A Burst Pipe – with a Happy Ending

When we say we take care of our customers, we don’t just mean dealing with the pests. We mean going above and beyond, making heroic impacts on their lives, and truly delivering moments our customers will always remember. Just one example of this behavior we encourage our teammates to exemplify is David Wambolt, a valued technician out of our Scarborough branch.

Maine is home to many seasonal residents who head to warmer climates during the winter months. These snowbirds still make sure their homes are safe from pests when they’re not home – many with a year-round pest control plan from a company they trust. But they don’t just trust Waltham Pest Services, they trust our technicians. David has alarm codes, and even keys to enter homes while many homeowners are enjoying sunnier days. To perform a routine service at one of these customers, Dave entered one the home with the keys the homeowners trusted him with. He, of course, was being thorough with his interior inspections and updates. His service brought him to the basement for a routine check for rodents.

During his inspection of the basement, he noticed a frozen pipe had recently burst and water was beginning to spill into the basement. An unfortunately common occurrence in Maine and a homeowner’s worst nightmare! From the damage water can do to carpets, sofas, etc., to ruining the things people often keep in the basement like photo albums filled with memories, baby clothes you just couldn’t part with, or other sentimental items, a burst pipe can be a serious issue when you’re home. Now imagine you’re a few states away and the house sitter you hired is away for a couple days. Thank goodness for an extraordinary Waltham team member that was paying attention to the details that weren’t even about pests!

Dave acted quickly with zero hesitation. He immediately shut off the water main and contacted his branch manager, J.C. Bishop, to report the situation. He also left messages for both the homeowner and the homeowner’s caretaker to ensure they were aware of the issue. J.C. wasn’t surprised. He said, “Dave is the kind of technician every organization hopes to have. He’s thorough, thoughtful, and always puts the customer first. When he encountered this situation, his first instinct was to protect the home and make sure the customer and their caretaker were informed.”

Dave likely saved this homeowner thousands of dollars in possible water damage. Even more if the basement fully flooded. Dave just thought it was being at the right place at the right time, but we call it being a hero. J.C. said he even received a phone call from the homeowner who had returned to Maine to deal with the pipe. She called to express tremendous gratitude and to personally praise Dave for going above and beyond and for his quick thinking. J.C. wasn’t surprised at this either! He said, “Dave treats every home with the same care and respect he would want for his own family, and that’s not something you can teach – it’s simply who he is. His actions in this moment truly had a heroic impact on that customer and reflects the Rollins Way – a code we all live by. I couldn’t be prouder to have him on our team.”

A huge thank you to Dave for his truly heroic action. You exemplify what we all strive to be: outstanding, extraordinary, and brave. We couldn’t be prouder to be on your team.