Brand reputation is the perception the public has of a company consisting of its employees, partners and products or services it provides. Brand-damaging events can come in many different forms, but maybe none are more inconspicuous than those caused by pests. We take it for granted that our food is produced and stored in a safe manner, offering us the quantity and quality we expect. However, nothing is more worrisome than when information comes to light that can lead to public concerns about the safety and quality of the food we eat. These brand-damaging events can cause disease and illness within the community and destroy a company’s image, sometimes forever.
In 2018, a rodent-borne disease outbreak hit a major egg producer, causing more than 20 cases of salmonella poisoning. About 288,000 eggs were recalled, spanning several North American states, triggering a public relations emergency. In total, $2.6M was spent in sanitation and restoration costs alone. Not calculated into this was increased insurance premiums, cost of legal action taken by the sickened individuals and the harder to calculate damage to the brand’s reputation.
John Moore, Technical Director for FSS based out of Westfield, IN states, “The problem is our traditional pest service in these food facilities is based on a compliance need and not integrated pest management (IPM), as well as identifying the overall risk associated within the account.” Depending on the facility, technicians are mandated to inspect traps along the interior perimeter either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly as it pertains to the facility’s audit program and commercial business plan. Because some of these facilities can house hundreds of multi-catch traps, a technician can spend most of their time servicing empty traps along the interior perimeter. This activity often will not allow them time to do anything else, such as monitoring for Indian Meal Moth in a grain facility or identifying a rodent infestation within palletized goods awaiting distribution. This does not mean multi-catch traps aren’t useful in a food safety program; however, they should complement the program and are not the determining risk factor of the account. As seen in large facilities, rodent pressure can change, so there is not a one- size-fits-all model a PMP can rely on to manage this aspect of a program. If facilities are this dynamic in nature, perhaps it’s time to embrace the ways electronic monitoring can benefit your service and protect your customer’s brand.
Envu’s RMS, designed to protect your customer’s brand and differentiate your service, is now at your fingertips with integration to PestPac!
More and more customers are looking for better service and enhanced transparency. Technology can unlock the power and value of your well-trained technicians. Without leveraging new technology, how will you continue to differentiate your service beyond what you have already done? It’s time to change the game, or more specifically, your game. To learn how to put RMS to work for you, please contact support@digitalpestmanagement.com.
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