ComplaintsforDean's Pest Control Inc

• Initial Complaint

  02/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 1/30/2024 **** Pest Control of ******* set an employee out to spray my weeds. This employee sprayed my whole house with chemicals from the roof to the foundation. This has ruined my paint job. On several attempts with the supervisor ******* to get this resolved by re-painting my home. Deans in Leesburg have ignored me. I have tried to get their insurance information so that I can turn it in but they refuse to give it to me. I have taken pictures of my home with all the damage they caused. ******* even told me that they would have to paint my house to solve the issue.

  Business response

  02/27/2024

  Deans Services has been providing Lawn ************** *********** Home Pest Control, and Termite Protection Services for this customer at this address for over 5 years. After our most recent service the customer contacted us same day to report staining on various surfaces around the home and other exterior locations. We sent our Field Supervisor to immediately investigate the customer's claims and the current condition of the home. While it was noted there was a defect in the paint that resembled streaks cascading down the home and garage door, they were in areas where we would not normally apply our product. And they were of a ************* like we have never seen before. Still, in the interest of satisfying a long term customer we agreed to pay for the home to be professionally power washed (receipt attached). It should be noted the Service Technician treated some 20 homes that day in the area and Deans serves hundreds of homes in that subdivision and there have been no other claims of a product that has stained a home. We contacted the manufacturer of the only product applied to the home during the treatment (although not in the manner to which the customer claimed - namely "the whole entire house"), a product we use extensively without incident, and their testing concluded this would not be expected to occur with their product even at concentrations above the legal allowed limit. We have attached and provided the customer with a copy of the letter. 

  After the power washing was completed and allowed to dry, there were still streaks noted. According to the customer his HOA has brought it to their attention and asked them to remedy the situation. The customer has been quite adamant that ********************** is responsible and that we should pay for the entire home to be repainted. While we do not know exactly what happened to the customer's painted surfaces, garage door, landscape border, etc., and we have noted similar streaking in other neighborhood homes in the area that Deans doesn't treat, it is our position that we did not spray product on "the entire house," did not use a product that would damage painted surfaces, and have tried in good faith to help the customer out.     

  Business response

  02/27/2024

  Deans Services has been providing Lawn ************** *********** Home Pest Control, and Termite Protection Services for this customer at this address for over 5 years. After our most recent service the customer contacted us same day to report staining on various surfaces around the home and other exterior locations. We sent our Field Supervisor to immediately investigate the customer's claims and the current condition of the home. While it was noted there was a defect in the paint that resembled streaks cascading down the home and garage door, they were in areas where we would not normally apply our product. And they were of a ************* like we have never seen before. Still, in the interest of satisfying a long term customer we agreed to pay for the home to be professionally power washed (receipt attached). It should be noted the Service Technician treated some 20 homes that day in the area and Deans serves hundreds of homes in that subdivision and there have been no other claims of a product that has stained a home. We contacted the manufacturer of the only product applied to the home during the treatment (although not in the manner to which the customer claimed - namely "the whole entire house"), a product we use extensively without incident, and their testing concluded this would not be expected to occur with their product even at concentrations above the legal allowed limit. We have attached and provided the customer with a copy of the letter. 

  After the power washing was completed and allowed to dry, there were still streaks noted. According to the customer his HOA has brought it to their attention and asked them to remedy the situation. The customer has been quite adamant that ********************** is responsible and that we should pay for the entire home to be repainted. While we do not know exactly what happened to the customer's painted surfaces, garage door, landscape border, etc., and we have noted similar streaking in other neighborhood homes in the area that Deans doesn't treat, it is our position that we did not spray product on "the entire house," did not use a product that would damage painted surfaces, and have tried in good faith to help the customer out.     

