Pest control: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering pest control

Pest control is a regulated service, often licensed, that depends on accurate identification, careful product choice and follow-up. Your value is in finding the pest and its entry points, treating the right places and explaining the plan so the customer can prevent a return.

What customers ask

  • What pest do I have, and how did you identify it?
  • Are your products safe for my kids and pets?
  • How long before I can go back into the room?
  • Why is the pest still here after the last company treated?
  • Do I need to do anything before you come?
  • Will you come back if the problem returns?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask what the customer has seen, where, and when, along with any treatments they tried, then say what you expect to find before the visit.
  • Inspect the whole structure, including the attic, crawl space and exterior, and show the customer the evidence you found in each area.
  • Put the pest identified, the treatment plan by area, the products by name, the re-entry instructions and the follow-up schedule in the written quote.
  • Explain the exclusion and sanitation steps the customer can take, such as sealing gaps and moving food storage, and note which ones you will do.
  • Leave a written report after the visit with the treatment locations, the products and the next visit date.
  • Confirm your license is current and show it on your profile, shown where your area requires it.

What to put on your profile

  • Your license information shown where your area requires it, with the services you are licensed to perform
  • The pests you treat most often and the methods you use for each
  • Your inspection process and a sample of the written report you leave
  • Your service area and the seasons you are busiest, so customers know when to call

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Schedule the follow-up visit and send a reminder with the prep the customer needs
  • Send a written prevention plan, with the entry points and sanitation steps the customer can take
  • Offer a recurring inspection plan if the pest is seasonal or the home has a history of activity, and explain what it covers

Licenses and permits

Pest control application is commonly licensed in many areas, and technicians who apply products may need their own license. Check with your state or local licensing agency before you offer or perform any application, and confirm that every technician on the job holds the license the area requires.

Questions

Do my technicians need their own license?

In many areas, yes. Check with your state or local licensing agency for the rules that apply to each technician and to the business, and keep current copies of each license on file.

How do I explain re-entry times to a customer?

Read the re-entry time from the product label, write it in the report, and tell the customer which areas it covers. Do not give a shorter time than the label says, even if the area looks dry.

What should I do if a customer asks for a product I do not use?

Explain why you use the products you do, and check whether the requested product is labeled for the pest and the site. Do not apply a product that is not labeled for the use, even if the customer asks for it.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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