paid his monthly commission, even when it’s out of his control that they cancel!

Tennessee - 3/00.  I was at Sears Pest Control in the 70’s when they were taken over by Terminix, and again suffered the same fate in 1998 when they bought out Jamison Pest Control. As a lifelong Memphian, pest control professional, and an entomologist, I have seen Terminix at its worst. Within the pest control community in Memphis, they are known for poor-quality service and low customer satisfaction.  This does not mean that every office is of the same quality.  I can only speak of their general reputation in Memphis among other pest control professionals.

During the short time that I worked for them, I saw deliberate misuse of controlled chemical products, improper labeling of chemical products, and careless and reckless disregard for the public safety in using those chemical products.  Again, I can only speak in regard to the one manager that I worked under, but it was my impression that all of this was done with company approval, though I do not know that for sure.  I was told that I had to make 16 pest control stops per day and that customer satisfaction was of no concern, since we had a sales department that could sell new customers faster than the old ones could cancel. I refused to do what I regarded as cheating customers by taking their money and only giving them 15 minutes of service. I was threatened with dismissal and soon after that, I quit.

In the 70’s, Terminix was owned by Cook’s Industries who sold it to ServiceMaster Corp.; but in 1998 when I once again came in contact with Terminix’s policies, I quickly found that most of their policies had not changed in those twenty years.  They still did not have any regard for me as an employee or the customers that we serviced.

Massachusetts - 2/00.  I am an ex-Terminix tech. I worked for them for almost seven years, and every lawsuit against them is justified.  I am presently with another company and have not had to lie to anyone since. DO NOT trust this company or any of its representatives. Whatever they sell, they get a commission on!  Use the ‘Net’ to check on bugs or what damage looks like, go to pestweb.com for pics, then get several quotes and ask for references!  I hope this saves someone from a financial and mental struggle.

Tennessee - 2/00.  I am an ex-Terminix technician. I tried hard and worked diligently to do my job and satisfy each customer, and I did my job efficiently and with the utmost courtesy toward the customer. I treated their houses as if they were my own and the way I would want my house treated.  My warning to all Terminix customers is if at all possible be at home when a tech is going to be there. Watch them and ask them questions about the problem and what their plans are for treating the problem.  If they are a tech that cares like I was, they won’t mind these questions and will take the time to address all of your concerns.  Terminix writes me off as a disgruntled employee.  I’m not.  I just care about people and their houses are major investments.  I know for a fact what goes on with the managers and what they tell the techs to do. I know what goes on with 97% of the techs.  I am sorry for not being with Terminix any more, and I apologize to all the customers whose houses I treated. Management forced me to leave on my own or be fired because I refused to do the shoddy work they told me to do.  I was told to go out and spray a little chemical around and tell the customer that would take care of it because they said this customer was just a complainer, only they didn’t say it so nice.  The branch manager told me his bonus was riding on getting all the inspections done and that I was spending too much time at the customers’ houses, that I should just crawl to the middle of the crawl space, shine my light around, and if I didn’t see anything, I was done.  He said I was to do this or else. I saved him the trouble. I don’t work that way!!! I did things on my own that needed to be done even when the company would not okay the work.  I spent weekends on my own time when I found houses that had not been treated properly and then turned the paperwork in that Monday. I had to fight to get chemical I needed to treat at the right mix to kill the termites.  A lot of the techs’ chemical has just enough chemical to make it look good but is not effective. A lot of houses don’t even get treated!!!! But the customer thinks it has and has paid money for a service they never received. I can’t prove any of this, but I know. And it makes me mad that Terminix, its sales people, its managers, branch managers, and especially the techs treat people the way they do when they wouldn’t want to be treated the same way.  There’s more I haven’t told you, but I would be happy to try to help anyone I can.  I am truly sorry for everyone involved with Terminix!!!

Tennessee - 2/00.  My husband worked for Terminix for nine months. He was subjected to the shoddy practice of “getting the money always comes first,” and he was told when he became ill that it wasn’t their responsibility!! We went through doctor after doctor, and were finally vindicated to find he was “CHEMICALLY POISONED” using Dursban, Malathion, and Diazinon. He was instructed to use them, mixed to ILLEGAL concentrations, and not to EVER wear a respirator or protective clothing, so as to not scare the customer!!  The customer should BE scared! Terminix has no regard for human life! No regard for their property!  My husband did sue. A workers compensation case was settled out of court because the judge and the attorneys (ours and theirs) advised it.  He was given $13,000 after the attorneys got their share. He is now on disability, has been diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and will suffer the rest of his life.  His medical condition is unchanged since this incident years ago!  Never better! We have lost our major source of income in him, our children don’t have an active father any longer, because of TERMINIX! They single-handedly destroyed our lives! I could write a book, and might! CONSUMERS and EMPLOYEES BEWARE!  This could be you!!!

? - 1/00.  What do you know about employees of Terminix... wrongful termination... employees being set up to take the fall? I’m scared to tell you more for they would know who I am; but I need help, and the attorneys don’t want to return my calls.  I think the Terminix name scares them.

South Carolina - 1/00.  How right you are that Terminix only cares about one thing, and that’s money!  Not for their people, but for the company.  I can’t say anything more right now, but buyer beware!

Addendum 12/01:  To any new customers, try this after you pay $2,000 for Sentricon.  If the guy is there for more than an hour, consider yourself lucky!  If he checks the stations when he says he is going to, consider yourself lucky!  By the way, the repair guarantee isn’t any good for one year in this state.  Termites can do extensive damage in a year! Anyway, make a deal with yourself.  If he isn’t there for more than an hour, think twice! If he doesn’t show up to check the stations on time, think twice! But, then it’s too late. BOTTOMLINE -- DON’T USE TERMINIX!

Tennessee - 1/00.  I worked for Terminix for 16 years. The problem with ServiceMaster that will ultimately bring them down is their top management.  Their credo of Honor God in reality is Honor Profit.  Customers, employees, vendors, it does not matter.  Everyone is treated the same, terrible.  Early on you have to decide to be part of the problem because there is not a solution. This is why the turnover of employees is over 100% per year! I was a survivor until young management (Albert Cantu, son of Carlos) became president and he decided that he wanted “young lions” running the departments.  I will have my day in court with these people.  They don’t take criticism very well, do they. Arrogance runs rampant at the top.

Tennessee - 1/00.  My mother worked for a pest control company for 13 years. I began to work for the same company when I turned 18. I met my husband through this company. It really was a family business. Well, the owner decides to sell to Terminix and that’s when everything changed. Half our employees were fired, most had been with the original company for 10-20 years. The vice president gets fired, who happened to be a woman making $70,000/year (if you notice, not too many women in high positions at Terminix); because there isn’t a job available for her, while at the same time Terminix ran an ad in the paper for someone in her position. I’m then six months pregnant working in the office as the receptionist answering the calls from angry customers because Terminix billed three months in advance without notice. Go on maternity leave, ask for my original technician route back -- get told the route is being terminated, only to come back to see someone who quit (because they knew they would fail the drug screen Terminix popped when they acquired us) was rehired and given the route two days earlier (oh yeah...my desk has already been taken over by someone they hired while I was on maternity leave).  I come back with the offer “you can file.”  So needless to say, I quit the same day I came back. AND my son is now 8 months old.  He is NOT on the insurance I had with the company yet. Why? Because they lost my application (which I just found out after being told it was taken care of...). The reason why it was lost?  And I quote from the benefits department manager, “How are we supposed to keep up with the hundreds of papers that come through here each day?”  The last comment (I promise): Terminix and my mom have just settled a law suit they had against her for solicitation (which she didn’t). She came out in favor.