I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. We just concluded our Winter Pest Ed and wanted to thank all of those who participated in this annual event. It is a terrific way of kicking off the year and was a good follow-up to the Fall Pest Ed event last year. Speaking of the new year, there has already been big changes in our industry as well as changes at the Department of Pesticide Regulation. After seven years, Brian Leahy is no longer the Director of the Department and Governor Newsom also named Jared Blumenfeld as the new Secretary of CALEPA. We expect there will be more changes in the coming year and will keep you informed on how it will impact PCOC. That leads me into my last point, which is our Legislative Days coming up on April 8-10. Last year we had a big turnout and I know we will get an even larger turnout this year so put it on your calendar, make your plans, and let your voice be heard!  

Chris Reardon
PCOC Executive Vice President

PCOC's Legislative Day Golf Tournament – April 8, 2019
Teal Bend Golf Course, Sacramento, California
Information and Registraiton form to follow

Professional Women in Pest Management (PWPM) 5k Walk - April 8, 2019
Hyatt Sacramento and surrounding area, Sacramento, California
Information to follow

April Board of Directors Meeting – April 9, 2019
Hyatt Sacramento, Sacramento, California
Information to follow

PCOC's Legislative Day - April 9-10, 2019
Hyatt Sacramento, Sacramento, California
Information and Registration form to follow

   2019 has started with a bang! Governor Newsom was just sworn in and has already begun to make a mark. One of his first actions was to appoint Jared Blumenfeld as the Secretary of California EPA. Blumenfeld used to hold the Federal EPA Region 9 Administrator position (the local area enforcement of EPA) formally appointed by President Obama. These changes give us an idea as to how quickly the new governor will act and what direction he will lean as part of these actions. Another action of consequence, Director Brian Leahy of DPR has been asked to pursue other opportunities leaving that position with the Acting Director Teresa Marks, who was the Chief Deputy Director.

    There is also talk amongst our legislative friends for another bill addressing rodenticides. We still do not know who will sponsor it or what it will look like, but we think that there is a good chance that we will see another one this year. DPR is starting their Re-Evaluation on Second Generation Anti-Coagulent Rodenticides. This multi-year process will take a look the potential environmental impacts of these products and make any adjustments in uses if needed. But with both of these actions, extra attention is on these products, so our industry must continue to steward them to ensure that they are used correctly.

    It appears that we are entering a time of extra attention from our regulatory and legislative governing bodies. We must use all of our tools legally and consistent with the label and prescribed regulatory language. Please make plans to attend this year’s PCOC Legislative Days on April 8-10. There is no better person to talk with your legislator than you. See you all in Sacramento! 

Darren Van Steenwyk, M.S., BCE
Structural Pest Control Board, President
LEED Green Associate & Technical Director, Clark Pest Control
darrenv@clarkpest.com

_________________________________________________________________________________

As many of you know, there has been great interest in Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) exams. The Structural Pest Control Board has some UPCOMING EXAMINATION DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS. These workshops help the SPCB develop their licensing questions. We know this is a busy time of year for us all, but our input is important, so we hope you can participate or send someone you work with! 
Here is a list of upcoming workshops organized by license type: 

 
Visit California Structural Pest Control Board website for more information

   Jim Shaver was appointed Western Regional Sales Manager for Catchmaster as of January 1, 2019.  Jim has 27 years in the pest control industry, with a particular expertise in the commercial and hospitality industries. His long history includes several years with Ecolab and Steritech with the last 16 years of his career spent starting, growing and managing a commercial pest control company that managed the pest control needs of more than 32,000 hotel rooms in southern California. “I’ve got experience in almost every facet of starting, operating, growing, operating, managing and selling a pest control company. I’m excited to step into the next phase of my career in this industry, manufacturing. I’m available to support our diverse product mix, provide training and assistance in any way I can!” 

