A Tech’s Tech

 

Being a sole trader, there is never low point in my role of a pesty for over 22 years. Constant work seems to freely flow from regular service work at farms and commercial clients, to job work for public calls. One task will expire then the phone rings for a new challenge covering Rats, Mice, Moles to Cockroaches and Fleas and much more.

Having experienced the old school paper reports to diaries for appointments, I was keen to embrace technology to streamline my time and availability for further tasks each day. So, my first approach was to use Google Calendar for all my calls, each caller I then ask to send their details via a text as I’m nearly always driving hands free, the information from the text then gets entered my Google diary before knocking on the next client’s door. From there I get reminders sent an hour before optimising my time and access to this diary from my phone anywhere.

My second approach to technology was to purchase a smart tablet to write digital reports on, these then can be sent direct in emails to clients, Wi-Fi tethered from my mobile phone. No more lost / damaged reports loose in my van. Further to this, these reports then get stored on my Google Drive via the cloud, saved in secure folders, all of which each client has secure access to. A QR code for each file can be generated and shared with customers so direct access is straightforward.

My third approach was to try the new Goodnature mouse trap, this single box won me a service agreement for a local school which had field mice issues.

My fourth approach was to use 4G static cameras accessed via an app on my phone to monitor traps in lofts and watch for pest identification purposes.

My recent purchase was to have some fun with a Drone. This saved me lots of time especially while surveying. The farmer rings to ask for moles controlled on his fields recently drilled. Two massive fields would have easily taken me 90 minutes to walk across carrying a dozen traps and markers not knowing what I needed. Instead, the drone took 10 mins to survey the fields and clearly showed where I needed to be and exactly how many traps needed, and it was fun to use!!!

All this tech and I still manage to be away from home almost 12hrs a day!!!

Martyn Belcher

ABM Pest Control