April 27, 2002
Sean M.
Lansing, MI

Dear Sean:

Thank you for your letter. Unfortunately it came during the busiest April we have ever had, and we've not been able to respond as promptly as we would have liked.

The Bug Man is a small pest control company. We are all believers in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We have extremely high work ethics, believing that we have not completed our jobs until we have done all we can to eliminate the troublesome pests. We attempt to treat each customer as we ourselves would like to be treated.

You asked us to respond to two questions: 1) "What does The Bug Man mean by 'Quality'?" 2) "Why does The Bug Man use the word 'Quality' in its advertisement?" The second question is easier to answer first. It has been our experience (or the experiences of our present customers) that some national name-brand and local pest control companies don't really care about their customers. They are great about promoting themselves and their products through television, radio and publications, but they are short on experienced, capable and conscientious employees. They push unnecessary products and programs on people who are vulnerable and unknowlegeable. They base their prices upon the ability of customers to pay, not upon the pest being treated. They are unreliable, sometimes showing up hours or days late, or not at all. They are rude or unkind when customers have questions or are not satisfied with the service. Those are the experiences some customers have reported about their contacts with other pest control companies. We use the word "Quality" to separate ourselves from such companies and their practices.

What does The Bug Man mean by "Quality"? The following is a list, written in no particular order, which gives significance to our use of the word:

1) Knowledgeable and Competent. We are experts about pests and the chemicals used to treat for them. Each of us is state certified. (The state has two levels of licensing: registered and certified) We are experienced and well trained. We attend seminars each year to learn new techniques and refresh our knowledge of pests.

2) Honorable. We don't take advantage of vulnerable or unknowledgeable customers. If we feel a treatment would be unnecessary, we say so.

3) Flexible. We often set appointments for times that are outside of our regular work schedules.

4) Pursuit of Customer Satisfaction. A large percentage of our business comes from repeat customers and personal referrals. We have a good reputation and we work hard to keep it that way.

5) Prompt. We attempt to be on time for every appointment. If we cannot be prompt we call the customer to tell them when we expect to arrive.

6) Friendly. We are willing to answer questions and speak to specific concerns our customers may have. Our customers often report that The Bug Man was the only company which answered its phone with a friendly greeting and tone.

7) Professional. We are serious about our business. We know the risks and dangers to ourselves and our customers. Therefore we take precautions to make sure the pesticides are used in accordance with their labels; that customers are made aware of any unusual risks; and that pets and children are not harmed by our actions.

8) Price. Our prices are usually 30 - 50% lower than the name-brand companies.

Obviously any company will have failures. There may be some who feel we have not given them quality service. However, The Bug Man does all it can to provide the quality advertised.

Thank you again for writing. We hope this letter is helpful to you.

Sincerely,

Donald Whelpley