It Costs What? (AKA: Tools of the trade)

Someone posted a link to this article, and I kind of laughed it off and went on with my morning. My brain kept going back to it, though, and I couldn’t shake it. So I went back, clicked the link, and read the whole article. Let’s break it down.

At first glance, yes, a bill of over $3,000 is a lot. A “regular” visit for monthly or quarterly service is not going to cost that much. This was a specialty job for “a whole bunch of bees.” From the one picture posted, it was a LOT of bees. Even if it was a small trash can, that’s a full hive’s worth of bees. Just like having a plumber or electrician come and fix a problem, pest control (especially bee removal), is a specialty trade that is going to cost.

Next up, the pest control company “wouldn’t” give her a quote. No way to verify this, and that may have been some of the message. There are many times someone calls in with a problem and it’s complicated enough that a quote just can’t be reasonably determined. Ever bring your car in for an oil change and find out it needs thousands of dollars of extra work? Just because there is one visible problem doesn’t mean there aren’t other problems along with that first problem.

After getting there, they realized they would need to cut into the wall for removal. That adds to the cost. Once they find the bees, they have to carefully remove them. What many people forget is that it isn’t JUST the bees. It’s all the comb with honey, pollen, and brood as well. Know what happens when you leave all that mess in the wall? You get secondary pest problems like Dermestid beetles, cockroaches, flies, and so much more going after that decomposing mess. Removing all that is often a slow process. You need to make sure you get all of it. Chances are that there are cleaning products involved and then there is likely some treating of the area to prevent anything else from establishing. All adds to the cost.

The article doesn’t say if they then repaired the damaged walls or not, but something tells me they would. There’s more time and supplies.

There was obviously a breakdown in communication. As the professionals were cutting into the wall, the person left the scene! Just, left. Before you start in on me about people having jobs and a life and can’t stand around watching people do their jobs, yes, I get it. Wouldn’t you think to check in at some point? Keep the communication channels open? It surprises me that as the pro’s were breaking into the wall, the person didn’t realize they would get a bill for at least those services. If they wanted an estimate, when the pro’s got there and got started, why didn’t they ask for that estimate again?

As the saga continues, it’s discovered that they signed a document. I’m guessing that document explained the process, the work, and the potential costs. I’m also guessing the individual didn’t read that document they were signing. I am not going to even touch on the statement that the individual was “intimidated”.

All the way at the end (and how many people are actually going to read all the way and not just stop halfway through with outrage at the pest control company) the pest control company DID provide an estimate.

Since this individual was outraged, they contacted the media. Which, of course, took her side. So the company refunded the money to avoid more bad press that would further hurt their business. They did the work and got stiffed for it. Why didn’t this person take it up with the pest control company and possibly take legal action? My theory is they knew they were wrong and contracts were signed. But running to the media meant getting their way in the court of public opinion.

To recap – hours of work, construction, supplies, cleanup, and more lead to a large, but reasonable bill. All to be put in a bad light by a customer who didn’t want to pay.

What could have prevented this? Although I’m not directly involved and don’t have every detail, it seems there was a big communication problem. It’s unfortunate.

If you want a fractional entomologist on staff to help read between the lines, contact us. That’s just one of the many benefits of what we do.

Lagniappe – huge bee removal.

Urban pest consulting