  Customer response

  02/27/2024

   
  Complaint: 21338562
  
  I am rejecting this response because: this happened right after he sprayed and my wife even witnessed him spraying the house and asked him to stop and he just kept going.  Also why would he spray my garage door.  When all we wanted from the original request was weed treatment.  Your own supervisor ************************ that he did this.  And told us dont worry if the power wash does not work we will paint your home for the damages we caused.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  03/04/2024

  The customer's complete service was due (Lawn Fertilization, Home Pest Control, *********** and Termite Protection) which is why the lawn and the exterior were treated in a manner similar to how they have been treated for the last 5 + years. I have included a document with a series of photos for comparison. The first photo is when we arrived after the first call regarding staining was received. It is unusual and worth noting that the spray pattern shown is not in keeping with the usual manner of application for the product used during this visit. Still, in our attempt to keep our business relationship going, we paid to have the home and adjoining hard surfaces professionally cleaned (including surfaces that were not treated by our tech that day). The second photo is after the pressure washing had been completed (taken by the individual who did the pressure washing). You can see the darker streaked areas are less pronounced. The last photo is after the pressure washed area was allowed to dry and the streaks are no longer evident. We maintain the product used on this visit has been used on this home before with no negative affects AND was also used on some 19 other homes that same day by that same Technician with no negative effects. This same product is used on hundreds of homes per day with no reported staining (thousands or tens of thousands when you include other companies that apply it around the country). We have sent our Field Supervisor and our Service Manager to the property to help determine what might have happened and have consulted paint professionals and our product representatives. Our responsible application of pest control products is not the cause of the customer's paint issues and as such it remains our position that we are not responsible for repainting the exterior of the house.    

  Customer response

  03/05/2024

  You can clearly see after the pressure wash it still stained my home.  There person does lawn pest an termite in my home.  They are the only ones that service me.  Now I have to paint my home because of them and it will cost me *******.  They should be held accountable for what they did to me.

  Customer response

  03/06/2024

   
  Complaint: 21338562
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  you can clearly see after the pressure wash it still stained my home.  There person does lawn pest an termite in my home.  They are the only ones that service me.  Now I have to paint my home because of them and it will cost me *******.  They should be held accountable for what they did to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  03/07/2024

  We appreciate the opportunity we have been given to review this incident. We take all such feedback seriously, investigate it fully, and when there is clear evidence that we are in the wrong we have a strong track record for making things right. As a family owned and locally run business that has operated in our own backyard for over four decades, we have earned a solid reputation for dealing fairly and honestly with our customers, and our record with your organization bears this out. We strive to apply pest control and all other products in a safe and responsible manner keeping with the requirements of all applicable state and federal law and would simply not use a product that was likely to cause damage to a customers home. We took our customers complaint very seriously, have reviewed it at all levels of our organization, have consulted paint specialists, and have discussed it with our product manufacturer, and all have come to the same conclusion our products would not cause the paint defects seen in this case.

  Yes, the complaint came on the same day our Service Technician was on property, a fact we do not deny, but this is where our agreement with our customers assumption ends. We performed our regular home pest control service as we have for this customer at this property (and the previous property owner) for many years. The up/down spray pattern seen in the customer-supplied pictures is inconsistent with the manner of application that we train and have witnessed the technician use. The products available to the technician are all pre-mixed at our facility and would have been applied to all homes serviced that day by all technicians in our ****************** area. This home was serviced right in the middle of the shift; it was not the first or last home treated. Any mistake in mixing or application would have been evident on all properties serviced, yet only this one property owner contacted us. We independently quality checked all our customers homes in the area after treatment and found none with similar patterns or any staining. Still, we wanted to show good faith and appreciation for our customers business and paid for the home and surrounding hardscapes (which were not treated by our Service Technician) to be professionally pressure washed. This had a positive lasting effect on the observed staining. If there were any other corroborating evidence, other than the coincidence that ************** was present that day, showing our products caused or had the potential to cause any permanent harm to the painted surfaces of our customers home we would take additional corrective steps. No such evidence exists. As a final goodwill gesture and in keeping with our Service Guarantee, we have refunded our customer the purchase price of the service that was performed that day. The customer will receive a check by mail in 7-10 business days. At this point we respectfully consider the matter closed and wish to express our gratitude for allowing us to reply.

