I have been talking with them. There deal seems fair and the seem reputable but was looking for feed back here.

Out of CO. Haven't heard anything bad but you are talking referral service versus client experience.

You'd need someone who has done a deal to report. United was the biggest one doing this and most dont have good things to say.

Could be a good deal if it works for you personally that's all that matters.

? What is it

Basically, the will send someone to train you how to exclude bats, wherever you are. Then when they get a bat call, they will pay you to do the inspection then pay you 60% of the job. When you are proficient, you can tell them how much you need to do a job and they will bid accordingly.

They will also pay travel etc and compensate you well if you work on their commercial jobs.

From what I have heard they do pay well.

Throw Back,

This may be a good opportunity or it may be a complete failure. It really depends on you and what you feel is best.

When I first started with bats, I "interviewed" with a company that would send me the training program because he was a high school biology teacher and he "knew" what was required for doing a bat job. He was very adamant that no more than a single trip and 4 hours of work were required for any bat job and my earning potential would be tied directly into how fast I could get the jobs done (the faster the job was completed the more money). I knew nothing about bats at that time, so I thought this was a good fit but thankfully, it never happened as talks stalled almost immediately when territory discussion started changing with each conversation.

Then I got the only bat training videos I could find on the market. I watched the videos, got the bat traps, and started doing bats. I bought some additional bat traps and when I tried to purchase more, I found out that the company was being sold and a franchise was being created so if I wanted to keep using/buying the bat traps I needed to join the franchise.

I didn't join the franchise and in fact, this pushed me to research bats and learn about them from multiple sources (books, seminars, classes, videos, chat rooms, etc.) that I quickly realized how incorrect a good portion of the information presented as facts were wrong (i.e., bats are dirty animals, one bat in the house means you have thousands, all bats eat mosquitoes, all bat species have large maternity colonies, Jerzey gloves are more than enough protection for handling bats, etc.).

It was actually all of the misinformation that started me on creating a training program for working with bats and even though I was ridiculed about my beliefs/practices when I first started training on them in 2004, I'm amazed at how many of my "stupid" and "not necessary" beliefs/practices are now considered minimum standards.

My point on this is very simple. For someone that doesn't know what they should be looking at/for, anything can look good. This is why when I teach I stress that what I'm showing is MY system and that it is what works for ME in MY service area. I highly recommend that the students take my system and then modify it as THEY need to for THEIR situations.

Some things will always be constants such as the material properties of the products you're using and thermal conditions bats like, but after that be prepared for anything. I've seen bats enter a home 1 1/2 inches off a concrete driveway and through a mercury light where they flew inside then crawled down the electrical cable to gain access to name a few.

If you or anyone else decides to take this company up on its offer, don't stop the self learning or take what they say as 100% correct at all times. Questions you can ask include who will be doing the training? Are they recognized by the industry? What does the training cover? Is training on-site, in a classroom, or both? How long is the training program? Will I have an exclusive territory? How big of a territory will I have to cover? Will you be bidding the job or just doing the work? Is there a time frame requirement that needs followed once a job has been assigned to you? Do you need to sign a non-compete? Will you be an employee or a subcontractor (if you don't understand the difference this is a great place to start as it has tax implications to both parties)? These should be enough to get you started, but there are plenty more to ask based on the answers given.

As Ron Scheller, Bob Jameson, and Justin Stevenson will most likely agree, the best teacher on bats are the bats themselves. To really become trained, you need to study the bats themselves, improve your construction/business skills, and put in the time. For me, red flags start popping up when I hear that a company can make you an expert in a day.

I agree eric...as a former aaac franchisee...they didnt teach you all you know....really they started the process and you learned the majority of what u did in wco work either on the job, wct and other events, wco college when it was still being offered, wct magazine, etc...

I am independent now because of that knowledge gained outside of the franchise

One thing i did see with others that were in the franchise....i was usually the only one that went to the wct events...some expected the franchise to provide everything....that to me is a bad idea...so i definitely second eric although he is more of a guru than i am in this area

In years past we had a team ( 2-4 men) that traveled the U.S. doing our own bat control contracts. Commercial, governmental and residential projects. I also did many jobs as a sub contractor for United Bat Control. A percentage of the job was a paid fee to the referral company upon receiving payment from the job. The contract bid/check was cut to our company and as soon as we returned I cut a check attached to a contract copy to verify the job and contract amount. Those were the good old days. Not many doing good competent bat work back then.

It was a good fit for us as I was experienced, would travel and had personnel that would travel for extended periods of time and I could sell jobs on the phone as the leads would come in. Those of you that know me I am sure knew of this thru the industry. We did on line job site inspections/evaluations/bids via " photos sent by email or USPS mailed". This provided me with the needed information to bid the exterior structural size and degree of difficulty of each job. If I needed lifts due to the size or accessibility to the perimeter rake, gable or the highest areas of the job.

Jobs requiring a clean out/insulation replacement would obviously need to be assessed once we had the opportunity do an onsite inspection of the infrastructure. Then you are looking for securing and renting a roll off dumpster of the needed cubic yard size for your contract date. All of this would be added to the structural contract bid.

