Batzner Pest ManagementAdopts Ronald McDonald House as Charity of Choice During Annual Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Race

Those fabulous Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches did it again! They raced in New Berlin on October 2. It was their 12th consecutive year and this time, the Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin will benefit from this unique event.

What’s it all about Alfie?

Jerry Batzner, president of Batzner Pest Management, has the answer. He says his 66-year-old company held its Annual Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Race at their headquarters, 16948 W. Victor Rd., New Berlin, on Tuesday, October 2

“It was part of our celebration of National Customer Service Week. And we selected the Ronald McDonald House to be the recipient of a company donation this year -- as another part of this celebration.”

On October 2, Batzner customer service employees comprised nine teams and each team chose their racing roach from their collection. The roaches, urged by their respective teams sped along a customized, 8-foot track built especially for the race. “Hissing Hank”, a Batzner employee wearing a cockroach costume, was the MC.

"Prizes were awarded to the winning team, but even better, we will make a generous donation to the Ronald McDonald House in their names,” Batzner says.

The Batzner Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BatznerPestManagement)will provide area residents and businesses with an opportunity to have a say in how much money the company will donate to the Ronald McDonald House. “From now until October 5, we will contribute one dollar for each new “LIKE” we get on our Facebook page. We hope to donate up to $2,000 to that worthwhile organization. We encourage everyone to go to our Facebook and let us know they ’like’ us,” says Batzner.

Customer Service Week allows the company to recognize the important contributions made by their customer service professionals. Along with the race, the schedule of events for the week-long occasion included a cook-out,“shout out” forms posted around their offices recognizing individual employees for providing extraordinary customer service on a daily basis, as well as theme games and puzzles.

"This event is not just an excuse for us to throw a party," Batzner explains. "Customer Service Week, which began in 1988, is a national event recognizing the importance of customer service and honoring the people who practice it. We’re proud of our own customer service people and are happy to recognize them for their contributions to our organization. "

Why do they race this species of cockroach? “We have a collection of them that we use for training purposes. They originated in Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa and they are fascinating insects because of their unusual ability to produce a hissing sound,” says Batzner. “They even make a nice pet.”

For more information, go to www.batzner.com, or phone them at 262-797-4160.
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