PPC111 | Membership

As part of your BPCA membership, you have an assessment every year and it sounds much scarier than it is.

Kristian Nettleship is our Member Support Officer and one of the people carrying out the assessments. Here he gives a quick overview of who he is, what he does and how he can help you. 

Speed profile

Name: Kristian Nettleship
Years in pest management: 22
Previous jobs: mainly retail
Scared of: ladders (not heights)
Fave pests: wasps (and my three kids)
Pet peeves: bad comms and poor customer service

Hello! I’m Kristian Nettleship and I’ve been working in the pest control industry since I was about 24, when I fell into it the same way most of us do - totally by accident!

My role in pest control has changed a lot over the last 22 years; I started out getting wet and cold chasing rats in the winter, and now I’m a Member Support Officer for BPCA. I joined BPCA in June 2021 and I’m still amazed by how much work goes into helping members.

In mid-2021, I happened across a job advert where BPCA were in need of some assessors covering a large area of the UK. I applied for the position as I felt it was a great opportunity to use my experience to help others in new and exciting ways. 

Since really getting going in September last year, I have visited just over a hundred members in person. It’s been a blast! I’m continually impressed by the work our members do and the people they help. I’m now knee deep in the year 2 digital visits, alongside the in-person ones. It’s been great to catch up with people to see how well they’re getting on.

“There’s no need for members to be worried about a BPCA assessment! We really are there to help you.”

The dreaded assessments

Something I’ve noticed since I started carrying out the assessments, is that people build them up in their minds. I think maybe you’ve pictured a hard-nosed bureaucrat with a clipboard and zero pest control experience?

Well my nose is lovely and soft, I have no clipboard and a tonne of experience. 

I always book assessments well in advance, to allow for flexibility (organising hundreds of members is not that easy!) and I appreciate how busy you all are because I’ve done the job.

But when people build up the assessment to be scarier than it is, we see cancellations happen at the last minute and this can really chuck an expensive spanner in the works. 

There’s no need for members to be worried about a BPCA assessment! We really are there to help you.

In any job it’s easy to fall into habits or be so close to issues that you don’t even realise they exist. Our job is to help you identify areas you could improve and give you advice on how to do that. It’s that simple.

This is something any professional organisation should be keen to do, and you get this service as part of your membership. An improved service equals better customer retention. 

While it’s still all carried out to the BS EN 16636 standard, the main difference between the newer assessments and the old audit process, is that you now receive a lot more support and guidance.

The previous limitations meant that an auditor could only verify your conformance but couldn’t provide further help and advice.

I really enjoy getting stuck in, helping people and being that bridge for conversations between the Association and member companies. That’s my job: member support. There’ll be a lot of listening, learning and sharing knowledge.

Together we will work through a portfolio, which is a living document which will take shape over a three-year period (covering the assessments you’ll get in each of those years).

It will show what you do well and that your trade association gives your work the thumbs up. And it will demonstrate to anyone you share this with what it means to be a BPCA Member and the high standards you work to. 

When I come to see you, we also do a site visit, and a lot of these seem to be the safe option. So if you have something a little bit different, let’s go! I love the challenge. This does not mean I have the answer to world peace but sometimes an extra pair of eyes might be useful.

And the site visit also goes into the portfolio, so the more interesting the problem, the better. 

What have I learned so far?

Every member I go to is completely different and it continuously amazes me. You should all be really proud of the work you do every day.

Another thing I’ve noticed often is that many people aren’t aware of the great member benefits available to them as BPCA members. There’s a large selection designed to help your business, like BPCA Quest and the PrintShop, and some that you can use as an individual, like the B&Q TradePoint card and Dell discounts. 

When I first started, I admit I didn’t really know what to expect or how I would be received while carrying out the first physical site visits. But while there’s always some apprehension at first, we always end the meetings smiling.

As a pest controller myself, I understand the challenges in your day-to-day work and I’m here to help. I love problem-solving, investigating, reassuring people and ultimately winning your trust.

I can’t wait to knock on members’ doors to tell them that “we’re here and we’re ready to help”. BPCA wants to work with them, and I share that passion. 

If I don’t know how to help, I’ll certainly know someone who can.