Direct Phone:  (480) 760-5874  Email:  jshaver@catchmasterpro.com  Website:  www.catchmasterpro.com

Telemedicine and Workers Comp 2019

   It looks as if telemedicine is a technology whose time has come. 
   In 2012, only 14 percent of large employers offered access to telehealth for select services. In 2018 — just six years later — 95 percent offer telehealth for minor, non-urgent services, in states where it is allowed, according to a survey by the Washington-based National Business Group on Health.
   “We’re a mobile society. We are a consumer-driven society. We have to get our health care when it’s convenient for us, not when it’s convenient for the health care provider,” according to Jeffrey Levy, a Houston-based insurance broker.
   In part, telemedicine has spread because of the shortage of medical personnel in the United States. The country faces a shortfall of between 29,500 and 37,800 physicians in 2018 and a projected shortfall of between 42,600 and 121,300 physicians by the end of 2030, according to a report by the Washington-based Association of American Medical Colleges published in April.
   Telemedicine has been around for a while but it is becoming increasingly popular “now that access to primary doctors is getting tougher and tougher and people have busy lives,” said Tracy Hassett, president and CEO of university group captive edHealth in Providence, Rhode Island.

What is Telemedicine?

   Telemedicine uses document sharing, teleconferencing, smartphones, mobile wireless devices and other computer-mediated means to assist patients in their care. In many cases it’s more efficient and economical for healthcare professionals to use technology to communicate with patients. Using synchronous video calls, healthcare professionals can identify and resolve healthcare issues and send prescriptions electronically to the pharmacy.

Advantages

• Access to care in rural areas. Injured workers in rural areas often don’t have good access to medical facilities. They spend a great deal of time traveling to hospitals and clinics for medical treatment. Traveling long distances can hinder injured workers in receiving timely medical attention and keeping follow-up appointments, and may further delay recovery and return to work.
  
  
• Reduced Waiting Time. When injured workers speak with a virtual physician or healthcare professional, hospital or clinic waiting room time can be significantly reduced. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicated that the average wait time in an emergency room is two hours. Having access to a virtual physician can increase efficiencies and allow better use of resources and time.
  
  
• Cost Savings. The average cost of a medical claim file is between $5,000 and $7,500. The average cost of an emergency room visit can be several thousand dollars. These costs don’t factor in follow-up visits, physical therapy sessions and possible diagnostic testing if required. Telemedicine services for non-complex issues on average can cost as little as $99 for the initial visit and $69 for a follow-up visit.

Disadvantages

• Patient Choice. Telemedicine protocols do not typically accommodate injured workers who want to select their treating physician. Only one physician is usually on call for evaluating injuries via video chat. This poses a problem in states where workers comp laws permit patient choice.
  
  
• Quality Outcomes. There has been limited research to address the quality outcomes of telemedicine, including from the malpractice insurance community. Current research has only focused on cost control and access to care. More research is underway.
  
  
• Trust. Establishing relationships and building trust with treating physicians are vital for an injured worker’s speedy recovery and return to work. Although online communication is familiar to anyone who uses Facebook, Twitter and other electronic media, critics argue that it’s too impersonal. Though this seems less troubling in many instances to some people, millennials in particular — who seem to be more comfortable with transactional relationships in other consumer situations.
  
  
• Regulatory Issues. There are also regulatory issues with telemedicine, most importantly the issue of physician licensing in multiple states. Currently, physicians are only authorized to treat patients in the states where they are licensed. Telemedicine will eventually enable physicians to provide medical treatment in multiple states. Ways to accommodate these situations are now under review throughout the country and we should see some resolution in the next few years. 

Telemedicine is here to stay and it is being used increasingly to handle workers’ compensation claims. For more information on how telemedicine can play a part in your workers’ comp program, please contact the PCOC Insurance Program professionals of EPIC at (877) 860-7378 or, email us @ ProPest@epicbrokers.com.  Also, check out our website: www.pcocinsurance.com.

