SERVICEMASTERS - TRUGREEN CHEMLAWN - IDAHO LAWN SERVICE DO NOT ALLOW SERVICEMASTERS/TRUGREEN CHEMLAWN/ IDAHO LAWN SERVICE TO POISON YOU OR YOUR ANIMALS Memphis Tennessee

I live in Memphis, TN where ServiceMaster is located and I use alot of their services on a regular basis such as carpet and furniture cleaning, TRUGREEN sprays my lawn and actually an employee of TRUGREEN cuts my lawn on his free time. They have always been very punctual and very by the book when it comes to my special requests such as I to have dogs and the guy that sprays my lawn always puts the dogs on a chain that I have out back for that purpose and chains them up away from where he is spraying. My wife is also a vetrinarian and there is no way that just two hours after the application the dogs got sick it would take at least 2-3 days for the vomiting to occur and then it would not be a near death situation for there are laws that keep companies like that from spraying anything that could possibly harm unsuspecting animals when it comes to pesticides your better off spraying for them yourself (thats what I do). I only use the company for Fertilization. As for you getting sick thats a crock also for a human to get that sick from pesticides you would have had to have gone on a pesticide drinking binge not simple contact. I think your a sue happy kinda guy and you would probably sue some old lady for letting her dog crap on your lawn so suck it up and stay out of the pesticides.

Justin
Memphis, TN

Justin, many many thanks for your astute analysis of a situation you know absolutely nothing about. How very blessed you must feel that you have someone in your employ that knows enough about pesticides and their effect on animals that they are compassionate enough to remove your animals from an area being sprayed. Such was not the case with me, and is substantiated not only by the “field manager” present on the property at the time, but also police reports and other documentation from the company itself.

How blessed you must feel to have a wife that's a Veterinarian. I'm sure when you inquired about the effects of the pesticide, you made sure to discuss the effects of such pesticide concerning AMMOUNT INGESTED, OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TME it occurred, and the EXACT CONTENT AND PROPORTION of the chemicals involved in the incident. How wonderful it is she can make a complete diagnosis without having those pertinent facts available, not to mention the results of blood tests and analysis.

Is it not obvious to you and your beloved that, just as humans, animals are all different, and that what might be completely acceptable to you, might be to TOXIC to another.

My friend Justin, perhaps you might allow me to enlighten you just a bit. Certainly it might be…at a most opportune time…necessary for you to ingest Penicillin for some affliction…but just try giving it to someone who is hyperallergic to it.

Or better yet, a diabetic might have a need to inject insulin, but it certainly can be deadly for another. But my good friend, I suppose to you and your most learned wife, a dog is just a dog is just a dog…huh?

AS you refer to your wife's acumen as a Veterinarian, perhaps you could have her look up the effects of one of the chemicals. Please allow me to briefly elucidate for you one of pesticide's contents known as “SEVIN” and it's effects.

“With the toxins they were exposed to there can be many different symptoms. Generally they tend to show signs of apprehension. They can have increased salivation, defecation, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, dyspnea, etc.

Also they can have neurological signs including muscle twitching, to fasciculations, progressing to tetany and seizures. If the reaction is severe enough, they can go into a coma, respiratory, depression and die.” Hurry Justin, go ask your wife, I'm sure she'll concur

The vomiting began IMMEDIATELY after the poisoning and the other symptoms began shortly thereafter on a Monday. When inquiring as to whether they wanted me to bring in the huge clumps of grass that had been regurgitated, I was told it wouldn't be necessary. Perhaps I could send them to you Justin...they're all timed and dated...and your wife could investigate the matter much more closely.

Calling my veterinarian on their emergency line, they advised me to wait a day to see what the effects might be. As the effects of the poisoning progressed they were IMMEDIATELY hospitalized on Wednesday morning.

