CASE STUDY 02

Enterprise-Wide Call Center Transformation

DAVID L. MEYERS | BRANCH MANAGER → REGIONAL MANAGER → VP OF SALES → DIVISION VP | TERMINIX INTERNATIONAL | 1990–2012

Terminix International | Operational Transformation, Sales Growth & Enterprise Implementation
From a 25-seat pilot to an organization-wide operating model

Results at a Glance

Measure & David's Reported Result

  • Administrative costs - 8% reduction company-wide

  • Pest-control lead closing - 12-percentage-point improvement

  • Call center capacity - Expanded from 25 to 250 seats within the division

  • Locations supported - Expanded from 12 to approximately 120 within the divisionEnterprise adoptionRolled out across all Terminix divisions

  • Lasting impact - Became the company's standard operating model

Executive Overview

During his 22-year career at Terminix International (1990–2012), David Meyers progressed from Branch Manager to Regional Manager, Vice President of Sales, and Division Vice President. His early success operating profitable, growth-oriented branches provided a foundation for increasingly broad operational and sales leadership responsibilities.

One of his major accomplishments was conceiving and leading a centralized call center initiative that transformed how Terminix managed customer interactions, administrative responsibilities, and telephone-based sales.

David originated the concept, developed the business case, designed and led the pilot, presented its results to executive leadership, secured approval for expansion, and directed the subsequent rollout across all company divisions.

The initiative began with a 25-seat call center in Carrollton, Texas, supporting 12 locations. It expanded into a 250-seat operation serving approximately 120 locations within a division before being implemented throughout the organization.

According to David's reported results, the transformation reduced administrative costs company-wide by 8% and improved pest-control lead closing by 12 percentage points.

The model ultimately became Terminix's standard operating approach, and David received recognition for his leadership and was promoted to Division Vice President.

The Business Challenge

Terminix's branch-based operating structure required local teams to perform substantial administrative work alongside their sales and service responsibilities.

Leadership saw an opportunity to centralize these functions, reduce administrative payroll expenses, and establish a more effective process for selling a service over the telephone.

The challenge was to develop an operating model that could reduce duplicated administrative responsibilities without sacrificing customer service or disrupting branch operations.

The initiative also needed to improve the company's ability to respond to customer inquiries, convert sales opportunities, schedule appointments, and retain existing customers.

Achieving these objectives required more than a new telephone system. It called for changes to staffing, branch responsibilities, employee training, sales processes, and performance management.

David's Role and Strategic Approach

David originated the centralized call center concept and developed the business case for changing the existing branch operating model.

He maintained direct leadership responsibility throughout the initiative's lifecycle:

  • Conceived the idea and developed the business case.

  • Designed and led the initial pilot.

  • Presented pilot results to executive leadership.

  • Secured approval for broader implementation.

  • Led the national rollout across all divisions.

  • Oversaw ongoing performance following implementation.

His approach combined cost reduction with revenue generation.

By transferring appropriate administrative responsibilities from individual branches into a centralized operation, Terminix could reduce duplicated work and administrative payroll costs. At the same time, dedicated telephone sales processes created an opportunity to improve lead conversion and generate additional revenue.

The goal was to establish a repeatable operating model capable of delivering consistent performance across a geographically distributed organization.

Implementation: From Pilot to Enterprise-Wide Rollout

Phase 1: Establishing the Pilot
Carrollton, Texas | 25 seats | 12 locations

David designed and launched the initial centralized call center in Carrollton, Texas.

The 25-seat pilot supported 12 Terminix locations and brought multiple customer-facing and administrative functions into a single operation.

The center handled inbound customer calls, new customer sales, appointment scheduling, customer retention, billing inquiries, outbound sales, and service requests.

The pilot provided the foundation for evaluating the model's operational and financial performance before broader implementation.

Phase 2: Scaling Across a Division
250 seats | Approximately 120 locations

Following the pilot, the call center expanded to approximately 250 seats and supported an entire division of roughly 120 locations.

Scaling required coordinated changes across the organization, including:

  • Implementation of new telephone systems and supporting technology.

  • Centralization of staffing and administrative responsibilities.

  • Employee recruitment and training.

  • Standardization of operating procedures.

  • Restructuring of branch responsibilities.

  • Introduction of reporting and key performance indicators.

  • Development of consistent telephone sales scripts and processes.

These changes created the infrastructure needed to manage a significantly larger operation while maintaining consistency across participating branches.

Phase 3: Organization-Wide Implementation
All Terminix divisions

David presented the initiative's results to executive leadership and secured approval for expansion.

The call center model was subsequently rolled out across all Terminix divisions, with implementation proceeding division by division.

David led the national implementation and oversaw ongoing performance as the model became embedded in the company's operations.

The rollout converted a locally tested concept into an enterprise-wide operating structure.

Navigating Organizational Change

Two significant implementation challenges were resistance from branch managers and the staffing and training demands associated with expansion.

  1. Centralizing administrative and customer-facing functions changed responsibilities that had traditionally been managed at the branch level. The transition required adjustments to local operating practices and management expectations.

  2. At the same time, expanding from a 25-seat pilot to a 250-seat divisional operation created substantial staffing and training requirements.

The implementation incorporated centralized staffing, standardized procedures, employee training, branch restructuring, new technology, and performance reporting to support the transition.

David's leadership extended beyond developing the concept. He guided the operational changes required to implement it across the organization.

Business Results

The transformation produced measurable improvements in operating efficiency and sales performance, according to David's reported experience.

8% Reduction in Company-Wide Administrative Costs

  • Centralizing administrative functions reduced duplicated responsibilities and lowered administrative expenses across Terminix.

  • David reports that the initiative delivered an 8% reduction in company-wide administrative costs


12-Percentage-Point Improvement in Pest-Control Lead Closing

  • A dedicated telephone sales operation, supported by standardized processes and training, improved the company's ability to convert pest-control leads into customers.

  • David reports a 12-percentage-point increase in pest-control lead closing.

This represents a change in the closing rate measured in percentage points, rather than a 12% relative increase.

Additional Operational Improvements

David also reports that the initiative improved:

  • Call answer rates and reduced missed calls.

  • Customer retention and satisfaction.

  • Revenue generation.

  • Appointment scheduling efficiency.

  • Overall sales conversion.

Separate quantitative results for these additional improvements are not available.

Lasting Organizational Impact

The initiative progressed from a single pilot to a divisional operation and ultimately to implementation across all Terminix divisions. The centralized model became the company's standard operating approach, demonstrating that administrative efficiency, sales performance, and customer service could be addressed through a coordinated operational transformation.

David was recognized for his leadership of the initiative and promoted to Division Vice President.

The experience illustrates his ability to identify a business opportunity, develop and validate an operating model, build executive support, manage organizational resistance, and lead implementation at enterprise scale.

Executive Leadership Capabilities Demonstrated

Enterprise Transformation · Business Case Development · Operational Efficiency · Sales Optimization · Change Management · Executive Stakeholder Alignment · Multi-Site Operations · Scalable Implementation

Results and project details reflect David Meyers' reported professional experience.