Paul Lindsay
Senior Vice President 
EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants

Companies Coming Together!

My wife, Sherrie, who works at a local high school, called me earlier this month to ask me about bed bugs. A young lady who was in their special needs program was coming to school with bite marks and they even found a bug on her which I was able to verify was a bed bug. After further communications with the school, we discovered that this young lady was being raised by a single mother who was also burdened with a disability and was on a limited income. A quick phone call to the Clark Pest Control office in Rancho Cordova office resulted in Jim Phillpott, their sales manager, going out to inspect the property. What Jim came across during this inspection pulled on the strings of his heart. This mother was drowning in stress, illness, financial burden, and not least of all, a heavy infestation of bedbugs. Jim discovered that the mother was sleeping on a cot and the daughter was sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor beside her.  

Jim went back to his office and shared the results of his inspection with Bill Fernandez, his branch manager. Between the two of them, a decision was made to provide a full heat treatment at no charge. Later we were to learn that this small family had only $29 to their name until the end of the month and was already resigned to the fact that there will be no Christmas. Here is where PCOC and the relationships we have all formed with each other comes in to play. I picked up the phone and called Jim Steed, from Neighborly Pest Management, and Vince Scoville, from The Pest Control Center, and both jumped at the opportunity to help.

Early the next day, I received an email from his administrative assistant, Joanna Hebert, with a set of questions about the family inquiring how they could provide help. I called Joanna and this amazing woman was organized and ready to make everything happen, truly an amazing spirit. Next thing I know, I am on an email group with their office staff contributing and sharing to help this family. 

One of the questions that Joanna asked that sticks in my mind was "What is on the daughter’s wish list?” The mother responded that she had no wish list because they knew they wouldn’t have the money for gifts. Thanks to Clark Pest Control (Rancho Cordova and Vacaville); The Pest Control Center; Neighborly Pest Management and GeoTech Supplies for coming together to make this holiday memorable for this small family. I don’t know exactly what the end results will be because we’re still in the process of putting it together, but I can tell you that we have new beds; gifts; groceries; clothes and Joanna tells me that if she has to, she will go and chop down a tree herself and provide decorations.  How can you top that? 

Tom Graston
PCOC's Treasurer
Branch Manager (Branch 5)
Clark Pest Control
Office: (707) 446-9748 ext. 820
tgraston@clarkpest.com

January

MONTEREY DISTRICT– January 15 @ 6:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Michael Reid– Cardiff Pest Control
cardiff@cruzio.com • (831) 475-4214
El Palomar: 1336 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz

SAN GABRIEL DISTRICT
January 15 – Social @ 5:30 p.m., meeting @ 6:30 p.m.
CHAIR: Gilbert Alvidrez – Downtown Pest Control
downtownpestcontrol@gmail.com • (909) 802-0052
El Sombrero: 3550 Santa Anita Ave., El Monte

BIG VALLEY DISTRICT – January 16 @ 7:00am
CHAIR: Sean Bradley– Neighborly Pest Management 
sean@neighborlypest.com • (916) 782-3767
Stones Gambling Hall 6510 Antelope Rd., Citrus Heights

SANTA CLARA VALLEY DISTRICT – January 16 @ 6:30 p.m.
CHAIR: Janet Thrasher – Thrasher Termite & Pest Control
jthrasher@thrashertermite.com • (408) 354-9944
Drying Shed: 402 Toyon Ave, San Jose

VENTURA DISTRICT – January 16 @ 7:00pm
CHAIR: Rudy Ayala – Spearhead Pest Control 
rudy@spearheadpestcontrol.com • (805) 746-4547
Marriott Hotel: 600 East Esplanade Dr., Oxnard

CENTRAL COAST DISTRICT – January 17 @ 6:30 p.m.
CHAIR: Dave Watkins – O’Connor Pest Control
Dwatkins@oconnorpest.com • (805) 482-2782
F. McLintocks: 750 Mattie Rd., Pismo Beach