• Initial Complaint

  09/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Please help. Over 7 weeks ago, (8-1-23), Deans mowing crew killed a fully blooming, full grown butterfly bush in my flower bed. My Deans file for years has noted to never use round up like herbicides in my yard. I spoke with the mow crew lead, Adan G****, he admitted to letting one of his crew members spray my garden with herbicide. He said he'd call his boss, Mike C*****, to determine what to do. I never heard from either. On 8-3, I called Deans and was told by Donna that a full service tech would be following up next. I did hear from Brandon D***** and he visited on 8-11. He reviewed the damage to the butterfly bush and yard, and noted in his report that the shrub was damaged beyond repair and needed to be replaced. I emailed Deans the specific details of the original butterfly bush, so they could replace the dead one with a similar bush. On 8-16 I called to follow up, spoke to Jess. Still no calls to me, so on 8-22 I called and spoke with Cynthia who said Mike C***** was notified and Jeremy would contact me. He never did, and on 8-28 I called, spoke with Autumn. She also told me that Mike C***** would call me, (which he never did), and I asked that the President Ty J**** be notified of my concerns and the awful customer service I received. She said she would email him. On 8-28 Leon H*******, field supervisor, called to follow up and plan a visit. He came 8-29 took photos and noted the damage was obvious and the plant needed to be replaced. He also noted that 3 of my blue-my-mind plants had also been sprayed and damaged. On 9-1 someone called me from Deans but didn't leave a message. I returned the call, left a message. I never heard again from anyone. I called again on 9-4 without any return call. On 9-7 Leon H******* called and said Jeremy was to buy a new plant and Leon would plant it. I never heard again from anyone, so on 9-15 I called Leon and left another message. It's now 9-20, I have a dead butterfly bush and Deans is ignoring me. Please help.

  Business response

  09/21/2023

  Dear Ms* ********* 
  
  We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced and the delay in addressing your concerns. We take matters like this very seriously, and we appreciate your patience as we work to resolve this issue.

  First, we want to extend our apologies for the damage done to your butterfly bush and blue-my-mind plants. It was never our intention to cause any harm to your plants, and we regret any frustration this has caused. We have thoroughly reviewed the timeline of events you provided, and it is evident there have been lapses in communication and follow-up on our part. This is not the level of service we strive to provide to our valued customers. To rectify this situation, we are taking immediate action. Our Field Supervisor, Leon, has already assessed the damage and confirmed the need for a replacement for your butterfly bush. We have also noted the damage to your blue-my-mind plants. We are visiting area nurseries today to procure a new butterfly bush. Once we do so, Leon will ensure its proper planting.

  We are committed to resolving this matter. We understand that this situation has been frustrating for you, and we appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this process. Rest assured that we are actively working to make things right. If you have any further questions or concerns, our Service Manager Michael, who visited you today, is only a phone call away. As he told you in person, he will ensure your butterfly plant has been replaced. 
  

  Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced, and we are committed to delivering a resolution. We appreciate the opportunity to rectify this situation.
  
  Warm Regards, 
  Gregory T****, Manager
  Deans Customer Service Team

  Business response

  10/06/2023

  The nursery has since responded to us they will not be getting any more plants the size and style Ms. ******** has requested. Crediting her account $45 is really the only thing we can do to resolve this at this point. As soon as the resolution is accepted the credit will be given. Thank you for your assistance! 

  Customer response

  10/11/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I believe the answer given by Mike C***** is inaccurate and needs clarification.

