Editor’s Note: The following is a companion article for the special series from Pest Management Professional Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Faith Oi, a faculty member and director of Pest Management University at the University of Florida, and Kemp Anderson, principal of Kemp Anderson Consulting. The series is appearing on a number of industry platforms, including KempAnderson.com. For our continuing coverage of this series, click here.
It’s time to revisit your standard operating procedures (SOP), and make some adjustments in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you haven’t already, you need to develop a written employee communication and customer communication that outlines individual responsibilities and manages expectations. Consider the following:
- Are you providing outside service only until further notice or unless a customer specifically requests inside service?
- Should your technicians call customers ahead of time to discuss the type(s) of service they will be performing, and specific issues the customers might be having?
- On that same phone call, should your techs discuss with customers whether to open/unlock backyard gates, and arrange for any physical payments to be left on the porch or in the mailbox?
- Communicate any additional precautions your company is taking to ensure employees and customers stay safe.
- Outline the different payment options the company may be offering right now.
Once you’ve drafted this written communication, share it with your employees and your customers. Consider adding it to your employee manual and having employees sign off on it. Eliminate any questions about whether your new protocols are optional – these are all mandatory changes to your company’s SOP.
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