pest control technician

driver

science graduate

service technician

sales consultant

Rentokil Initial

At first you think “great they are helping me” when you go on training” but you start  to realise it’s a box ticking scheme.” You really don’t have the support from Rentokil and when things go wrong, which inevitably it will do, Rentokil will throw you under the bus. 
 
 On interview stage they will lie to you, the turnover is so high they are constantly looking for people, so they lie to make things look good, so when you start it can be a shock because it’s not what you are expecting. One of the things is location of work, don’t expect to work where you applied for.

The goal post are constantly changing, especially if too many people get a high bonus. You can literally complete everything that you are allocated and more and it will not be enough for this company. Systems are automated so if you don’t meet a target, which changes all the time, you will get an email and have a meeting to ‘see where you have gone wrong,’ that’s after you have completed everything, which you will be praised for, but then be told it’s not enough, so confusing.

Yes, this company is good for progression but only if your face fits. Team leaders have there favourites and will concentrate on them and because of this these people will get away with rubbish work and nasty behaviours, trust me the standard of work is rubbish.
 Team meetings are just games, you don’t sort out issues and is a waste of time.

I’ve seen some of the responses from Rentokil from senior management and HR, typical responses, ‘we have this program or this procedure or we take these things seriously’. Trust me, behind the scenes they will throw you under the bus to protect themselves and make it seem they have done everything to help, don’t be fooled.

 It’s a shame because Rentokil is regarded very highly by clients but trust me, they are not getting what they are paying for especially with techs with the gift of the gab so they can reach high sales figures, that is what really matters, that’s all that matters to Rentokil.

Health and safety is not great, you are not provided with the equipment you need and you end up buying it yourself because when you ask you won’t get it because management are judged on there figures, and if they buy too much it will effect there bonuses. They don’t by enough equipment for contracts they have sold for technicians to comfortably to do the job
. You’ll find the piece of equipment that you’ll need is on the other end of the branch, usually squirrelled away by the favourite techs, meaning that you’ll get into trouble because you have gone to get it which effects your figures making you ‘unproductive’ and if you miss the unrealistic SLA because of it you are in trouble for that too, that’s from team leaders, operations manager, field biologist, surveyors, accounts managers regional operations managers seriously everyone jumps on that band wagon because all they are worried about are their figures. And please dont say it’s about planning, Rentokil, because it’s not, it’s about the pound signs and not about quality, because it’s about you’re trust pilot, indeed score and Glassdoor scores, which, by the way, are dropping.

 There is so much that I can go on about, but at the end of the day it’s your choice. My advise is do your research, ask other companies what they think about Rentokil and you’ll find that they will have a handful of techs from Rentokil because they have had enough of the double standards, no support and were probably thrown under the bus by Rentokil. 
The public trust Rentokil because they are so big, and with there recent takeover of terminex in North America, which by the way is not going well for them, because the public don’t trust them, they think they are getting quality, public you decide.
 There is a lot of rot underneath the surface, which is a shame because there are a lot of brilliant techs that could do a lot for Rentokil and make them the beacon of the sector, but everyone is just a number except of a few and mostly that’s because of cronyism. What a shame Rentokil.

Where to start...

My first impression of working at this company were quite good. I enjoyed my initial training and every member of the team was easy to get along with, both technicians and management. Once I had qualified and was able to plan my own day and work to my own schedule I was enjoying the job but that is where the positives end. 

The job itself is tedious, monotonous and only rewarding if you have no empathy for the customers you are providing products and services to. Every day becomes the same, crawling on floors of warehouses searching for little boxes of baits and if this is supposed to be the best quality of pest control I dread to think how it could be worse. 

The company pride themselves on industry leading training programmes but from my experience I often felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I was sent to jobs where I had to ring team leaders or other technicians for advice on how to deal with a problem, often getting different answers and left with no confidence in my own job performance. Advice consisting of "it'll be fine" was not a comfortable way to conduct business. Prices for services are extortionate and as a technician you are the face of the business and therefore have a huge responsibility to find a way justify this to customers, which was next to impossible considering some jobs can be 4 or 5 times more expensive than competitors who use the same products. Jobs would be sold by surveyors with no prior visit to a premises and when you are visiting a residential home occupied by residents who cannot work due to care responsibilities you feel like you are robbing them of their money, especially when you turn up and find no evidence that the job is even required to be carried out. God forbid this opinion ever be mentioned to management as all you will receive is an earful and a demand that the job be carried out regardless of the actual situation you find yourself in. I would highly recommend that anybody with a hint of a moral compass stays away from working for such a greedy company. 