  It wasn't surprising that the butterfly bush had rotted roots, given that when he dug it out on 9-25-23, it had already been left dead for two months after it was sprayed with herbicide by the mowing crew. Over six weeks earlier, on 8-11-23, Brandon D***** visited and noted as the Full Service Technician, that the plant was "damaged beyond repair and needed to be replaced". On 8-29-23, Leon H*******, Full Service Manager, also reviewed the plant on-site, and noted the butterfly bush had clearly been sprayed with an herbicide application which killed it. Mike C*****'s comment about root rot is a woefully inaccurate and uninformed response to the real issue.

  Since I have taken this rejecting occasion as an opportunity to fully respond to the previous Deans explanation, I will now accept their offer to credit my account for a half month of ****** ****** *** ***********, ($45) and forgo any additional plant search.

  Sincerely,
  ***** ********

• Initial Complaint

  08/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Over the last 3 months my neighbor has been having his property fumigated by Deans. However, the employee parks his vehicle in front of my house, throws the hose over my front fence, walks through my driveway and over my front garden (damaging my flowers and mulch), pulls the hose through my garden and proceeds to fumigate next door. I have had to replace my flowers and mulch 2 times as well as buy a NO TRESPASSING sign which I attached to my front fence. I spoke with a representative named Shay-Lee and sent her several photos from my Ring camera from the last 2 visits. She apologized and promised that this would not happen again. When I questioned being reimbursed for my flowers, mulch, and sign purchased she advised that she would not be compensating me at all. She advised that she would be giving my information to Joe T********* from the corporate office and have him call me to discuss being reimbursed. He has never called me.

  Business response

  08/21/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to review this request and come to an agreement with Ms. *****. As a locally owned, family business who has served customers in this area for more than 40 years, we take great pride in being a good neighbor and good stewards of the properties we service. After consulting with the employees who were originally involved, I reached out to Ms. ***** and we agreed upon a reimbursement to cover the cost of her sign and the flowers. I have requested this payment be made and mailed to Ms. *****. Additionally, we have updated our records to reflect Ms. *****'s wishes the next time her zero-lot-line neighbor is serviced.  

  Customer response

  08/24/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  05/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Mike the mowing manager came to house and confirmed that the mowing crew broke an irrigation plastic T connection and Dean would fix it. I said I had a landscaper that might fix it. He said get it fixed and send Dean the bill. I did not hire the landscaper. Now Mike is lying and saying I broke the connection and Dean will not fix the connection!!! What did I do, buy a lawn mower and run over the connection. Dean management cannot be trusted. It's a shame, I like there services; but, their management is not trustworthy.

  Business response

  05/05/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to review this customer feedback and to respond. After 43 years serving our community with integrity and professionalism, we take seriously any claim that may bring these into question. Our customer had a landscaper perform work on his property, including the removal of a tree and trimming of another ornamental shrub, that in our professional opinion resulted in damage to his irrigation system in two locations on the property. We communicated this to the customer and referred him back to the landscaper. We also provided referrals to three licensed irrigation professionals in case he wanted to have additional work done to his system. We were under the impression the customer would refer this matter back to the responsible party until we received this complaint. However, since the customer was kind enough to state his satisfaction in writing with our service, and in case there had been any misunderstanding in the course of our communications on this subject, a member of our staff went to the property today (5/5/23) and fixed the connection in question. Our company has a long history of standing behind the work we perform, as reflected in our A+ rating on this site. This goodwill gesture on our part affirms this. While we cannot take financial responsibility for the condition of his irrigation system moving forward, we are happy to show him through this gesture that we can be trusted.  

  Customer response

  05/08/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ********

• Initial Complaint

  12/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We have been using ****** **** care services since January 2022 for grass mowing and pest control. In October of 2022 I filed a complaint with them via their website as well as numerous phone calls to their office since they damaged the outside air conditioner with their string trimmer. ****** sent to our home a ****** A/C repair man to inspect the damage and provide a quote for repair. It is now 12/7/2022 and the A/C unit has not been repaired, ****** Management will not take our calls and we found out today that our Deans account has been terminated and we can no longer log into our account. We are requesting ****** to repair the damage to our new A/C unit's coil fins which they damaged.

