pest control technician

inspector

service technician

digital marketer

telemarketer

Cook's-Pest-Control

For those who take the time to read this, this is the unfiltered truth of my last two decades spent with this company. It won't be hard for some of you to identify who this review came from, and I wouldn't try to hide that behind the keyboard and screen.

        In a time where job hopping is not only acceptable, but highly encouraged to the younger generation entering the work force, Cook's has been the anchor for me to provide for my family without having to worry about my position being outsourced or fears of being laid off. Has Cook's always been the best place to work for me? For a good period I was here, that answer was NO. The company as a whole I felt has always tried to put the employees best interests first. Pay was always on the higher end of similar listed jobs and each time it has been necessary, that pay has increased to meet the rising costs of general living. But on a local level I was a cog in the machine that favored sales budgets and records, and doing that work on a skeleton crew for a team of Managers who could care less how my weekend went, and were more concerned about why I wasn't staying out later to get more work done. Never mind the fact I was already working 6 days per week 2-3 times per month over a 10+ year period. Or the fact that I could never really find relief from the constant more more more mentality. It was never "Great job this month," or "Hey, thanks for always being the one counted on to get things done right." "Why didn't you have MORE Gold Leads?" "Don't care that it's the middle of February, get gold leads or you don't have a job." "What do you mean you need off today? Well, you'll just have to work Saturday." 
     
     I absolutely despised the machine and the constant need for more, but I absolutely loved the freedom of not being chained to a desk 8-10 hours per day. I loved most of the customers I serviced throughout those many years as a technician. Serving Customers and protecting their most valuable assets filled my bucket. Customers who I watched their kids grow up and move off to College. Customers who always wanted to see pictures of my kids as they grew and sent me with treats and gifts for them. That's what kept me around during that period when everything else told me to jump ship with the other revolving door of new and old technicians coming and going like they were merely disposable tools after the jobs were completed and the budgets and records were broken. I made enough to provide for my family most of the time and as long as I followed the "what have you done for me lately" mentality, most of my days were just me getting in, getting the job done quietly, and going home to what time was left for my family. 

      So what changed that would make me give this company 5 stars? In 2019 our offices split and became much easier to manage as two smaller groups. I stepped into the Management position and learned a whole new set of demands. As we trudged along with a brand new office full of mostly brand new Management, we had a vision of how we wanted our office to run and that was taking care of the current customers who were just as important as the brand new ones. There was probably a 3-4 year period of my career prior to the office split where that never felt like it was the case. New work and sales budgets had priority, and the current customers got the leftovers when we could get to them. There was  a drastic shift at the end of that first year here and it wasn't just our local offices, but Company wide.  They chose to shut down sales departments in favor of getting all of those left behind customers caught up and back on a fixed schedule. What other company would shut down entire Sales teams for 2-3 months losing potentially millions of dollars in revenue in favor of doing the right thing by its already established customer base that had been neglected. That cemented my own personal  decision that this is the company I want to work for until I retire. 

          Even this many years later, the road is still bumpy and some days are less fun than others. But in almost 20 years with this company, I have yet to see an action done to the detriment of its employees in favor of larger paychecks and bonuses to its Upper Management and Board Members. Company's are out here laying off thousands of employees while publicly showing off their CEO's millions of dollar bonuses for the year and record sales. Cook's continues to pour back in to the employees year after year which has yielded a much better place to work to me. It's not always sunshine and rainbows. It's a business like anything else and must be run accordingly, but there is not a time that i currently question if I made the right decision by sticking through those hard years to make it to where we are now.   


They will start you off at a decent hourly rate to reel you in, and then they send you off to school in Alabama for a week straight (more depending on department) with barely enough food to last that week. After you get back from school, you will typically be moved to a salaried position and get your own route to run. Depending on work load you will work between 40-65 hour weeks. Ive been here a year and I have in reality never worked less than 50 hours a week, while my salary has not increased at all. This is the only company I have ever worked for where I was paid LESS the longer I worked here. In order to increase the way your commission based salary will be paid, you have to complete college level courses that are only reimbursed after you pass within the given time limit (which is gratuitous) AND you must have worked with the company for a minimum of 5 years. All departments have the same salary, but if you are recruited for the termite department, you can expect to make FAR less commission than either sales or pest control departments, AND work easily 4x harder than either with longer hours. Management doesn't care how long you have to work or how hard as long as you get it done, and will not lend help, even though they will tell you they are there to help if you need it when you get hired. Basically when you interview you are promised a lot, and its rarely delivered upon. They will woo you with an expensive luncheon at first and a ride along that shows you only the easiest parts of the job. I would take this job again knowing what i know now, only if i desperately needed the money. Again, you start off at a decent hourly rate (14.42/hr @40hr week) and then after training will be moved to a salary (2500/mo @50-65hr weeks). They will claim you will have huge opportunity to make a large commission and more than the salary if you work hard. I have made over commission 3 times, and BARELY, after literally exhausting myself for those entire months. What they wont mention: you will have little to NO time for personal/family activities. I frequently burn my PTO just to see my brother when he is in town because i don't get home until 7-8pm, and that's with being up by 630am to get to work early, because god help you if you are late by even a minute. Also, you aren't even eligible for the 401k until you've been there a year, and the turnover rate is very very high, so make of that what you will.