As a new starter I felt completely dispensible. I was given promises on several occasion that never came through, communication from management was non existent or contradictory, my job performance was never praised when it should have been but always criticised at the slightest mistake. I am saddened to say that working for this company and all the things I have mentioned in this review resulted in a decline in my mental health. This is specific to myself so I cannot say anything on this matter other than tell the truth of my own experience. That being said, the way this issue was dealt with by the company was disgraceful. I had to take time off work and when this issue was discussed with management I was made to feel that the company were dedicated to putting me and my health first and seemed to be supportive, however I later learned this was all an act. During my notice period I opened up to one of my co-workers who informed me that they were already aware of the reason I was absent. This was very troubling to hear since I hadn't mentioned anything to anybody other than management so clearly people had been talking behind my back. It felt like being in high school again, rumours were circulating specifically about myself that didn't have a hint of truth to them and on my final day I honestly felt like I was escaping from a prison. 

I don't like to speak so negatively of anybody but I cannot hide the truth of the way I was made to feel during my time at this company. I would advise any graduate who is thinking about applying for a job at Rentokil to rethink and choose a career that will bring you happiness and not go home feeling you have been robbed of your sanity. 

Prior to working for Rentokil Initial, I’d gone down the university route, graduating in a course I didn’t wish to pursue, but with some idea of where I wanted to go. I got a couple of jobs temping in digital marketing - this was what I wanted to do with my life. I just needed to find something permanent. 

I wasn't actively looking for a new job when I found my role here, but when I saw an advert for an Online Marketing Executive role at Rentokil Initial, I knew that it was the career I wanted! It sounded absolutely perfect. Some data, a little creativity, and the opportunity to have a say in things that actually mattered. 

When I started with RI, I spent the first few months on a couple of projects with fairly steep learning curve. Both data driven. My first task was to work out what all of this data was, whether it was important, and whether it was even the right data to be looking at. I then had to work out how to bring this data together and actually understand it. Pretty difficult when you're still getting to know the company, but if you're happy to jump in the deep end and take up the challenges, there's a whole heap of gratitude and opportunities in it for you.

Whilst I’ve been with Rentokil Initial, I’ve had family health issues arise. Being in a new role, I was really worried about how this was going to work out. RI were flexible and supportive during this time. The understanding that life happens, and the support offered really helped me. Being flexible, allowing me to work from the hospital if needed was great. It meant I wasn’t letting my team down and stressing about work on top of my home life, and that I could get my work done at a pace that worked for me in the tough time I was going through.

I think the best part of the company is the people and their belief in the business and willingness to put in the hard work. During the course of the 18 months I've been with RI, I've joined my team for monthly team meetings, bringing updates on the projects I've been a part of. We meet monthly for updates, joining from all over the country via the web and in the room. I bought back updates on where projects are at, and requested suggestions from our team with how we can make best use of systems, and even if there is something obvious I’m not seeing? Each time the team have come back with some great suggestions, feedback and ideas - sometimes just having someone a little removed from the situation brings out ideas that might never have been thought of otherwise. They’re always working as a team, and never making any suggestions or ideas feel like bad ones. They always strive to be the best they can be.

After a year of being with RI, I was given my hardest challenge yet - presenting project progress and some opinions to a room full of decision makers. But RI gave me the confidence to do just that. Although still terrifying, and even after draining my face of colour, I was thanked for the amount of hard work I’d put in and how far the project had come, with great ideas coming out of feedback.

It really is about taking on the challenges and wanting to be the best version of yourself when you choose a career with RI.

If you're not interested in challenging yourself, constantly learning and striving to improve, we're probably not the right bunch for you. But if constant evolution and never having a dull day sounds like your thing - you'll fit right in.

The recruitment process started off well. However , between being offered the role and officially starting the communication was not great on their side,  it made me a little nervous about what I was getting myself into. Once I started , communication definitely improved. Another pointer is that I was offered a position in a different area to the one I originally applied for. This wasn't explained to me and I only noticed it once I received the job offer. Although,   it didn't matter to me too much , it might be problematic for someone who requires for whatever reason to be closer to work.  I think it is courteous to let the candidate know regardless.

