Complaint Review: Orkin Pest Control - All Locations Nationwide

I applied for Orkin in Louisiana 10/2012. They "hired" me on the spot because the managers loved my personality. However the position I was applying for was sales and they expressed desire to place me in a tech position, explaining to me that the position would be more stable all around. So I agreed and went on my way to wait for the call about the position.

They soon contacted me to inform me that the branch in my area was coming under new management and that it would be a month or so before I could get in for my ride along.

Thank goodness I found other employment soon after that first interview.

We played a very riciulous game of cat and mouse for months! I waited from 11/12-5/13 until I was finally a pest tech for Orkin. During my last conversation with the branch manager before starting on May 1st we discussed pay. It was explained that I would be making salary + commission. I was told my salary would be 2500.00 and then my commission/production would be additional. 

Okay. I already literally waited half a year for this position and had already been promised so much to make me think this was going to be the career I'd when waiting for. A place I could plant my feet and then retire with. 

Well now I almost wish I had just walked away. I was completely lied to about everything here. I was never told that I'd have to wait a whole month to get my first paycheck. Then when I did finally get paid after 25 days my check was only $750 before taxes. So I went to my superior and was told they were sorry that they came from a different branch where the salary is more and that I would only be making $1500 a month. A $1000 difference from what I was promised. 

So I swallowed that and moved on. After training I went out in the field by myself but was not on my route yet as they needed me to "fix" a route that someone who didn't care about their job had ruined. I asked about commissiowand was assured I would be gaining production off this route I was working 13 & 14 hour days on to fix.

in the first three months I brought home about $2000 TOTAL! I left a job I was clearing $2400 a month to start with Orkin. I am still currently fighting for that commission I worked so hard for. I was so far behind on my bills I almost lost my home, my phone was cut off at one point not to mention the effect on my credit for missing some payments and having to play catch up.

I have been fighting for a month and a half about a check i am pretty positive I will never see. I have been told "It's in the mail,""It was returned and we sent it back out to you." The ridiculousness of the lies just amaze me. I havent gotten any comoensation promised to me. Including leads, referrals, etc.

 So to sum up... I was lied to regarding pretty much every aspect of this job! BTW this is the second check Atlanta claims they have mailed and yet I never received. 

I researched the Internet before I started and saw a lot of bad reviews but people said it varied depending on your location. I prayed that my location still had some good people employed and that it would be as promised.

So far... This company is everything bad you read about it. Something needs to be done. I know there are a few people at this huge company that may be satisfied. But I would be willing to bet that if polled majority would vote that they are miserable is this corporate disaster of a company!!!!

To the fellow who quit when his company merged with Orkin? You made a mistake. Had you stayed you might have enjoyed what I have over the past two years. Aside from the stresses that come with any new job, the experience has been VERY VERY rewarding. Now, I have never been one of those "Rah, Rah for the company types", but I feel like I might work for one of the few smaller corporations that are still employee oriented. But that's not the best part. It actually pays more than I have ever made. But that's not the best part. They provide excellent health care insurance at affordable rates. That's not the best part. 2 weeks vacation, 6 sick days, 5 floating holidays, bonuses and company vehicle with gas. By far, not the best part.

I am able to offer products to homeowners that literally change their lives. When you go home at the end of the day in this job, you know that you've helped somebody. Priceless. And that's the best part.

I hadn't thought about how much I appreciate working for Orkin and area homeowners until I stumbled across the fellow who quit when his company was acquired by Orkin. I am persuaded to say that he made a mistake by leaving, but that wouldn't be my call at all. All I can tell you is that it's the best fit for me that I have ever found in my life.