Sometimes jobs only require a lift for a couple structural points that the average ladders of 40 ft. wouldn't be adequate or it would be close. So knowing how to evaluate jobs in this manner was critical to be able to scale a job to do what we did and we still do things in a similar manner.

As Eric stated it can be a good opportunity if you are skilled and know your business. It can be very profitable. However you better know what you are doing particularly if you are working on the road, renting lifts, paying for a team room/board etc. Having the necessary liability insurance jacket for each state that you worked in and determine the appropriate Workers Comp. required there as well. Lots of homework and pre planning for such work. But the benefits are there if you know how to make it all come together.

Its a big expense if you get a call back. Thankfully, I have never had a call back on a road job and we have done hundreds over the years. But things can happen. If you are 6-18 hours from your home base and must by contract fulfill your obligation to the client you have to eat it so to speak.

Eric and I have spoken regarding covering our guarantee for some jobs we have done within his service area over the years. This is an arrangement that you can bid into your contract in the event that this does occur and you must sub out the call back fee to be paid to the WCO that will make the needed corrections to resolve the problem.

What ever the amount you need to pay another WCO to satisfy the issue ( which in most cases is minimal time and work )however you will still be much farther ahead then the alternative of making the trip back again.

I have done several inspections for Get The Bats Out. I go to a home and if I find bat sign send them photos of the home and then they present the client a proposal (via e-mail). The proposal is about 3x the industry norm for this area. So, they didn't get the bat exclusion jobs that I inspected. I got paid $150 for the inspections. They paid me promptly and they are pleasant to deal with. I have nothing bad to say about them.

I was hoping one of their bids would get excepted. So, I could train with them.


Chuck

That is the dilemma with some referral services.

If they share an inspection fee with you, you have to bid what you would normally bid a job for then add 30% or more to the job to pay for the commission that they are asking. Some consumers pay the price but so many others look around and you will loose a lot of work in those situations.

Your situation is a new twist on this kind of work from a referral company. I am sure they are a new kid on the block doing online evaluations as I use to do years ago for my business. The only difference I did what I deemed as a fair reasonable bid for a job without the additional built in commissions.

Does your state have a licensing requirement? Is the trainer licensed? I would worry about liability myself if the trainer hacks the job YOU are the one the home/business owner will be coming after being you are in the state.

Bob, I know they have done business since before 2009.

On commercial jobs, they assemble the team, rent equipment, and cover the warranty. On residential jobs i do myself i cover. They add 15% to the initial bid of cost+day rate just for warrantying jobs.



As far as commitment there is none either way. If they recieve complaints about your work constantly, they just stop calling, you are also under no obligation to accept the work the send you, or travel to do commercial work.

If you choose to stop using them to take the profits for yourself, they will stop contacting you for the commercial work that is paid at $500 a day.

They have the option of being an employee or sub.

If anyone is interested in seeing the deal I can post it.

Well, I'll be the,gguinea pig. I'm going to accept the offer.

Sounds like something I'd like more information on.

Its interesting that no one knowss them. They have been around awhile, the literature the provided me is well produced and seems sound, and the deal seems very fair. I have talked to the owner and the honesty and integrity seems to be a huge role in his company. They also claim to be the largest company in the US, and can handle even the largest jobs.

I wouldn't say it is that no one knows them, but most might only know them as a competitor for online marketing.

Most operators are busy enough they don't pay much attention to the others out there unless they are colleagues or friends.

In terms of who they are to someone looking to subcontract or become a technician folks knowing who they are would be mostly through advertising and I personally have never seen an ad in any industry literature for this type of angle from them.

Im terms of their size or claims those are like anyone's who wants to make them. Ultimately they are one of hundreds and thousands of operators doing bat work, they are just taking a tact of becoming or looking large and national by using a network rather than technically building their own employees in a more traditional manner.

Nothing wrong with that, just another model....

what a great idea for adwords search term. How did I miss....get bats out? duh.

Learning everyday day Dave

So I did my first house with the senior tech yesterday.

I did 4 inspections, sold one of them and have another on Monday for commercial.

Overall, a great company to work with so far.

Some of the benefits;
Paid training. I had a tech come train me and I was paid for the bday and the inspections.

A support system. If I come across a hard job, I make a call and someone will come train me, I don't lose time or money, I still make day wages and learn more.

The support system is not just if I don't know, but for large jobs on time constraints. If it's a hospital, casino, condo etc, I will be apart of a crew, and paid well for my time. I don't have to higher a day laborer or worry about having support, it's there.

Meeting good members. The tech I worked with had dinner with me and answered all my questions. No pushy foot around, no leading me on. They were open about what they can't garauntee.

No contracts. I made my wages,learned ho to do the work, got supplies, a new ladder and dinner. But if tomorrow I decide I don't like the deal, I walk away.

Overall I think it's a great company with a good support staff and really enjoyed who I worked with. I will be working with them for awhile, and I have no fears gettin in too deep on the commercial job I am looking at Monday, a senior tech will be there if I need them.

If anyone wants more in for feel free to sk me, or contact them

Can't find them on-line except for the BBB. Are they just local? The same as Get Bats Out.com? Carbondale, Colorado?

Yes Paul , getbatsout.com and they are out of Colorado.