Once fully enrolled , the apprenticeship team were really helpful and made for a quick process towards attaining level 1 . This has continued into level 2 . Can't really fault them!

During my training , I was mainly with one trainer. Management at the time wanted trainees to stay with one trainer, in reality this wasn't very feasible as trainers run on their own schedule not the trainees. So there were instances where I would be placed with another trainer.  I think your training experience does vary dependent on your trainer. I learnt a lot . Beyond training, colleagues have always been on hand to help, and genuinely  nicest bunch of people! However I do think that you don't fully get to grips with pest control until you're out on your own. Every day is different , I like the apprehension before heading into a site not really knowing what you're going to find! Being organised is key and keeping on the ball otherwise  you will be caught out.

Middle management- personally I think an area where there could be improvements to be made. I wouldn't say these individuals are highly approachable and I think 10x more problems would be solved if they had an adaptable attitude not just to trainees but with long standing technicians . I understand we are not looking for  'friends', no ones asking that, but a better work atmosphere could easily be achieved, this would only help in the long term. All technicians I've worked with and met have all been fantastic. 

Opportunities for overtime - However with that  you don't take much home after tax , so I think in the role you have to weigh up how much you want to sacrifice from your social life to earn maybe a little bit more. 

Covid  19- has had a big impact on the role ever since I started. I don't really know any different,  empty offices , premises closed. Work day to day can be a struggle at times. I think middle management here have not been the most supportive bunch. I understand their role is partly to get as much productivity as possible (reaching same targets as before covid) . I don't see how this is realistic at all . Technicians  will get the blame for not being productive,  which isn't entirely fair and putting all Technicians under one umbrella isn't true either. 

Overall , the best company I've worked for but then again I've only had small experiences with large companies. I know how good this company can be , so it's difficult to see in some parts fall short. I would recommend  Rentokil for people who are ambitious.  Rentokil can be fast paced at times , nonetheless it's not something that's unachievable if you plan, prepare and come with a flexible attitude. 

I have been with Rentokil Initial for nearly 4 years, I started on the graduate scheme as a technician having being offered the role soon after finishing university. The application process was relatively straight forward, I had a telephone interview initially before being invited to a graduate interview/assessment day - this consisted of a face-to-face interview, followed by some numerical, writing and verbal reasoning testing and then taking part in a group exercise. I was then asked to attend a second stage interview where I spent the morning with one of our Technicians in the field, before meeting up with the manager in the afternoon. 

The training throughout my time at Rentokil Initial has been brilliant and have felt supported through the process. As a technician you are expected to manage your own time and area, it was a fun role and I enjoyed the responsibility and freedom it provided. Overtime was also always available. After just over a year as a technician I applied for a sales surveyor role. I was invited for an interview and a field day in the morning with a current surveyor to get an idea of the role. I was a surveyor for just over 2 years, the role was fun and each day varied meeting different customers every day and working closely with the technicians in your area. As a surveyor you are responsible for an area (patch) and are required to carry out surveys for new or existing customers and also residential enquiries, following a survey I would provide recommendations and a quotation for any work necessary. The opportunity to earn commission was great providing you hit your targets for each month. 

After 3+ years as a surveyor and technician I felt l had enough experience and knowledge to take the next step within the business, plenty of opportunities are available to progress such as Team Leader, Field Biologist, Local Operations Manager and Regional Account Manager roles. I decided to apply for a Key Account Manager role as I felt I would be well suited and enjoy working closely with customers. So far I have really enjoyed the challenge and have learnt many new skills and have built on previous experience as a technician and surveyor. I am now responsible for a number of key accounts and I am their lead point of contact for all key client matters and are responsible for bringing in new business from existing clients and develop new relationships with potential clients. The bonus scheme is good and if you work hard and get stuck in you are rewarded. 

If you are looking to progress within a big company that value their employees and offer great training, Rentokil Initial are a brilliant option! Yes it's an unusual graduate scheme but I definitely do not regret becoming part of it and look forward to to the rest of my career with RI. 

I joined Rentokil Pest Control with the excitement and enthusiasm of a teenager, ready to grab this job by the horns and take whatever it could throw at me. How this company and it’s useless management turned that feeling into nothing is quite incredible. 