Please allow me to just state Justin that you are absolutely right, my good friend. Your statement
“ there are laws that keep company's like that from spraying anything that could possibly harm unsuspecting animals” seemed a bit naïve but also humorous to me. TRUGREEN CHEMLAWN is a subsidiary owned and operated by SERVICEMASTERS. Their own company policy is that “animals are to be removed from the premises for a minimum of two hours after application”.

So in essence, you must be trying to convey to me that SERVICEMASTERS/TRUGREEN/IDAHO LAWN have the right, anytime they see it convenient, to violate their own “law”. I'm sure the untrained , unskilled, irresponsible, lunatic of a technician that coated my animals with their pesticide would strongly agree with you. On this point, I certainly cannot.

Again, as I peruse your note, I find you to be exactly right. Your statement “for a human to become sick from pesticides you have to have gone on a pesticide drinking binge” isn't too far off the mark. After speaking with a great many physicians and attorney's they informed me that “for you to be able to prove, BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUDT IN A COURT OF LAW” that the pesticide caused any damage….you would have to have fallen into a vat of the stuff, and then immediately gone to a hospital. Also I was informed by these scholars, that they neither could say that it did or did not have an some effect on me…. So again you're right Justin, a dog is just a dog is just a dog.

So my friend, I'm sure you probably agree with TRUGREEN that after receiving explicit orders from me on that morning pertaining to any application being done at all, it was their right to break into my property, and do as the liked. It would make sense as you seem to feel they had every right to ignore the presence of my animals.
Again, this has been substantiated by the “field manager” being present at the site. Hmmm…wonder what would have happened had it been my neice and nephew in the yard?????

Well Justin, I'm ebullient that you have received such good service from such a questionable company. I'm also extremely thankful that your expose' provided exactly what I had hoped for…a point of controversy….and for any reasonable person…a sense of skepticism and apprehension before incorporating the services of such an organization as SERVICEMASTERS who owns and operates TRUGREEN CHEM LAWN who recently bought out IDAHO LAWN SERVICE. Oh..and by the way…there have been…not several….but many many complaints against this organization here…ask them yourself.

One last final note my most knowledgeable friend Justin. Your closing statement…”I think you're a sue happy kinda guy and you would probably sue some old lady for letting her dog crap on your lawn so suck it up and stay out of the pesticide” was more than a little profound.

You know none of the documentation or substantiation of the claims I've presented (i.e. Police Reports, Company Invoices, but find it your “civic responsibility” to cast dispersions on someone's character. Here's some really good news for you. You seem so adamant about your assertions of what a fabulous company this is, that it might please you to know that I asked for nothing more than the damages to my property and my animals,…. NOT FOR MYSELF!!!!

Oh …and my good friend Justin, do you really think me naïve as to hope…. for a moment that my exposing this nefarious and dubious organization in this forum…would in any way precipitate SERVICEMASTERS /TRUGREEN / IDAHO LAWN SERVICE to come forward…....to HONESTLY accept RESPONSIBILITY for the actions of their employees…and do the “RIGHT THING” with settling this claim??????

Do you REALLY think that I've nothing better to do with my time than to come to this site , and falsify accusations about the events and how they occurred without strong , irrefutable substantiating evidence from different investigative entities….having NEVER done such before?

Many many thanks for your astute analysis of the situation Justin. I'm sure you'll be quite displeased to know that this is the last time I will be writing in this forum.

Afterall, I've accomplished exactly what I wanted to….to provide for those considering using the services of a company that completely disavows any responsibility for the damages they have caused…....the opportunity to make an informed decision.

So Please Justin…go ahead and write to your heart's content….I'm sure others would enjoy hearing you express your views as much as I have….oh…and in your own words..I guess it's time for you to “suck it up”!!!!!!!!

AGAIN BE FOREWARNED----DO NOT ALLOW SERVICEMASTERS/ TRUGREEN/ IDAHO LAWN SERVICE TO CRIMINALLY TRESPASS ONTO YOUR PROPERTY OR POISON YOU OR YOUR ANIMALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Justin - you're in Memphis. Jake is in Twin Falls. Very far away. I'm very glad that you don't have any problems with the company, but that doesn't mean that another location didn't screw up royally with Jake. Every company has good and bad locations, and good and bad employees.