  Business response

  12/19/2022

  We were notified by our customer their AC unit had incurred damage due to contact with a string trimmer. We investigated the matter and authorized the same company that installed the unit originally to inspect and repair the unit at our expense. There was a delay in that company getting out for the service for which we apologized, and then we contacted the **** company again to make sure they had our method of payment and had an appointment scheduled. When the technician inspected the unit, he conveyed to us the damage was cosmetic only and quoted us a price to fix it, which we approved. The company told us our customer rejected this action and wanted the unit replaced which was unnecessary. A member of our management team went to the home to talk to the customer about it and the discussion did not go well. At that point, since our offer to repair the unit was rejected and our attempt to explain the situation was less than amicable, we decided our professional relationship was strained and made the difficult decision to end our service agreement with this customer. While the notification letter was in the mail, the customer called back asking to speak to a higher level of management regarding the situation. Another member of the management team did reach out to the customer the next day and much of the misunderstandings on both sides were calmly worked out. Since we had an amicable relationship once again, and they did accept our offer to repair the unit, the account was reinstated and we consider the matter resolved. The repair was completed on December 8th at a cost of $75 paid by Deans. The original work order from the **** company along with the paid invoice have been uploaded with this reply. This complaint to the BBB was raised the day before our manager worked things out with the customer and we are confident they would agree the matter is now resolved. Thank you for the opportunity to give additional details regarding this matter.
  See Attachment/File: Original ***** Invoice with Tech Comments

  Customer response

  12/21/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
  Issue resolved, in the future both sides should communicate in a better manner

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have called and reported severe lawn damage and have not received appropriate service to resolve. I sent the message below to Deans via their website. Other lawns serviced by Deans appear to have similar problems. A continuation of inappropriate service is likely to result in significant costs for lawn repair or replacement. * * * * * IMPORTANT! I will be home this afternoon after 1:30 pm. Monday 11/14/2022 and request a Deans Specialist to come to my home for lawn inspection. Please call my cell to confirm **************. I am very displeased with damage that could have been contained and concerned about the potential expense of what may be necessary for repair. My lawn was near perfect Then, I reported areas of damage several times without appropriate assistance and the damage became extensively worse. Weeks following, a Dean's qualified supervisor came and determined I had been ill-advised by Deans and the problem was infiltration of mole crickets. I understand that Deans has treated; however, it is evident damage is advancing. I request prompt attention and new sod, if necessary. Void this, I feel obligated to notify The Villages neighbors and community.

  Business response

  12/23/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/11/23) */ Mr. * has been a customer of Deans Services for more than 9 years. Deans has always faithfully attended to his needs and we were quite surprised to receive this complaint. As the customer mentioned, the problem initially presented itself as drought stress, although attempts to correct the irrigation coverage did not solve the problem. The customer asked for a second opinion, and our Field Supervisor went to the property same day and diagnosed mole cricket activity, the first time the insect had been seen on the property. Within two weeks we were able to control the pest and no more live activity has been seen on the property since that time. Our Service Guarantee allows for a refund for the previous treatment if it failed to control a covered pest, so Mr. * was given an account credit of approximately $60.00 to compensate. Additionally, we have been on property to perform 4 free-of-charge follow-up treatments to ensure proper control of the pest and to help the small affected area recover. It should be noted all of these actions to correct the matter were taken prior to the complaint being filed. There has been steady recovery of this area since October (see enclosed picture). The customer has called in twice in November, claiming the area is getting worse and that he is seeing mole cricket activity above ground, and each time our Field Supervisor has come to the property and found no evidence of new live activity. He has noted as recently as 11/22 that there was no live pest activity and the affected area is recovering. In summary, as Mr. * stated in his complaint, the lawn has looked good for years as we have been treating it, and although there was an unfortunate temporary issue with mole crickets in one particular area, this has long since been brought under control and the area is recovering. With time the area will fully recover. Mr. * continues to be our customer of his own choice (not under any sort of contract) and we have been working with him diligently and in good faith to resolve this matter. Thank you for allowing Deans the opportunity to explain our efforts to resolve our customer's concern.

