Orkin Pest Control

Very, very poorly. I asked Finny on your side (channel 7) to look into my complaint about ORKIN.

They did well. The problem has been under control and they are coming every month. The workers are great. no complaint there. However, I am uneasy with the products that they use even thought they claim that is ok for the environment. We just don't have a good idea of what is good unless it is truly natural. But our flea problem (we don't have pets) was so extensive. We had fleas in our patio and when we went outside our legs would be covered with as many as 25 fleas or more. So now it is better.

I asked Orkin for an inspection and bid on fumigation as I know I have drywood termites in an area. In fact the area has been opened up and is visible. The inspection was cursory in the area I had the termites but non existent in the rest of the house. The inspector looked at the basement crawl space from the opening and did not inspect it, nor did he go into the attic which was accessible. His report noted 'problems' in areas he did not even look at. Their bid was quite competitive though and since I already knew I had to fumigate I went ahead and asked them to do it. That is when the fun started. While signing the contract the inspector could not explain any of the clauses. Then he noted verbally that they only had a one year guarantee where everybody else has three years. Every other question I asked him after that , no matter what the topic, he kept saying it meant that I was agreeing to a one year guarantee and that the future 'inspection' and continuing guarantee would mean I was agreeing to a service contract at several hundred dollars a year. He was fixated on that issue. Simple bait and switch. Overall their inspection was a joke, their prices were ok, but their inability to understand their own contract and attempt to hook you in to a service contract was not acceptable. I tore up the contract and went with another firm that was more reasonable.

I had a 4-6pm appointment and Tri arrived around 5:30pm. He was meticulous with his work and checked everything carefully. He spent almost an hour down in the crawl space to look for termites. He was down there for so long that my wife worried that he has passed out. Not only did he found the location of termites and took pictures of them, he also discovered a cracked kitchen drain and took a picture for me to get it fixed. Tri sat down patiently and explained all his findings and his recommendations for a treatment plan until 8:00pm. When we went out for dinner around 8:30pm, Tri was still in his car doing his termite report. Even though his quote is the highest among all 3 termite companies, Tri impressed me enough that we are willing to give the job to Orkin. The treatment has not been completed yet and I cannot comment on the quality of work. But Tri's quality of work is definitely exceptional.

Raj is my representative. Polite, efficient, trustworthy. Orkin has eliminated a recurring pest problem and, with an agreement for on-going treatment receive visits every other month. Raj always removes his shoes before coming into my home. Removes spider webs inside and out, inspects and treats all rooms and around perimeter of house and yard each time. Very pleased with the service and effectiveness of the treatments.

Both structures were tented and fumigated in a professional way by MEGA FUME, a subcontractor to ORKIN. Post tenting activity included spraying affected spaces in the attic and under floor. A prime deciding factor in choosing ORKIN and MEGA FUME was the fact that they provided valid evidence of insurance covering damage to the structure including all solar panels and windows. This evidence was not provided by other Companies considered for the work. No damage resulted from any of the fumigation work carried out. I thank The Orkin Pest Control Branch Manager, Mr. Darius Williams and his Agent, Mr. Long Trinh for the professional way they negotiated and carried out the contract.

They took care of the problem, but they were really hard to deal with. They were not always there. They came when we weren't there and they couldn't get into the backyard. Overall, they weren't easy to work with. You should make sure that you understand the program you sign up for.

They've been doing this house for about 20 years and they know the location well.

They were very professional, reasonably priced, and effective. They always did a great job! One thing I didn't realize at first was that the products they used were not heavy-duty chemicals, but natural, and gentle products. After the initial treatment, and they were just maintaining my home, the front smelled like a flower bed!

They did inside the house. I really liked them. They are very professional and good. They know what they are doing.