I started with Cook’s Pest Control in 2014, thinking it would just be a job to get me through a tough time until I got back on my feet. Looking back now, I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I began my career as a pest control technician in Birmingham, and through hard work and dedication, I’ve been promoted four times first to supervisor, then department manager and then two more times. Each promotion was earned through my work ethic and leadership, not favoritism. That’s one of the things I value most about Cook’s the company recognizes and rewards hard work because If you put in the effort, Cook’s gives you every opportunity to succeed.

Cook’s Pest Control truly cares about its employees. You can feel it the moment you walk into the Auburn office it’s not just a workplace, it’s a family and a team. The work-life balance here is excellent. You’re given the training and the tools to succeed, and if you follow your training you will. 

Even more, Cook’s now offers a four-day work week for technicians giving an extra day off to recharge and spend with your families. That alone shows how much this company values its people. Also, Cooks has paid holidays and over 10 days of vacation starting out, and 5 days are added every 5 years the best part now is if you don’t use your vacation you don’t lose them, before you had to make sure to use your days up but now you don’t have to, you still receive sick days. 

I’m proud to say I’ll be with Cook’s until I retire. This isn’t just a job it’s a career and a family I’m grateful to be part of.

I was extremely fortunate to be hired on to work in this office of Cook's Pest Control. When I was hired, I hadn't had any office experience other than writing articles for a small newspaper while in high school. The branch manager saw potential in me after a lengthy interview and decided to take a chance and give me the job. The office ran like a well oiled machine thanks to the small and tight nit group of professional ladies that had worked together for many years. These knowledgeable women took me under their wing and trained me thoroughly. Through the months, I began to take on more and more responsibility. Eventually learning every job in the office. (Including payroll which only the office manager had done until I was trained) 
The unique part of this position was the constant customer service that was required on top of the day to day operations of running the business. The phones rang constantly, customers would walk in, and dispatch to our technicians had to be done promptly. Sometimes customers would call in a panic about a pest problem and I would have to tactfully reassure the individual and project how we would solve the problem until they were satisfied and much calmer. Every customer service interaction had to be written by hand on carbon copy paper with extreme detail. During the busy springtime season, there were times I would have a stack closing on 200 to turn in at the end of the day. It was a very rewarding experience and the knowledge and training that I received there was extremely valuable.

I worked at Cook’s Pest Control and unfortunately my experience was not a positive one. There are some good people within the company, and a few managers genuinely care about their employees, but overall the work environment became extremely draining and discouraging over time.

The biggest issue I experienced was favoritism and inconsistent treatment between employees. It often felt like certain people were held to completely different standards than others. Some employees could make mistakes with little to no consequences, while others were constantly singled out, criticized, or threatened with write-ups over minor issues. It creates a stressful atmosphere where morale drops quickly.

The workload and schedule were another major problem. Expect long hours almost every day and regular 6-day work weeks. Work-life balance was talked about often, but in practice it rarely improved. The expectation always seemed to be “do more” no matter how much you were already producing. Even employees hitting goals or performing well were still pressured to exceed expectations constantly, which eventually leads to burnout.

Communication from upper management also felt disconnected at times. Instead of addressing employee concerns, it often felt like concerns were dismissed or turned back onto the employee. Motivation becomes difficult when you feel overworked, underappreciated, and replaceable.

This job may work for some people, especially if you don’t mind long hours and a very demanding environment, but for me the culture, favoritism, and lack of balance outweighed the positives.

This company is all about good results and even better customer service. I've learned a lot with the short amount of time I've been working here. It can quite intense somedays or it can be relaxed. Ultimately, this job, like many others, it is what you make it. It starts with attitude. I've learned alot but just from my supervisors but also my fellow co-workers. 
Don't be afraid to ask questions. That is how you learn. I wish I could connect more with my coworkers and supervisors. The work is very independent, but I do enjoy doing jobs with my fellow co-workers from time to time. Every day is different. Different experiences, different interactions, different solutions for different problems. Not everyday is the same. 

Hardest part of the job is the weather for sure. Having to work through a heat advisory is no fun. Make sure to hydrate and take breaks. Sometimes there might be customers who aren't having a good day. You must learn to not take it personal because a bad interaction can be draining. We strive to do our best in meeting a customer's need. 

The most enjoyable part of the job is learning and making sure people get the best customer service. At times, you do drink from the fire hose when it comes to the material that you will learn. Just make sure to comprehend and ask questions. 
It brings joy to know that I met someone's need and make sure they are taken care of. Thank you goes a long way for me. 

Overall, Cook's it's a good place to work for if you want to excel in customer service and doing Expect to learn a lot from people and experiences. 