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I'VE PAID DEAN'S $89.27 BI-MONTHLY FOR APPR 2 YEARS FOR PEST CONTROL AND LAWN SERVICE. LAWN SERVICE INCLUDES "FERTILIZATION, NUTRIENT APPLICATION, SEASONAL HERBICIDES, INSECTICIDES AND FUNGICIDES". AROUND 5/5/22, THE MEN WHO CUT MY GRASS TOLD ME I HAVE CINCH BUGS. ON 5/27/22 I HAD A COMPANY INSPECT MY IRRIGATION AND RESOLVE ANY ISSUES. DEAN'S "TREATED" ONE AREA TWICE BUT THE PROBLEM DIDN'T RESOLVE. A SUPERVISOR CAME AND TOLD ME I WASN'T WATERING PROPERLY. ON 6/21/22 & 6/22/22 I HAD 2 OTHER COMPANY GIVE ME ESTIMATES ON LAWN SERVICE. ONE SAID IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST 10 MONTHS TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE. THE OTHER SAID MY LAWN COULDN'T BE SAVED. BOTH SAID ENTIRE LAWN IS INFESTED WITH CINCH BUGS, FUNGUS AND WEEDS. I REQUESTED 3 TIMES THAT A MANAGER FROM DEAN'S CALL AND NOBODY CALLED. AS THEY "GUARANTEE SATISFACTION" AND "STAND BEHIND THEIR SERVICES", THEY SHOULD PAY TO HAVE MY YARD RESODDED. THEY DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEMS AND WHEN I SHOWED THEM, THEY DID NOT RESOLVE THEM AND DID NOT "STAND BEHIND THEIR SERVICES" OR PROVIDE "SATISFACTION".