This company is all bells and whistles on the outside, when in reality it’s full of corrupt management who do everything possible to secure their personal financial success If it includes throwing their team under the bus. I have never worked for a company that tries so hard to upset their employees. No support given from management whatsoever as they are too busy picking and choosing to do only what benefits them. Selfish horrible company. 

The pay is quite frankly atrocious for the amount of work you are expected to do, oh and don’t expect to earn lots of money through commission as the prices are so high, no one wants to pay for the services. Overtime is available but the compensation doesn’t cover the extra work you have to do, and then you end up losing your own time and becoming a slave for their shareholders. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic (which is still very much going on, although Rentokil seem to think otherwise) I had no support from my management. PPE was given only when we asked for it and, although Rentokil boast about spending £2m on PPE, I only saw 3 face masks and a couple of bottles of hand sanitiser. Whilst we were out on the front line risking our exposure to coronavirus, where did our managers go? As far as I could tell, my LOM must have been furloughed as I didn’t hear from him for months. What kind of management is that? Do you see now how it’s all about them and them only?

How this company was voted the best to work for is beyond me because I didn’t vote for that. I don’t know anyone who voted for that. I guess Rentokil just paid for the award like they do with everything else. 

Take my advice before you apply. This company will act like they are behind you, when they are really just there with a long old knife ready to stab you right in the back when things go wrong. 

Other things to note, the apprenticeship program is a complete shambles, it is only there for Rentokil’s gain to receive some kind of financial benefit from the government. This is the same with the graduate scheme. There is no such thing as a graduate scheme, just some words but in reality it makes no difference. 

Get your act together, Rentokil. You’re the worst and you need to start looking after the employees that actually generate the money for you as without them you’d be nothing. 

I've been working at Rentokil for almost 2 years now. I started on the graduate scheme after completing a Biological Sciences degree. 

I began working as a technician in Central London, a role which I did for just over a year. Although you would think the focus of this role is pest control, the most important part of the job is customer service. As a technician you are the face of the company to the customers, how you treat them strongly influences whether we keep their business or not! This role gives you a lot of freedom to plan your own time and manage your own schedule. You don't really get much input from management unless you need it. 

The opportunity for promotion came up just before the pandemic hit, I eventually became a surveyor in Autumn 2020. This is a sales role where I am responsible for my own part of London, signing up new customers and selling to existing ones. In this role I gained sales skills which is something I never imagined myself doing. As with being a technician, customer service is key to this role. The most successful sales people are often the ones who are best at building relationships.

The most enjoyable part of the job is the customers and my colleagues. I meet brilliant people every day and work with them too! Whenever you walk into a premises people are often very happy to see you because you are keeping them safe from pests. 

The hardest part of the job is how much freedom you get - this can be a blessing and a curse! If you aren't well organised then you will struggle. 

The management in Rentokil is quite hands-off. You are given free reign to plan your day and complete your tasks as you see fit. Your managers are always on the end of the phone if you need anything or run into problems. There is a huge focus on health and safety in the organisation - if something isn't safe we don't do it. It is nice to know that the company places your wellbeing above anything else. I have known managers to terminate high value contracts because something on site has put a technician at risk. 

I would thoroughly recommend Rentokil to anyone who is looking for a challenging role where they can prove themselves. It is very much a workplace that rewards people based on their work and results, not who they are friends with. There are so many opportunities in the business since it is a FTSE 100 company with a global presence. The only limit seems to be your own ability and ambition. 

As someone who entered the world of pest control with no experience I thought this was going to be an incredibly difficult job to get to grips with and understand, however from day one the company have tried in every to make the transition as easy as possible. 

Firstly you start with a week with a technician where they give you an insight into what happens after you sell something. you may also get to see a rodent or two...

Next you are taken on a six week residential training course where you start to develop a bit of understanding of the products and rodents, as well as learn "the Rentokil way"

After completion of this you are buddied up with another surveyor for a period of time. they will show you all of your training in action and allow you to learn from them.

Finally you are given your patch. 

A typical day for me would involve checking emails and setting up the day first thing, getting onto the area I am working and my first appointment for 9-9.30am, using the many computer programs available to generate self leads in that area so you are not moving around to much on a daily basis, go and survey/sell to my appointments made, go home and complete and final paperwork from the day (credit checks, contracts etc). Finish between 5-6pm.

