Run Your Business: Technology

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One of the things I love about running is that it doesn’t rely on technology. You just put on a pair of running shoes and head out the door.

Or so I thought. But the reality is, just like technology has become a vital part of any service business, it has slowly crept into all parts of my running life as well.

Do you remember the wave of excitement you had the first time you were able to pull up a GPS report to see exactly where all your vehicles were at any time? Or when you dug in a little deeper and were able to see and retrieve so much incredible and helpful information? You could see how fast they were driving or even if they were braking too hard.

Well, GPS has quickly become an essential tool for runners as well. My wife used to get so nervous when I went on long runs on the trails or secluded roads. If I got hurt, there was no way anyone would be able to find me. Now, our cell phones have permanently changed that. She could call to check up on me. But even that has become obsolete. Now she can pick up her own phone and instantly see on the map and know exactly where I am.

Across the board, technology continues to evolve and give us more data than we ever could have imagined would have been available to us. This data is not only interesting, but truly gives us information to help us be smarter and more efficient in everything we do.

Most times, when new technology takes over, it provides a dramatic change that is completely different from our old ways of doing tasks. Like when we switched over to scheduling apps instead of paper service slips. Suddenly one click of a button closed a work order, emailed an invoice and completely streamlined the old system.

Sometimes, the technology may be hiding in plain sight like with my latest pair of running shoes. While it looked like the same old shoe, new technology went into adding carbon plates and creating new foam soles that they claimed would make anyone run faster. That’s a pretty bold statement. So of course, I had to get a pair. They looked the same as all my other shoes, and while they felt much lighter, I didn’t really believe they make me much faster. Well, it didn’t take long for me to see how right they were. By the first mile I was running at speeds I used to be able to do years earlier.

Today, remote monitoring of traps and stations has become mainstream and has revolutionized how we are able to handle many of our customers. Like my running shoes, the traps and bait stations might look the same, but they are hiding some incredible technology. We can now open an app and see exactly what stations had activity and immediately zero in to service the most active and critical areas. Not only can we show our customers where the most active issues are, we can even tell them the exact time the pests were active and going to those stations. This allows our technicians to be so much more efficient and effective out in the field.

Technology can be scary. But it can also be essential if we want to improve. By embracing new technology, we can optimize our pest control businesses, improve customer satisfaction and maybe run just a little faster!

Have a great run!

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2023/06/06/run-your-business-technology/
Sacramento CA