Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of
The Depository Trust Company (55 Water Street, New York, New York) to the issuer
or its  agent  for  registration  of  transfer,  exchange  or  payment,  and any
certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or such other name as
requested by an authorized  representative  of the Depository  Trust Company and
any payment is made to Cede & Co., ANY TRANSFER,  PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR
VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL  since the  registered  owner
hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.



No. 2                                                                $50,000,000
                                                            CUSIP No.: 81760NAC3

                                    The ServiceMaster Company

                                          7 7/8 % Note

                                       Due August 15, 2009





                                                1






         The ServiceMaster Company, a Delaware corporation (the "Company", which
term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred
to), for value  received,  hereby  promises to pay to Cede & Co., or  registered
assigns,  at the  office or agency of the  Company  in New York,  New York,  the
principal sum of Two Hundred  Million Dollars on August 15, 2009, in the coin or
currency of the United States, and to pay interest, semi-annually on February 15
and August 15 of each year,  commencing February 15, 2000, principal sum at said
office or agency,  in like coin or currency,  at the rate per annum specified in
the title of this Note,  from the February 15, or the August 15, as the case may
be, next preceding the date of this Note to which interest has been paid or duly
provided for,  unless the date hereof is a date to which  interest has been paid
or duly  provided  for,  in which case from the date of this Note,  or unless no
interest has been paid or duly  provided for on these Notes,  in which case from
August  10,  1999,  until  payment of said  principal  sum has been made or duly
provided  for;  provided,  that payment of interest may be made at the option of
the  Company by check  mailed to the address of the person  entitled  thereto as
such  address  shall  appear on the  Security  Register  or by wire  transfer as
provided in the Indenture.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the date hereof is
after the first day of  February  or August,  as the case may be, and before the
following  February  15 or August 15,  this Note shall bear  interest  from such
February 15 or August 15;  provided,  that if the Company  shall  default in the
payment of interest  due on such  February 15 or August 15, then this Note shall
bear  interest  from the next  preceding  February  15 or  August  15,  to which
interest has been paid or duly  provided for or, if no interest has been paid or
duly provided for on these Notes,  from August 10, 1999. The interest so payable
on any February 15 or August 15 will, subject to certain exceptions  provided in
the Indenture  referred to on the reverse hereof, be paid to the person in whose
name this Note is registered at the close of business on February 1 or August 1,
as the case may be, next preceding such February 15 or August 15, whether or not
such day is a Business Day.

         Reference is made to the further  provisions  of this Note set forth on
the reverse hereof. Such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same
effect as though fully set forth at this place.

         This Note shall not be valid or become obligatory for any purpose until
the certificate of authentication  hereon shall have been manually signed by the
Trustee under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof.






                                                2





         IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,   The  ServiceMaster   Company  has  caused  this
instrument  to be  signed  manually  or by  facsimile  by  its  duly  authorized
officers.



         Dated:

                                        THE SERVICEMASTER COMPANY



                                        By
                                      Name:
                                     Title:


                                        By
                                      Name:
                                     Title:

                           ------------------------------------

Attest:




                                                3





                                  CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

         This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred
to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

         Dated:                             Harris Trust and Savings Bank,
                                                 as Trustee


                                            By
                                                 Authorized Signatory




                                                4





                                         REVERSE OF NOTE
                                    The ServiceMaster Company

                                          7 7/8 % Note
                                       Due August 15, 2009

         This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of debentures, notes, bonds
or other  evidences  of  indebtedness  of the  Company  (hereinafter  called the
"Securities") of the series  hereinafter  specified,  all issued or to be issued
under and  pursuant  to an  indenture  dated as of August 15,  1997  between the
Company (as  successor by merger to each of The  ServiceMaster  Company  Limited
Partnership and ServiceMaster  Limited Partnership,  and their respective rights
and obligations  under the Indenture  hereinafter  referred to) and Harris Trust
and Savings Bank, as Trustee (hereinafter called the "Trustee") (as supplemented
by the First  Supplemental  Indenture  dated as of August 15, 1997 among  SMCLP,
SMLP and the Trustee,  the Second Supplemental  Indenture dated as of January 1,
1998 between the Company and the Trustee, the Third Supplemental Indenture dated
as of  March  2,  1998  between  the  Company  and the  Trustee  and the  Fourth
Supplemental  Indenture  dated as of August 10, 1999 between the Company and the
Trustee,  the "Indenture"),  to which Indenture and all indentures  supplemental
thereto and all terms of a particular series of Securities  established pursuant
to Section 2.03 of the Indenture  reference is hereby made for a description  of
the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder
of the Trustee,  the Company and the Holders of the  Securities.  The Securities
may be issued in one or more  series,  which  different  series may be issued in
various  aggregate  principal  amounts,  may mature at different times, may bear
interest (if any) at  different  rates,  may be subject to different  redemption
provisions (if any), may be subject to different sinking,  purchase or analogous
funds (if any) and may otherwise vary as in the Indenture provided. This Note is
one of a series designated as the 7 7/8 % Notes due 2009 of the Company, limited
in aggregate principal amount to $250,000,000.