Regena when many many complaints come from many many different states its an Orkin problem period manager/mgmts are puppetts on strings period. I too am seeking legal action against this company they are a bad bad company. You are absolutly right they are not only getting rich off their customers but there employees as well. I was one of their best techs work wise but not a kiss *** and/or played into their political correctness control issues bs. This company Orkin is a revolving door they can't keep good techs or bad techs. They use us and they basically suck the life out of you and take advantage of you. Then finally when the tech has had enough starts complaining and showing attitude and sticking up for themselves and fights back they deem you a problem worker a bad tech with an attitude problem. God forbid you work less than a 10 hour day with this company and try to have a life. It's pretty sad when an office manager has more control over your immediate branch mgr guess where all puppets on a string. This company creates hostile work environments for the techs period. Then when the tech has finally had enough and decides to leave this awful co and give their 2 week resignation they turn around and promptly dismiss you and not let you finish your 2 weeks which is illegal in many states hoping you don't figure out you can still file for unemployment and win because of them abbruptly dismissing you and they screw with all of your vacation floating hoidays and finagle it (office Managers) to make it look like you used it and then to top it all off they start given you bad references so you can't find other employment which is also illegal. Whats sad is all the big pest control companies are this way now including Ecolab Robert it is one of the most sad back stabbing unethical buisness to be in and quite frankly I am thru working for these types of companies I will be starting my own buisness if able or I'm getting out all together. I think all of us former Orkin employees need to ban together across the nation and brng a class action law suit and finally expose this company and the pest control industry for who and what they really are!

I was hired by Orkin Lawn Care. (much different than the pest control) I had to go to different 70 houses a day on a predetermined route. At each address I had to come up with "problems" on the free (unwanted by the homeowner) lawn analysis. We would call those folks back in the evening 5-9 pm to tell them what we found, and what we could do to help them. Sometimes the homeower would scream at me telling me his lawn looked so poor because we ruined it the year before. Sometimes I got hung up on. Our quota was 3 sales a night. I gotta tell ya, they didn't care about nuttin but selling. Period. This job lasted from 12-26 till I think May. Then they found "reasons" to fire you. (I worked in Florida so the lawn season was just in the winter and early spring. Once it gets hot there, you can't really add a lot of stuff to a lawn.) they also go through spray techs ALOT too. Oh well.

This rebuttal is directed to Lee. Being a new employee with Orkin, I can tell you have much to learn. And if you are smart, you will avoid wasting your time by leaving Orkin as soon as possible. And unlike you, I speak from experience. In your posting, you stated I had no idea of Orkin's current company customer service status. Well, you are 100% wrong!!! Although I am no longer in Pest Elimination, I have many friends [both upper management and tech's] who are. So I do know of Orkin's still continuing horrible customer service status. Also, my many years of experience stems with Ecolab in Commercial and Industrial Pest Elimination, not so much on the residential side of the house. And Ecolab is the real deal above all else. I'm retired now, but if I had to do all again, it would be with Ecolab. And don't even try to justify your position by claiming I must of had a bad experience with Orkin in a certain location. I had the luxury of working in several states across our country over the years. And it was always the same, the vast majority of new accounts were always from Orkin. Oh, and the complaints I heard every single time from management spoke for themselves. So do you think the countless managers spread out over the U.S.A. are wrong as well? Bottom line, your company is not going to change how they operate, and if you think for a moment they will, then you are a fool. Do yourself a favor by leaving Orkin before you invest too much time in a lost cause. And remember, today's consumers are by far more aware of substandard service. So in reality, Orkin should fear not cockroaches, but today's educated comsumer as well. Robert Former Proud Ecolab Employee, RETIRED!!!!!!!!!!

Then I really feel bad for the people who were scheduled every 3 months to come out for my mother's free termite inspection. (She had just called them for a routine spraying. They noticed the wood and gave her free inspections for 3 years. (She moved then).) Also what about the original guy who showed my mother how to work her water softener and also informed her of the cheapest places to buy good salt for it. (He spent about an hour of his OWN time doing just that.)

I am a relatively new employee of ORKIN and work in the office versus in the field. But, I can tell you this: this company values customer service and retention above all else!! The branch where I am has a loss rate of LESS THAN 1% of total accounts. Also, the route managers are NOT expected to do 20-plus calls a day! They do between 8-15 per day. I have seen the over-zealous few who CHOOSE to work 14-17 hour days and cram in alot of services. It seems that they do that so that they can get off early on Fridays, or take longer vacations. You may have had a bad experience in your area...BUT...that does NOT make it true for the whole company!! Be honest, you only know about your corner of the world--all the rest is hersay. I do agree with you on one point, when you merged, you should not have had to sign away your chance at severance pay. I feel that they could have worked something out if they had tried hard enough. Since you chose not to stay with the company, you can't really say what its operating philosophy is now, CAN YOU?? ...I THOUGHT NOT!!