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Why WCOs Should Be Regulated

WCO regulations?

Wildlife control operators (WCOs) are individuals that charge a fee to resolve problems customers have with vertebrate (i.e. a spine or backbone) animals. In this regard, WCOs are very much like pest control operators (PCOs), who help clients with insects (animals that lack a backbone) such as cockroaches and bedbugs. You may know that PCOs are regulated but are their any WCO regulations?

Stephen M. Vantassel at the 25th Wildlife Society Conference in Cleveland, OH explaining how wildlife agency neglect of wildlife control operators harms wildlife and consumers.
Stephen M. Vantassel at the 25th Wildlife Society Conference in Cleveland, OH explaining how wildlife agency neglect of wildlife control operators harms wildlife and consumers.

What most people don’t realize is that in many states, WCOs have few regulations and in some instances virtually none. In other words, the WCO you hire may not have any official training in wildlife control and may not even  have a business license. This is one reason why I believe, WCOs should be regulated. But there are also other reasons.

I recently gave a talk at the 25th Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society in Cleveland, OH (Oct 11, 2018). There I explained that state wildlife agencies that ignore regulating WCOs are not fulfilling their responsibilities to follow the North American Model of Wildlife Management. Wildlife control operators handle thousands if not tens of thousands of animals every year. Where are all those animals going? Are they being translocated, relocated, dispatched? If moved, what are the environmental impacts of moving those animals to new locations? If the animals are being dispatched, are there guidelines for dispatching and disposal of carcasses?  I recognize that the animals typically being controlled are not in danger of becoming extinct. But there should be some oversight given the volume of wildlife being handled on an annual basis.

Unfortunately, many WCOs oppose regulation. They mistakenly think that regulation is automatically bad. In fact, regulation means the government has an interest in protecting your work. The solution to bad regulation is not no regulation but good regulation. But that is a topic for another blog.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Customer Service Policy

What is your company’s customer service policy? You know, what policies do you have in place for handling difficult clients? I understand that some out there suggest the policy should be “The customer is always right.” Well, as well-meaning as that perspective is, I think it is absolutely naïve. Perhaps that customer service policy works for other businesses, but it certainly doesn’t work in the field of wildlife control.

Is this your company’s service policy? Should it be?
Is this your company’s service policy? Should it be?

Even if you haven’t thought of writing down your customer service policy, you should think about some standard principles that guide your business practices. For instance, how often should you adapt your wildlife control practices to the specific convenience needs of the client? Some clients, are, shall we say, “high maintenance.” These clients are always asking for time changes, additional work (that they aren’t wanting to pay for), extra time to pay, etc. etc. Some clients are all nice at the beginning but begin to “turn” when the job is nearing completion and the bill is imminent. They are happy at first then out of the blue begin to find problems with the quality of work or the pricing or the alignment of the stars. The excuses vary but they are always the same, they cost you time, money, and of course your piece of mind.

So let me ask you, “What is your company’s customer service policy?”  If you don’t have one, or you haven’t thought about it because all your customers have been great, then let me say there is no better time than the present to create one. A customer service policy will help you be consistent with all of your customers (note I didn’t say identical, I said consistent) and it will help you know when you need to fire that troublesome client.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

 

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Wildlife Control Operators and Charity Part 2

Wildlife Control Operators and Charity Part 2

City of Chicago from the air. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
City of Chicago from the air. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

In my last post, I mentioned how wildlife control operators (WCO) can use their skills to give back to the economically disadvantaged. In this post, I wanted to suggest some organizations and departments that may help WCOs find suitable candidates for charitable work. What follows is a list of organizations you may to contact:

City housing authority, Salvation Army, Goodwill, Battered women’s shelters, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, park’s department, school buildings, social organizations, religious organizations, etc.

I hope this list helps you find a suitable recipient for your charitable work. Remember, the Holiday’s are about giving and your wildlife control skills can make it a blessed holiday indeed.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest books are the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition and The Practical Guide to the Control of Feral Cats. He can be contacted at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.

If you would like your publication, video, or product reviewed, please contact the author at the e-mail above.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Wildlife Control Operators and Charity

Wildlife Control Operators and Charity

Securing a bathroom exhaust vent to prevent bird entry. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
Securing a bathroom exhaust vent to prevent bird entry. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

With the holidays fast approaching, (how many days till Christmas?), it is time for wildlife control operators (WCO) to think about giving back. WCOs, like most business owners, have plenty of options to help their favorite cause. They can give money, volunteer their time, assist in advertising, or raising money.

As good as these options for giving are, I suggest that WCOs consider a different approach. I think WCOs should contribute their wildlife control skills to an organization or person in need. Your contribution can be as simple as installing a chimney cap or vent screen to as complex as a bird or bat exclusion.

Whether your contribution is preventative or corrective, the economically disadvantaged need your expertise to restore their dignity and protect their property from wildlife damage. I hope you consider it this holiday season.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest books are the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition and The Practical Guide to the Control of Feral Cats. He can be contacted at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.

If you would like your publication, video, or product reviewed, please contact the author at the e-mail above.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Responding to Competition-Part 2

Responding to Competition-Part 2

AAllAnimalControl1-20-12Your second task is to turn up the quality of your business a notch. One way is to change your business plan. You have two options before you namely, broaden your business activity or narrow it.  Both are risky options. If you broaden your business by expanding the number of animals and services you provide, you run the risk of declining quality. It is sort of the idea that the Jack of All Trades is the Master of None. If you narrow your business activity by becoming a specialist in one problem (say bats), you run the risk of not finding enough work. Nevertheless, deciding to do nothing is also a risk. I suggest you look hard at the type of calls you are getting. Try to determine if there are any trends you could take advantage of. For example, do you see a demand for deer control or exclusion services? You could test the waters by getting some training in these areas and beginning to implement some low cost advertising such as announcing the special service on your answering machine.

A second way consists of expanding and improving your customer service. For example, if you use your home phone for your business, add a business line. If you have a business line, add a cell phone. If you have a cell phone, consider an answering service. If you have an answering service consider a secretary. Make sure you can accept all sorts of payment options. If you don’t accept credit cards start. Contact NWCOA for information on their program which is relatively inexpensive. You can also think about what you would like to have from an animal control company if you were a customer. The idea is to try and wow your customer. It won’t be easy but you need to think of possible ways to do it.

Another way to turn up the quality of your work is to look at the appearance or image of your business. If you want to be treated like a professional then you have to make sure you live up to the image of a professional. Do your uniforms appear tattered and worn? Perhaps you should buy some new ones. How often are you on time? Are you always giving excuses to your customers because you overbooked the day and end up arriving late?

More tactics on handling competition in the next blog.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest books are the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition and The Practical Guide to the Control of Feral Cats. He can be contacted at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.

If you would like your publication, video, or product reviewed, please contact the author at the e-mail above.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.