LOS ANGELES/ SB HARBOR DISTRICT
January 18– Social @ 5:30 p.m., meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Greg Bausch – American City Pest & Termite Inc.
greg@americancitypest.com • (310) 542-8622
Marie Callendar's: 15466 S. Western Ave., Gardena

DIABLO VALLEY DISTRICT – January 22 @ 6:30 p.m.
CHAIR: Gordie Zilke – Valley View Termite Control
valleyviewtc@gmail.com • (925) 787-2118
Zio Fraedo's: 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY DISTRICT
January 23– Social @ 5:00 p.m., meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Tarry Howard – Hydrex
tarry_h@hotmail.com • (818) 437-6584
Los Toros Restaurant: 21743 Devonshire St., Chatsworth

February

SAN BERNARDINO/RIVERSIDE DISTRICT
February 6 – Social  @ 5:30 p.m., meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
CHAIR: John Burnard – Compass Pest Management
jpburnard1@msn.com • (951) 688-8066
La Casa Ortega: 1690 Spruce St., Riverside

VINTAGE COASTAL DISTRICT – February 7 @ 7:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Tyler Merritt – Hitmen Termite and Pest Control
tmerritt@hitmenpest.com • (707) 526-6055
Compadres restaurant: 505 Lincoln Avenue, Napa

SAN DIEGO DISTRICT– February 12 @ 5:30 p.m.
CHAIR: David Hinrichs– Lloyd Pest Control
david.hinrichs@lloydpest.com • (619) 668-1953
Country Inn & Suites: 5975 Lusk Blvd., San Diego

BAY AREA DISTRICT
February 13 – Social @ 5:30 p.m., meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Allen Kanady – Omega Termite & Pest Control
allenrobert@omegapest.com • (510) 544-5913
El Portal Restaurant: 2028 Lewelling Rd., San Leandro

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT– February 14 @ 6:00 p.m.
CHAIR: Heidi Aguilar-Alvarez– Your Way Fumigation
heidi@ywfumigation.com • (951) 232-2388
Dave & Busters: 661 Spectrum Center Dr., Irvine

SOUTHERN VALLEY DISTRICT– February 14 @ 6:30 p.m.
CHAIR: Patrick Clark– Clark Pest Control
pclarkzapbugs@aol.com • (661) 635-3535
Chalet Basque Restaurant: 200 Oak St., Bakersfield

SHASTA DISTRICT– TBD
CHAIR: Shawn McFarland– Trinity Termite & Pest Control
trinitytermite@yahoo.com • (530) 222-6990
Location TBD

MID CAL DISTRICT– TBD
CHAIR: Brad Delk – Delk Pest Control
bdelk@delkpestcontrol.com • (209) 465-5656
Location TBD

NPMA update: So, what is PPMA?

The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) is an investor-driven organization that has been successfully marketing the value of professional pest control to consumers for nearly 20 years, resulting in positive exposure for our industry and the growth of our residential and commercial markets.

We ARE making an impact in the attitudes, opinions, and buying decisions of residential and commercial customers. We have increased awareness of the value of professional pest control services and protected our reputation through ongoing national and local media outreach, innovative advertising campaigns, social media engagement, public service announcements and more. It’s work that is only possible because of the generous contributions of hundreds of investor companies who understand that their participation is making a huge impact on the industry.