         Interest  will be  computed  on the basis of a  360-day  year of twelve
30-day months.  The Company shall pay interest on overdue  principal and, to the
extent lawful,  on overdue  installments of interest at the rate per annum borne
by  this  Note.  If a  payment  date is not a  Business  Day as  defined  in the
Indenture  at a place of payment,  payment may be made at that place on the next
succeeding  day that is a Business  Day,  and no interest  shall  accrue for the
intervening period.

         In case an Event of Default as defined in the  Indenture,  with respect
to the 7 7/8 % Notes  due 2009,  shall  have  occurred  and be  continuing,  the
principal hereof and the interest accrued hereon,  if any, may be declared,  and
upon such




                                                5





declaration  shall  become,  due and payable in the manner,  with the effect and
subject to the conditions provided in the Indenture.

         The Indenture  contains  provisions  which provide that,  without prior
notice to any Holders,  the Company and the Trustee may amend the  Indenture and
the  Securities  of any series  with the  written  consent  of the  Holders of a
majority in aggregate  principal  amount of the  outstanding  Securities  of all
series  affected  (all such series  voting as one  class),  and the Holders of a
majority in aggregate  principal  amount of the  outstanding  Securities  of all
series to be affected (all such series voting as one class) by written notice to
the Trustee may waive future compliance by the Company with any provision of the
Indenture or the Securities of such series;  provided that,  without the consent
of each Holder of the Securities of each series affected  thereby,  an amendment
or waiver,  including a waiver of past defaults,  may not: (i) extend the stated
maturity of the principal of, or any sinking fund  obligation or any installment
of interest on, such Holder's  Security,  or reduce the principal amount thereof
or the rate of  interest  thereon  (including  any amount in respect of original
issue  discount),  or any premium  payable  with respect  thereto,  or adversely
affect the rights of such Holder under any  mandatory  redemption  or repurchase
provision or any right of redemption or repurchase at the option of such Holder,
or reduce the amount of the  principal of an Original  Issue  Discount  Security
that would be due and payable upon an acceleration of the maturity or the amount
thereof  provable in bankruptcy,  or change any place of payment  where,  or the
currency  in which,  any  Security  or any  premium or the  interest  thereon is
payable,  or impair the right to institute suit for the  enforcement of any such
payment  on or after  the due date  therefor;  (ii)  reduce  the  percentage  in
principal amount of outstanding Securities of the relevant series the consent of
whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, for any waiver of
compliance  with certain  provisions  of the  Indenture or certain  Defaults and
their consequences  provided for in the Indenture;  (iii) waive a Default in the
payment of  principal  of or interest on any  Security of such  Holder;  or (iv)
modify any of the provisions of the Indenture governing supplemental  indentures
with the consent of Securityholders except to increase any such percentage or to
provide that certain other  provisions  of the  Indenture  cannot be modified or
waived without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding  Security  affected
thereby.

         It  is  also  provided  in  the  Indenture  that,  subject  to  certain
conditions,  the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of
the outstanding Securities of all series affected (voting as a single class), by
notice to the  Trustee,  may waive an existing  Default or Event of Default with
respect to the Securities of such series and its consequences,  except a Default
in the payment of  principal  of or interest on any  Security or in respect of a
covenant  or  provision  of the  Indenture  which  cannot be modified or amended
without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding  Security  affected.  Upon
any such waiver, such




                                                6





Default  shall  cease to exist,  and any Event of  Default  with  respect to the
Securities of such series arising  therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured,
for every  purpose of the  Indenture;  but no such  waiver  shall  extend to any
subsequent or other  Default or Event of Default or impair any right  consequent
thereto.