The service manager came out to set the trap at the appointed time. In fact, he was very punctual: I was given a 2-hour window and he came at the very beginning of that window (very nice!). He was professional and courteous. The trap was set using seafood cat food, which apparently usually catches the little guys. The service manager offered to come check the trap daily, but, if access was an issue, I could just call when the raccoon was trapped or if the trap needed any attention. I opted for the latter. The standard period you are paying for is 5 days, though they are fairly lenient on giving you more time. (Could you imagine the reviews here if, after 5 days, the animal were not caught?). We definitely went over, which would probably be my chief complaint. I had suggested a couple of times during the course that we either change the food or move the trap. The service rep came out once to replenish the cat food; after a few more days still nothing until finally they decided to try trail mix. That did the trick; the raccoon was captured that night. I called in the morning, and the raccoon was picked up by late morning. Overall, it was an almost seamless process. Good customer service and accessibility. I just felt we could have been a tad more aggressive in changing strategy sooner. I'm also not in a good position to evaluate price. I didn't get another estimate (not all the extermination companies handle raccoons and other rodents). On the one hand $450 for renting a trap and doing something people used to handle themselves (catching or killing a rodent) seems like a lot; on the other hand, the raccoon is now gone (with any luck, he/she was the only one) and the service provided was good.

We paid $50 every time they came out. There were a couple of times that they weren't too good. They changed service people on me without notifying me and the people that came out were not too courteous. Their price was fair and they were one of the lowest. Their quality was about average. There were times they were not on time and they didn't keep track of timing. We probably wouldn't use them again because they kept changing technicians on us.

I have had a very bad experience. here is what i felt happened to me. The first visit was okay, though costly. I was advised to install better rodent screens. I did this, at a cost of $250, over and above what I paid them. It turns out that did the trick: no rodents since then. But I also was promised excellent, repeat service if I signed an annual contract, for which I would receive bi-monthly inspections. They missed the first inspection, not coming out until I called to remind them. Then they came on a day when no one was home and charged me $102, charged to my credit card. When I saw the charge and protested they said their records showed they had talked to me and I agreed to the appointment. Of course, I would not be writing this caution to my fellow consumers if that were true. I then canceled the annual contract, and they agreed. They also said they would rescind the charge. They did neither. Two months later I was home, by coincidence, and the service fellow came. I let him do his thing. There were no rodents, nor sign of rodents. I then called and told them to let the earlier charge stand and not bill me for the second, reminding them to cancel the contract. They agreed with all three suggestions. However, they then billed me for the second visit, leaving the charge for the first in place. Of course by now it was too late to protest the first charge with the credit card company. I again phoned. They had not canceled the contract and, after some tense conversation they agreed to refund half of the first charge and to cancel the contract. Of course, I would not be writing this caution to my fellow consumers if they had done as they promised. Both charges still stand. I now am in bureaucratic h*ll with these people from the Hayward office. Yesterday they again said the contract was canceled. They deny any knowledge of an agreement to refund any part of the first charge. I am having the credit card company deny payment. My strongest advice: 1. Work with a local; avoid these bureaucratic chains. They seem not to care and seem to have constant turn-over, 2. Install great screens and other physical barriers. 3. If you are forced to go with a chain, I suggest one other then Orkin. 4. Do not sign up for extra service or an on-going contract. React to problems as they arise.

The service is having a pretty good effect. They are pretty average. You don't need to be around for them to do the service.

We didn't do a contract with them because their contract was kind of quirky. They advertise one thing to get you to let them come out. The price was not to our satisfaction. The price they advertise is one price and doesn't include all the treatments. They are misleading price wise. They didn’t show up when they were supposed to and came the next day. Then they tried to bargain with us when we said no. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. The guy did seem to know what he was talking about.

Overall, the service went fine. They were in the same range of other companies in terms of price.

Things go great. They call with a recorded reminder a day or two before they come. When they arrive we don't need to be here because it is an exterior spray. They do the work and go along their way. Did have to come out and redo a treatment at the beginning because there was a really big problem.

