The number of times we’ve been asked if interiorscapers should reveal to their clients what they are doing to control pests is nothing short of surprising. Is honesty in short supply in the interiorscape industry? No, that can’t be it. So what is the issue that makes interiorscapers ask this? Well, it can probably be summed up in two words: Client acceptance.
Interiorscaper clients have one primary interest as it pertains to dealing with their interiorscape contractor. That is, they don’t want to deal. The client wants his or her plants to look good at a distance, the plant technician(s) stay out of sight and out of the way, and any and all plant-related liabilities remain to unremarkable. Anything beyond this could be construed as a problem and they don’t have time for problems.
But this doesn’t mean you can’t talk to the client and let them know what you’re doing, though, especially if what you’re doing is in their best interest. You might be surprised to find that clients can show great interest in the interiorscaper’s job, especially if said job will reduce or even eliminate the liability angle. Learning that poisons will not be used in favor of safer, greener methods, not surprisingly, can be received as very good news.
That’s not saying this in itself won’t bring about new concerns, but that’s where education comes into play. Interiorscapers, if willing to go so far as to reveal strategies, need to be prepared to answer the inevitable resultant questions. So what are some of these questions? And what are the answers. Let’s take a look at a few:
- Will the good bugs become pests?
- No. Once they get control of the problem or run out of food, or even if conditions aren’t right for them, they tend to just disappear, but never in the form of a mass exodus.
- Will they bother my employees?
- Not directly. The biggest problems will result from misting plain water before releasing the bugs. Employees, as has been proven time and time again, will see the misting procedure, not knowing it’s plain water, and will react. Often claiming to be getting a headache from the spray followed by a request to go home. It’s good to way to actually see the employee’s true colors (or psychosomatic tendencies).
- Will visitors notice the bugs?
- It’s possible, but very unlikely. People just aren’t that observant. In fact, the most likely person to notice would be another plant person. Most people view interiorscape plants in their periphery, seeing shapes, mass, and maybe colors — on a good day.
- Does this affect the terms of our contract?
- No. Same prices, same guarantees, same service. Just less risk and a more favorable environmental impact. Be sure not to mistakenly mention that it’s experimental (even if it is to you, the methodology is not). Biocontrols are proven and effective.
By no means does this mean you should always discuss your methods with your client. Let’s face it, some are close-minded and simply don’t want to be bothered. You know your client as an individual and we only know him or her as a member of a larger group, of which our knowledge is limited to a majority response. In some cases you might lose your contract if you dare to speak and share, but do know this is the exception. If your relationship with client is that unstable, you’re always moments away from losing the account anyway and nothing can be done about that.
If your client is a decent sort, though, and you can talk to them, we’ve seen good things come from broaching the topic. In one case, a client/doctor was able to avert a possible disaster caused by Crypts in the interior plants by simply knowing what was going on. This was a bad situation gone good simply due to an honest and revealing relationship between the interiorscaper and client.
If you need more, here’s a revealing anecdote we wrote in 2001 detailing a hypothetical situation where honesty led to questions, which led to answers, which led to better things in the end. We know many interiorscapers who have been using good bugs for many years, and most have been forthright about it.
