Old fashioned service with a smile
During the recent Garrards Roadshow at Rockhampton, Kipps Carpet Cleaning & Pest Control purchased DEMAND® Duo and ADVION® Cockroach Gel and were selected as winners of the Syngenta Pest Builder Competition. Part of the prize was to #celebratethepestie and below is the story about Steven and his business.
Out in the country, taking care of a pest problem is rarely a quick job.
Things take time, from driving long distances to see customers, to walking around properties in 40 degree heat, or catching up over scones and coffee.
But Steven Atkinson wouldn’t have it any other way. Raised in Blackwater, Central Queensland – the same rural town where he now runs his pest control business – country life is in his bones.
“My parents are primary producers, so I grew up at the side of the truck driving cattle, looking up at the stars every night. I love running my business here because this is where I was raised,” he says.
Steven’s path to pest management has been an interesting one. Over 20 years ago, he ran a carpet cleaning business in a Queensland mining town before moving to Tasmania for a couple of years, where he worked with the local fire brigade.
Steven’s next step was to achieve Pest Management certification through long distance training. In 2008, he moved back home to Blackwater and started working for a local business. When he found himself unemployed eight years later, he turned to what he knows best.
“I thought, ‘I’ve got these skills as a carpet cleaner and pestie, why not combine the two?’ I got my insurances, opens Kipps Carpet Cleaning & Pest Control and started doing small jobs. The business grew from there,” he says.
Today, Steven enjoys how people-oriented his work is. Taking the time to chat, whether offering pest control advice or simply catching up, is part of the job. And he never goes to the local shops without his calendar handy, in case he bumps into someone who’ll want to book him for a job.
“Country people are very relaxed. The job is more enjoyable because you have a bit of rapport with your customers. They don’t say, ‘I need to get this done, see you later,” he says.
“Most of the time I know my customers personally. I can offer advice, and there’s a relational aspect of the job that’s different from a lot of the big cities. I provide old fashioned service with a smile.”
But it’s not all chatting and cups of coffee. Pest management in rural Australia has unique challenges, one being the amount of travelling required. Steven often drives for over two hours to reach a property. When he takes jobs outside of Backwater, such as the nearby town of Lochington, significant logistical planning is required.
“You can’t just do one house in Lochington; it’s not going to work. Instead, the people in the community will have contacts, so I’ll get a couple of jobs and arrange it carefully,” he says.
“To get from the first to the last house is 125km, so it’s quite a big trip. Luckily country people, being good as they are, put me up overnight. I’ll have dinner, talk to the family, get up the next morning and do it all over again.”
Image 1: One of the many beautiful sunrises Steve witnesses
Environmental factors also bring complexities to each job. Blackwater is surrounded by six mines which can bring coal dust into properties, sometimes impacting the way chemicals work.
Extreme heat is also an issue, especially in the middle of summer.
“Having to walk around the yard in 43 degree heat, in hat, overalls, gloves and a mask, becomes a challenge!” says Steven.
“The ground out here is heavily clay-based, and it’s so dry in summer. This slows down treatment because the ground is so hard. Any time you throw a bit of water, it just disappears straight away. You have to be a bit more thoughtful in how you use products.”
“Facebook’s been really good to learn more. I connect with other pest controllers around the country and the world too see what works for them. That’s the beauty of the industry. It’s just people helping people,” he says.
Steven has also learnt to adapt his business to what country customers need. Both he and his wife, Sharon, are qualified snake catchers (Steven recently relocated is a 2.2 m python hiding in a shed!). Together they set up a Facebook page where locals can contact different wildlife capture services when they need help.
To Steven, being able to help members of the community is a great part of country living – that is, along with the beautiful scenery.
“Life is very hectic. It’s good when you can kick back at the end of a job and see a lovely sunset. Some of the hill country around us is just beautiful,” he says. “You can say yes, I’ve had a long day, but life is good.”