I called several exterminators before deciding on Orkin. One company didn't show up. Another company sent out a guy who acted just like a used car salesman. He said that I had termites (I knew that!), measured the house without inspecting anything else and even did the used car stunt of calling his manager to get a lower price. When Anna from Orkin came out, at first, I was skeptical. Anna carefully inspected the damage. She correctly identified that there were two types of termites involved (I checked the UC Davis site), found a termite in a spider web in the house next door, and throughly inspected my house. The people who came out to do the treatment were equally thorough and they were careful and cautious not to cause any problems. And they were the same price as the guy who had to call his manager. I would highly recommend them! UPDATE: (November 29, 2012) Since the initial treatment, they've come out annually to inspect and treat, if necessary. They always call and set up a time. The people on the phone and the people who've come out have been dependably professional. All of them are also nice and friendly.

We called Orkin after witnessing a swarm of termites outside of our house. We were totally freaked out! The young man who did the inspection actually showed up early. After we showed him where we'd witnessed a swarm, he explained the types of termites and their habits. He did a thorough inspection of the outside perimeter of the house and pointed out evidence of beetles in the dead roots of long-gone trees around the house. He investigated the crawl space of the house and deck and even helped us lug out a large, beetle-infested board that had been stored under the deck. He also pointed out other possible problem areas (e.g., cardboard boxes in the garage). After a his inspection, he found no evidence of infestation, except for a stringer under the deck, which he recommended that we replace (he could have pushed chemical treatment of the board, but he didn't). We didn't pay a penny for the inspection. We were completely pleased and impressed with the professionalism, good humor, and integrity of service provider and would definitely turn to this company again in the future.

We called for an inspection. An inspector came and did a thorough look in the attic and under the house. He also inspected the garage and around the outside of the house. He came up with an estimate and asked us to call him with any questions. We called back for information and he was very informative. The brochure he brought was also very informative. The crew came out on time and sprayed and removed wood from under the house. They also set up termite traps that will be inspected every three months or whenever we see any signs of termites.

Jack Combs diagnosed my problem as subterranean termites, prepared a report and written cost estimate, and clearly answered my questions. He was prompt and helpful. Mauricio and an assistant were the technicians that performed the treatment. They drilled holes in concrete, wood, and plaster and injected them with termiticide. They were both very courteous and conscientious. They neatly filled all the holes they made, cleaned up after themselves, and explained everything they did. They showed up on time and completed the work promptly. I don't know how the price compares to other jobs, because I didn't get any other estimates, but the service was great and I would use them again.

ORKIN TOOK THE TIME TO REALLY SPRAY GOOD BOTH INSIDE AND OUT. THEY TOLD US TO KEEP THE PETS LOCKED UP FOR 24 HOURS AND IF WE SAW ANY BUGS TO CALL THEM BACK OUT. THEY SPRAYED IN THE CRAWL SPACE AND ATTIC AS WELL.

THE STAFF AT ORKIN IS VERY POLITE. THEY RETURN CALLS and RESPOND QUICKLY TO YOUR CONCERNS. THEY SHOW UP ON TIME and FINISH QUICKLY. THEY DO A GOOD JOB. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO CALL THEM BACK OUT BETWEEN SPRAYINGS.

ORKIN WAS VERY FAST TO RESPOND TO MY CALL. THEY FIT OUR SPRAYING IN EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A ONE TIME JOB. THEY WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL. THE ANT PROBLEM WAS TAKEN CARE OF THE FIRST SHOT. WE WERE VERY PLEASED.

THE MAN THAT CAME OUT WAS VERY HELPFUL IN TELLING US WHAT WE COULD DO TO HELP ELIMINATE THE LITTLE BUGS WHEN IT RAINS. HE TOOK GREAT CARE IN SPRAYING ALL AROUND THE HOUSE TO STOP THE ANTS. WE DID NOT SEE ANOTHER BUG. THEY NOW SPRAY ONCE A MONTH.