The management are very approachable. They want you to succeed, after the amount of time and money the company have put into you once you have your patch it is in everyone's interest that you do succeed. As I write this we are (hopefully) coming to the tail end of a global pandemic, one which took hold as soon as I got my patch (I had 8 working days on my patch before lockdown happened). Yet I have still had regular contact with my manager, my training academy tutors, my surveyor buddy and other colleagues. Don't get me wrong everyone is busy and it may take a few hours for them to get back to you but they will. Everyone is in it together and the technicians are quite possibly the best knowledge bases of them all.

I like everyone have difficult days/weeks. days where processing takes a little longer or days where you need to sit and do paperwork and can't but those days are very few and far between, and again if you have them speak to your managers and they will help you through it.

Overall I would say if you are wanting a challenging, hard working job where you are not "selling" you are offering solutions, where if you work hard you will see the rewards then Rentokil might be the place.

Having been with Rentokil Pest Control for the past 14 years, I started of as a surveyor to then become Local Operations Manager. Having done this for a couple of years it was the surveyor  which I’d always enjoyed the most so I then moved back to that role.
As a business there are great incentive trips on offer which I’ve been part of and memories I’ll always have.
Having been with the business for a good time I’ve seen a lot of change over the years for the good. The things that stands out the most to me currently is the training and development programs  just get better and better and therefore creating better technicians, surveyors, managers throughout the business. It feels good to work for a successful company who pride themselves on promoting from within and knowing that you can progress as far as you wish rather than looking to recruit from outside for management.
 
Every couple of years when  the  business carries out Your Voice Counts I honestly believe the feedback is taken on board and the right changes are put in place to keep improving the working life. For me Rentokil are a big business with a family approach doors are always open for someone to listen. The environment is fast paced and driven, however we’re the stand out performers in our field and the results show for it.  If you’re willing to work hard then the benefits and earnings are very good.
 
What else I like about the business is that other opportunities are that you can move and work for other divisions of ours in Washroom, Hygiene, Ambius, Medical, Property Care etc which again is great to have. You can even go to work in another country if you like working for Rentokil. It really does open doors, a good friend of mine has now moved to Australia to work for Rentokil pest control, he’d always wanted to move to Australia and actually joined Rentokil with the intention of working hard, proving himself, with the long term plan to get a transfer to Australia…which Rentokil made possible for him. 
 
Lastly the principles the business has by supporting the charity ‘Malaria No More’ which is great to see as it makes a huge difference to others. Then even supporting local community teams, being able to ask Rentokil to sponsor a local football team for my son (which they have done for the last 3 years)  is a really nice personal touch the business does.
 
So if you’re looking for an opportunity to earn, in a driven hard working environment with the best possible training available then Rentokil is a great place to be.

Coming from a sales background I was looking for a new challenge and decided to enter something which was completely different.  Rentokil certainly encompassed many aspects that I was looking for such as job security in a larger company with a wide network of opportunities.

Starting with the company in early 2011 I came on board as Internal Sales Support and went through what was a very interesting training program learning about general pest control, biology, legislation and the organisation.  Part of the training was to shadow some of the Surveyors to get an understanding of the role they played which very quickly sparked my interest and within a few months I was offered the position of Rookie Surveyor. After meeting all required KPI’s I then graded to Surveyor.

While still in Wales as a single parent I had the opportunity to move back home to Scotland with my son and was fortunate enough to be able to get a transfer which was another advantage of working in a large company.  Although being in the Surveyors roll for 2 years there was no Surveyors vacancies back in Scotland but as I enjoyed the job so much I was able to remain with Rentokil and join the Edinburgh Branch Internal Sales Support team until a surveyor patch quickly became available due to an internal promotion.

Since then I have successfully increased my accreditation, sales figures and KPI’s and progressed once more to Advanced Surveyor and the knowledge I have learnt significantly increases not only the sales opportunities but the credibility in the Rentokil brand which I am proud to be a part of.

This is undoubtedly the most varied and interesting job I have been in with every day being completely different and an all access pass to the sites I visit.  Dealing with board level presentations and decision makers to getting my hands dirty in full coveralls and half face respirator the role has not only kept my excitement over the past 8 years and desire to learn more but also allows for a good balance in my home life with my son and I.  I’m also lucky to have a great Local Operations Manager who provides support and direction along with my colleagues all being part of a close team and would recommend Rentokil to anyone looking for a challenging but exciting roll in the world of pests.

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