Even if Jake is exaggerating the problems that he and the dogs had, the fact still remains that the pets got sprayed with a pesticide, as verified by a representative of the company. If it had been me, I probably would have taken them to the vet right away, and guess who I would be sending the bill too? And if they did enter my property without permission to do things they did not have permission to do, I too would be filing some lawsuits. Imagine if that had been your child in the backyard. That's how Jake feels.

Recently, a gentleman was going door to door to offer TruGreen. I signed up and received a follow up phone call (4/26/05). During the call, I was told I would receive a 5% discount if I pre-paid and I did. The amount was charged promptly to my credit card and I was told someone would be out the same week for the first application. My friend later stated don't use TruGreen, "they burn your yard." Thought I would try anyway.

On 05/11/06, I phoned the local office to state I wanted to cancel my service since no one had been out to spray. She sort of attempted me to stay by "promising" to have someone out the same day or the next (it had been raining and it called for rain all week, is it possible to spray in the rain?). I declined and she stated I would receive a credit.

05/16/06, still no credit, so I again called the local office. I was told (after she checked with "her manager") it would take 2-3 weeks! WHAT? It only takes a second to refund a credit card!! I was told it needed "approval", when asked what that meant, she stated "I don't know, that is what I was told."

I then called corporate customer service. Janelle stated she would look into it, seems the proper paperwork had not been submitted by the local office from 05/11 phone call. She stated she would keep and eye on it and would call me back.

SURPRISE!! No phone call. On 05/31/06 (yes, THREE WEEKS after the first attempt to cancel), I again called corporate customer service and was (after calling Rhonda??) my credit would be available today or tomorrow. We will see. I feel for you!! I will not use any of the MANY services offered by this company ever and will voice my negative experience with as many as I can. Some of the companies include: TruGreen, Service Master and Merry Maids.

As an employee of Trugreen/Chemlawn at the Boise location (which also handles Twin Falls) I have a unique perspective on what goes on. To address all of the concerns

1. The danger of the pesticides used:

One of my reasons for leaving was I was concerned about the long term exposure to the chemicals. One of the chemicals 2-4D has has a proven link to testicular cancer in dogs. I knew this going in as I had a degree in a related field but the average tech who just has a GED does not. Many techs jack the rate they apply to cut down on service calls which definitly can cause problems. However one time exposure should not be too damaging unless you are chemically sensitive. Also, if it was in May they may have also applied Merit as a preventave for bill bugs. It could cause nausea as it is derived from Nicotine.

2. A "field manager" showing up.

Field or Route manager is the job title given to all techs to make them sound more professional. When complaining ask for the Operations Manager.

3. The route manager treating the lawn

Unfortunally, the incentive for the route manager is to do as many lawns as possible in one day. Each tech is given a goal of lets say $1100 worth of invoices to complete a day. If he exceeds this he can get up to 10% back as a production bonus. When your only making 375 a week, any extra cash is welcome. This leads to a "splash and dash" mentality as the tech will apply as quick as possible to earn his bounus. If he showes up at a house that he can not treat, it waste time, most of the tech carry an old putter or some other device to open gates locked from the inside, dog treats to keep the dogs busy, ect. Also, it is quicker to spray the lawn once then treat with granular fertilizer, then spray the weeds with a backpack sprayer, then apply insecticide if needed

I have had bad experiences with this company as well. Don't waste your time trying to get your service corrected. Just sue them. Your situation is a terrible case. Not following instructions, endangering your life and that of your dogs and breaking in is something that no jury would ignore. Teach them a lesson that they won't forget. Ignore the clown (who clearly works for the company), I doubt that he is even married let alone to a veterinarian. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Their negligence should be punished, so take them to court and teach them a hard lesson..