Our mandate is to:

• Grow the market by encouraging consumers to call a professional
• Counteract activist efforts on both national and local levels by being prepared to instantly respond on behalf of the industry
• Increase awareness of the role professional pest control plays in preserving the public’s quality of life – in terms of health, property, safety and time management

*NEW* NPMA Login for Joint Membership

LOGIN: Email or Personal ID

PASSWORD: npma

Frequently Asked-For Websites

Department of Fish & Game
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/

Department of Food & Agriculture
www.cdfa.ca.gov

California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)
www.cdpr.ca.gov

DPR on Facebook
www.facebook.com/capesticideregulation

DPR on YouTube (see "playlists" for videos pertaining to new surface water regulations)
www.youtube.com/user/californiapesticides

DPR on Twitter
twitter.com/ca_pesticides

DPR LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/company/california-department-of-pesticide-regulation

Healthy Schools Act
http://apps.cdpr.ca.gov/schoolipm/

Structural Pest Control Board
www.pestboard.ca.gov

Find Your Legislator
www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

NPMA's QualityPro Accrediation Application
www.npmaqualitypro.org/apply

Alain Parcan, Market Hardware, Inc.
September 2018

Why Customers Are Skeptical of Pest Management Companies With “Perfect” 5-Star Ratings

   It’s happening more than you think: potential customers look up pest control services online and begin their research process. They find local businesses that offer the service they need and begin to compare. They aren’t doing price comparisons, as you may have expected, but are actually looking at the online reviews and rankings. Pest Control Companies A and B have perfect 5-star ratings, while C has a 4.5. While we used to believe Pest Control Company C would have been eliminated for their score, the opposite rings true today. Here’s why…

   “Perfect” 5-star ratings are a new red flag for consumers. When they see them, rather than assume the company does a great job, potential clients see perfect ratings as a sign of dishonesty. In a world where businesses can pay for 5-star ratings or offer deals or gifts in exchange for positive clout, people value authentic reactions from real people. Potential customers are more influenced when they hear about actual experiences rather than when they read canned responses or see wordless 5-star reviews.

   In a study featured in TechCrunch, product purchases were measured across 40 different categories. The researchers found buyers were most influenced by reviews with an average star rating between 4.2 and 4.5. Unexpectedly, it was found negative reviews – in moderation, of course – were actually helpful in making products or services look reputable.

   So why is it 5-star reviews cause customers to become so uneasy? It’s because some things are too good to be true. Today’s online customer understands the Internet to be full of exaggerations, so they know to take things with a grain of salt. Customers prefer authenticity to perfection. They understand negative reviews are bound to happen and are often reassured by seeing a few negative (or even just non-5-star) reviews.

   Reviews are a powerful tool for your company, so it’s important to make it a priority for your team. Whether you prefer to have your technicians ask customers directly to leave a review or have your office send clients a post-service email with a link to your Google Reviews, it’s essential you make this a company-wide process. Increasing the amount of reviews your company receives is a surefire way to make your reviews page work for you.

   With all this knowledge, what should a business owner’s attitude be toward negative reviews? 1-2 star reviews present an opportunity for growth, if handled properly. Negative reviews give you a chance to impress potential customers with a genuine, authentic response. While it is admittedly not the greatest feeling to hear about a customer’s bad experience with your company, there are a few things you can do to make the most out of the review.

   First off – and this is one of the most important steps – relax and take a moment. As a business owner or manager, it’s understandable you may take the review personally. However, emotional responses don’t bode well for your brand, so take a minute to collect yourself.

   At this point you can address the feedback. It’s important to always acknowledge their pain and offer up a resolution. Even if your response is as general as “We will be in touch to help resolve your experience,” this willingness to address and respond to criticism will reflect positively on your customer service.

   When dealing with online reviews, striving for perfection is a lost cause. Instead, work to build a network of strong reviews from your customers over time and respond appropriately to any negative ones that pass through. Chances are you already have plenty of experience with customer service, and managing your online reviews is just an added layer of that customer experience. Keeping all of the above in mind, you shouldn’t worry about getting a perfect rating; it turns out customers don’t even want you to have 5 stars!

Alain Parcan, Director of Marketing for Market Hardware, Inc., contributed this article. Alain brings nearly 10 years of experience in educating businesses so they can market themselves more effectively. Market Hardware helps small businesses compete on the Web and offers special discounts for PCOC members. You can reach Alain’s team at 888-381-6925.