This place seemed like a great place to work at first, but you start realizing it’s not later on. it’s like management puts on a good show at first to lure you in. You start out hourly as a route assistant, but once you get your own route you get paid production. i think i was making more as a route assistant, for doing less work and having much less stress and responsibility.  i feel like i’m always rushed to get my route completed, on top of callbacks that can hit you out of nowhere and you don’t get paid AT ALL, and management is always pushing you to do other things on top of your work, every day i finally get home from a long day of work and i have to spend time on my computer to schedule my next day and call customers. Then customers will be reaching out to me the rest of the night asking me things and putting me off and changing times and ruins my scheduling. it feels like my work never leaves me, and i don’t feel as if i’m paid enough for the things i have to go through. you get paid vacation and sick time but usually when i take time off, they won’t have people to fill in for me and it puts me behind and gives me more things to worry about. it’s like i can’t escape the stress of this job and i take it with me wherever i go. Want to get out of here as soon as i can. They also don’t even let you have beards, make you cut your hair, and you wear button up and khaki pants to be working outside all day, they want us to look “professional” but honestly i wouldn’t say this job is worth shaving my face every morning for.

- There is a clear division in this office in sales/service .  
- Management has the ability to “take “ money or make decisions based off no clear business model.  They cannot provide you information on achieving “gold leads” - 100% possible to take money out of your pocket and/or admit to wrong doing/theft and there’s no penalties for them.
-Inventory control is a huge problem and you are consistently told just to “handle it “.
-Routing is ran through 1 person who uses old school software in which “new starts/service calls/new accounts get piled onto the 160 stops you have for a month . 
-Corporate sets new rules/standards and this office will not go along with .
-old school southern tone in this office where the management always seems to achieve the highest goals without a majority of the office achieving the same levels. 
-PTO/Vacation are the same thing and they want you to SCHEDULE it all in January by seniors/top sales / bdays , etc. NO STANDARDS. Whatever they feel.
-Implementation of standard work procedures is minimal .  You will have 5 people tell you 5 different ways of doing things .  
-Routes are spread to thin and some days you may drive 200 miles and regardless of road construction/ traffic conditions, time of day , you are expected to stay working.
-This office plays favorites, and there’s little life experience in this office, minimal experience in different fields, bottom line pushers with tunnel vision 

The Company has no sense of direction and management often quits because of lack of infrastructure and competence....making it harder every time a new manager steps into the role.(this is true for every office in every state). Turnover here is the worst I have ever seen at any other company- for every position. Technicians are expected to completely give up their home lives even though they preach during the interview that you will have more time with your family, and that is what the company is supposedly all about. For the longest time, my two week checks had more than 136 hours on them and you are always expected to do more. The worst part is, you are commission so you don't even get paid for half of those hours. You are expected to route and call your customers off the clock (unpaid), maintain the upkeep and clean their vehicles-full detail, washing, waxing, etc. daily out of pocket and unpaid, do training videos that can sometimes last HOURS unpaid and off the clock, and do service calls and follow ups unpaid. I have never worked for a company that expects me to do so much for free, yet at every meeting they preach to you about how you should want to do MORE and should be doing so...for a company that truly seems to care about nothing more than money. Honestly don't waist your time here, I promise you'll regret it. I am not some disgruntled employee, and assure you this is 100% honest. 

At first it will seem that they really want you to do well and that they are glad that you are there. But after some time you will figure out they don't care at all. 

They will give you sprayers that are known to be leaking and because of the leaks you will be exposed to pesticides. 

Once you are on a route you will be going into the office 2 times a week for meetings and product and that time is unpaid. Those trips to the office usually add about 2 hours onto your day.  So you have 3-4 hours a week of free work there. Once you get your route be ready to work 10-12 hour days all summer. Technicians also do service calls for NO PAY and be ready to get those at a rate of about 3-6 a day during the summer. The office never tells people no, so even if a customer calls to get a service call about an issue that isn't covered  you will still have to call the customer and schedule a time to take care of the issue and be ready to get service calls that are about "ants on the back fence near the woods on their property" or "they have seen a spider in their yard" or "they have carpenter bees" but the customer has not had a carpenter bee service and it isn't covered under general pest control.

The office usually plays favorites and if you are not one of the favorites you will get picked at constantly. It is a Christian company but everyone there is 2 faced and will talk about you behind your back. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Pest control technician 175 salaries reported	$17.97 per hour
Inspector 14 salaries reported	$49,571 per year
Service technician 17 salaries reported	$12.29 per hour
Digital marketer 4 salaries reported	$48,750 per year
Telemarketer 13 salaries reported	$48,923 per year

Working at Cook's Pest Control: Company Overview and Reviews

Cook's Pest Control

Cook's Pest Control Ratings

Popular jobs at Cook's Pest Control

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected

Working at Cook&#39;s Pest Control: Company Overview and Reviews

Cook's Pest Control

Cook&#39;s Pest Control Ratings

Popular jobs at Cook&#39;s Pest Control

Salary Satisfaction

Working at Cook's Pest Control: Company Overview and Reviews

Cook's Pest Control Ratings

Popular jobs at Cook's Pest Control