  Business response

  08/18/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2022/07/08) */ Thank you for the opportunity to review this matter and respond. We take great pride in the effort our organization puts forth to satisfy our customers and provide a reliable service. Our first service for our customer took place on July 24th, 2020. From that first treatment until May of 2022 there were no indications of problems with the lawn and after 11 regularly scheduled service visits under our agreement the customer had only contacted us once regarding some live ant activity in the home and we promptly replied and took care of the matter. On May 4th 2022, the customer contacted us regarding the opinion of her unlicensed lawn mowing company who told her the lawn had chinch bugs. Her concern was dispatched to her Service Technician who was on property in less than 24 hours. There was no live chinch bug activity found. The lawn was in advanced stages of decline due to drought stress. Although it is not a regular part of our service, our Service Technician applied some fertilized soil to the bare areas to protect the root system. He also applied a slow-release granular fertilizer and alerted the customer to the concerns with improper irrigation and asked she get her irrigation system checked for proper operation. This was all done as part of the Deans Service Guarantee at no additional cost to the customer. As her statement indicates, it was not until 5/27/2022 that the irrigation system issues were addressed and corrected. According to historical weather data, during the period of 5/5 through 5/27, there were 19 days with high temps above 85 degrees (12 of which were above 90 degrees), and only 5 of those days had any measurable rainfall. This lack of proper irrigation in our opinion led to the problem areas growing in size and other areas of the lawn starting to decline. On 5/26, still taking the advice of the unlicensed mowing company over the professional opinion of her licensed lawn care professionals, she called in at the end of our business day to state the chinch bug damage was getting worse. The message was passed to our Service Technician immediately who called the customer first thing the next morning to schedule an appointment to inspect the property a second time. On Monday, 5/30, he was on property and once again found no live activity of any chinch bugs. Still, for the customer's peace of mind and in keeping with label regulations, he applied a systemic insecticide to the affected areas. This service also was performed under the Deans Service Guarantee at no additional cost to the customer. On June 8th her regularly-scheduled lawn treatment was performed and a different Service Technician was sent. In addition to fertilization and herbicides to control weeds, the entire lawn was treated (standard procedure) with a contact and systemic insecticide. No live chinch bug activity was found. About 30 minutes after this treatment, the customer called our Customer Service center to request a supervisor. Our Field Supervisor called her in under 30 minutes and was on property within 2 hours. No live chinch bug activity was noted, and it was the Field Supervisor's opinion that the damage was due to drought stress, which would take time to recover. Even though the customer had irrigation work done on 5/27, during this visit on 6/8 there was one head covering a large area that was not functioning properly. Although Deans is not responsible for the customer's irrigation system or practices, the Field Supervisor ran through the customer's irrigation system as a courtesy and made recommendations and adjustments for proper watering in the summer. He proactively planned to come out again to check the progress. Our Field Supervisor came back to the property on June 20th and applied an additional slow-release granular fertilizer and added more fertilized topsoil to protect the turf roots and runners. This too was done at no additional charge as part of the Deans Service Guarantee. That same day, on June 20th, the customer called and requested to speak to a different manager, someone other that the one she spoke to, about her lawn. While the record was clear that we had been attentive to her lawn's needs and had never found any live chinch bug activity, we complied and had prepared to send a different manager to speak with her the next day. But before we could, the customer called back in on June 21st and cancelled all services with Deans, ending her service agreement at that point. In her statement she mentions visits from various competitors of Deans, but their opinions need to be understood in the light of their not knowing the history of the property and their desire to earn her business. The statement made regarding one area having chinch bugs meaning her "entire lawn" was infested is clearly not true as any licensed professional in the trade would know. There were never any fungus issues with this property in the two years we serviced it, and there were never any complaints from the customer about weeds. All visible weeds were treated on each service visit (the same as these other companies would do) and the presence of weeds at any point in time is not proof of a lack of a previous application. Our local ecology is such that dormant weed seeds can sprout anytime conditions are favorable and there are invasive weeds that are not controllable. In summary we are sorry to see the customer cancel her lawn fertilization and pest control services with Deans as we were convinced with proper watering and time her lawn would have recovered. Deans was not responsible for the drought damage to her lawn and still we demonstrated attentiveness to her concerns and went over and above the scope of our service to assist in the recovery. We made several applications to her lawn at no charge as part of our Service Guarantee. Since she voluntarily ended her service agreement with us we cannot continue with the recovery plan we had developed. Our Terms of Service (found at https://www.deansservices.com/termsofservice) clearly state that Deans cannot be held liable for damage incurred by improper cultural habits (i.e. improper irrigation) and no replacement guarantee is offered for turf. We appreciate the opportunity we had to serve our customer, as well as the opportunity to provide this information. Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/07/17) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) 1. I had 2 other professional lawn svc companies give me estimates before I left Dean's. They both said the lawn was riddled with fungus, destructive weeds and probably had cinch bugs in recent past. 2. My irrigation has been checked twice in 2 yrs and has been fine. If Dean's felt that wasn't the case, it was their responsibility to tell me so I could resolve any issues. 3. Over 2 yrs, weeds have become so bad that my lawn will be dead very soon and will need to be replaced. How could this happen when a Professional Lawn Service has been treating for invasive weeds???? 4. How could large areas be dead due to fungus and pests when a Professional Lawn Service has been treating for both???? 5. How can a Professional service guarantee customer satisfaction but not respond to THREE requests by a client for a manager to call them???? 6. Dean's has been neglectful and irresponsible. They have destroyed my yard and are refusing to rectify their mistakes. 7. At the very minimum, Dean's should refund what I've paid them for work that was totally unsatisfactory and destructive. 8. True Customer Satisfaction would mean to pay for the lawn they destroyed to be fixed. Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2022/07/22) */ We appreciate the opportunity to address these points once again. I will be glad to respond to them in the order in which they were made for clarity's sake. Point 1 - As stated in our original reply, these other companies are looking for your business. And please keep in mind that once your lawn has been damaged by this amount of heat stress, it will make it more susceptible to disease and pests than when it was healthy. Deans Services maintains that while the lawn was under our care there was no evidence of fungus and no live chinch bug activity was ever noted. Point 2 - Your irrigation system may have worked well in the past but it was clear, when our Service Technician arrived on May 5th, there was a problem with it. We did alert you to this problem on that day and in subsequent visits. From our Service Technician's notes that were shared with you on his first visit after having been alerted to the problem: "Customer is experiencing drought stress on left side of driveway, applied black cow and a granular fertilizer. I recommended to increase irrigation time and have all irrigation heads checked for the proper coverage." Point 3 - Systemic selective herbicides have been applied to all visible weeds on each regular service performed by Deans for the past two years. There were never any complaints of weeds until after the drought stress occurred. As mentioned earlier, once the turf was allowed to become drought stressed, the affected areas are more susceptible to an invasion of weeds when the weakened turf cannot effectively battle for resources. If our service had not been cancelled, we would have continued treating any new weeds with each service and in-between services if necessary. Point 4 - We maintain the large areas of concern are not due to fungus or pests, as these were never found upon our inspections while the lawn was under our care. These areas were not properly watered for an extended period of time as highlighted in our initial response and irrigation is the sole responsibility of the customer. Point 5 - Our Field Supervisor was very attentive to your needs, arriving at your home within two hours of your initial request, and following up on several occasions. Additionally, at your request, we arranged for a second Field Supervisor to meet with you prior to your decision to cancel. Point 6 - As detailed in our initial reply, Deans went above and beyond to help your lawn recover from drought stress that was not caused by any action or inaction on our part. Had we been allowed to continue servicing we were confident the lawn would recover in time. Points 7&8 - Since you were satisfied with our service up until this drought stress occurred, as measured by the fact there were no calls requesting service for any lawn-related issues until May 2022, as a sign of goodwill, we are willing to refund your most recent payment for your June 2022 service. We will initiate that refund for you. However, Deans cannot accept liability for the costs associated with turf replacement due to improper watering on the part of the customer. In summary, we were attentive to your concerns initially and throughout the process. It was unfortunate the problem was initially misdiagnosed as chinch bug activity by an unlicensed service provider in your employ. We correctly diagnosed the issue as drought stress, brought it to your attention, and continued to work to help you, performing four additional services free of charge to help recover the damage done. We were sorry to see you cancel the service before the recovery process was completed. Consumer Response /* (4200, 12, 2022/08/01) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I believe Dean's was negligent of not notifying their customer immediately at the first sign of a problem. The areas of concern started degrading months prior to my first phone call to Dean's. However, since I had put my trust in them to take care of my lawn, I incorrectly assumed that they, as Professionals, would recognize and resolve the problem. I did not pay them so that I could identify problems and instruct them to resolve the problems. The technician who responded to my initial call advised that "I" should apply some black cow. The Supervisor who responded to a subsequent call, placed 1 bag of black cow on an area that required at least 5 bags. He also stated that because they can't determine how the problem areas looked prior to my calls, they may not be able to resolve the problems. While I agree that Dean's was quick to respond when I called to notify them of my concerns, I maintain that as the paid Lawn Care Professionals, it was their responsibility to identify problem areas and either resolve the problem or make the customer aware and provide direction on resolution. If, in fact, my irrigation was not providing the required watering, the regular scheduled technician was responsible for advising me. Large areas of my lawn have been lost. This doesn't happen in a matter of days or even weeks. Deans stated they were sorry to see me cancel service before the recovery process was completed implies blame on my part. My response is, "They're should never have been a Recovery Process because the problem should never have gotten to the point it was allowed to get to. Had "the problem" been recognized and addressed immediately, the progress would have been halted and the large areas of loss would not have occurred."

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