         The Indenture  provides that a series of Securities  may include one or
more tranches (each a "tranche") of Securities, including Securities issued in a
periodic  offering.  The  Securities of different  tranches may have one or more
different terms, including  authentication dates and public offering prices, but
all the  Securities  within  each  such  tranche  shall  have  identical  terms,
including  authentication  date and public offering price.  Notwithstanding  any
other provision of the Indenture, subject to certain exceptions, with respect to
sections of the Indenture concerning the execution,  authentication and terms of
the  Securities,  redemption  of  the  Securities,  Events  of  Default  of  the
Securities,  defeasance of the Securities and amendment of the Indenture, if any
series of  Securities  includes  more than one tranche,  all  provisions of such
sections  applicable  to any  series  of  Securities  shall  be  deemed  equally
applicable  to each  tranche of any series of  Securities  in the same manner as
though originally  designated a series unless otherwise provided with respect to
such  series  or  tranche  pursuant  to a  board  resolution  or a  supplemental
indenture establishing such series or tranche.

         No reference  herein to the  Indenture and no provision of this Note or
of the Indenture  shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company,  which is
absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and any premium and interest
on this Note in the manner,  at the place, at the respective  times, at the rate
and in the coin or currency herein prescribed.

         The  Notes are  issuable  initially  only in  registered  form  without
coupons in  denominations  of $1,000 and any multiple of $1,000 at the office or
agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan,  The City of New York, and in
the manner and  subject  to the  limitations  provided  in the  Indenture,  but,
without the payment of any service  charge,  Notes may be  exchanged  for a like
aggregate principal amount of Notes of other authorized denominations.

         The Notes  will be  redeemable,  at any time prior to  maturity  at the
option of the Company,  in whole or in part,  upon not less than 30 or more than
60 days prior written notice,  at a redemption price equal to the greater of (i)
100% of their principal  amount or (ii) as determined by a Quotation  Agent, the
sum of the present values of the Remaining  Scheduled  Payments of principal and
interest thereon (not including any portion of such payments of interest accrued
as  of  the  date  of  redemption)  discounted  to  the  redemption  date,  on a
semi-annual  basis assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months at
the Adjusted




                                                7





Treasury  Yield  plus 20 basis  points,  together  with all  accrued  but unpaid
interest, if any, to the date of redemption in either case.

         Upon due presentment  for  registration of transfer of this Note at the
office or agency of the  Company in the  Borough of  Manhattan,  The City of New
York, a new Note or Notes of  authorized  denominations  for an equal  aggregate
principal amount will be issued to the transferee in exchange therefor,  subject
to the limitations provided in the Indenture,  without charge except for any tax
or other governmental charge imposed in connection therewith.

         The  Company,  the  Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee
may deem and treat the  registered  Holder hereof as the absolute  owner of this
Note (whether or not this Note shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation
of ownership or other writing hereon),  for the purpose of receiving payment of,
or on account of, the principal  hereof and,  subject to the provisions  hereof,
interest  hereon,  and for all other  purposes,  and neither the Company nor the
Trustee  nor any agent of the  Company or the  Trustee  shall be affected by any
notice to the contrary.

         No recourse under or upon any obligation,  covenant or agreement of the
Company in the Indenture or any indenture  supplemental  thereto or in any Note,
or because of any  indebtedness  evidenced  thereby,  shall be had  against  any
incorporator,  stockholder,  officer or director,  as such,  past,  present,  or
future, of the Company or any successor corporation thereof,  either directly or
through the Company or any successor corporation, under any rule of law, statute
or  constitutional  provision or by the  enforcement of any assessment or by any
legal or equitable  proceeding or otherwise,  all such liability being expressly
waived and released by the  acceptance  hereof and as part of the  consideration
for the issue hereof.

         Terms used  herein  which are defined in the  Indenture  shall have the
respective meanings assigned thereto in the Indenture.




                                                8




         FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s), assign(s) and
transfer(s) unto

[PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE,
OF ASSIGNEE]

[PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
         IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE]





the within Note and all rights thereunder,  hereby irrevocably  constituting and
appointing  such  person  attorney  to  transfer  such  Note on the books of the
Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.


Dated:                             ------------------------------------



NOTICE:           The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name
                  as  written  upon  the  face  of  the  within  Note  in  every
                  particular  without  alteration or  enlargement  or any change
                  whatsoever.




                                                9