Free Pest Inspection vs. Quote

Another week and another battle between two ideas. We’ve discussed ideas such as live phone calls vs. automated forms, covering all pests or only specific ones, and other topics–so now let’s focus on the age old free inspection vs. free quote offer. Both offers can be ver helpful when trying to establish a new customer, but is there any way to figure out which one is better? The answer truly comes down to your business, reputation and overhead costs you are able to incur while trying to offer something to your potential customer free of charge. Below is a look at both sides of each offer and hopefully this may help you weigh in on which offer best fits your business and its needs.

Free Inspection

Pros:

The ability to gauge the cost more accurately

The one good thing about having to actually show up to the person’s house is that you can see the damage firsthand. Sometimes, an account on the phone leaves out a big piece of information or the person does not properly describe the damage. Being able to see what pests are there and what needs to be done can allow you to make an honest estimate for the homeowner.

Having face to face conversations with the owner

Sometimes, a good conversation, being polite and professional or any other positive experience can go a long way with a customer. Physically being at the location and speaking with the potential customer is an easier sell than over the phone–even if both experiences are positives ones. Like any other situation, in-person interaction sometimes makes a bigger difference than any phone call can make. Cons:

More upfront costs

Having to use your company vehicles and other expenses to have your technicians visit a home is costly. Whereas a free quote over the phone allows the customer to then decide whether or not they want to have the technician which eliminates unnecessary expenses, a free inspection means you will need to come out regardless of the outcome.

May not end with a sale

With a free inspection, the transaction isn’t guaranteed. While it is great to be able to make a proper assessment by being there in person, it does not always mean the customer will ultimately use you for the treatment and now you are out the cost of travel, gas, and other expenses and the customer went elsewhere.

Free Quote

Pros:

Not much overhead over the phone

Unlike a free inspection which requires all the expenses of getting to the customers home, a free quote is simply done over the phone. The customer can call, get all the information they need, including an estimated quote, and go from there. There are no added expenses of having to drive anywhere and all parts of the initial treatment procedure were done in-office.

Less time commitment for one potential customer

Free inspections require more time than a free quote. From the phone call, dispatch to the residence and then coming back, you are using a good chunk of time for one customer. Whereas, a free quote most times is a simple phone conversation that is left with either the customer immediately asking for a technician to come or that they will call back if interested. There is less time involved with a free quote, so more customers can be catered to. Cons:

The actual cost may be more than quoted

You give a quote on the phone and while some understand this is a quote based on average costs, you may find yourself stuck in a sticky situation with a customer when the cost ends up being more than they were quoted. Unfortunately, you were not there to assess like in a free inspection, so it is a very good idea to be thorough in your explanation that this is only an estimate for pest control treatment and that it may be more or less once a technician can properly assess the damage.

You Can’t develop in-person relationships with customers on the phone

Without being there in person, you cannot develop a potential relationship with your customer like you can if you had to go to the residence. Many times, people will more than likely pick a professional to do the work based on their dealings with them. Over-the-phone dealings can have an impact on whether or not you use that company for pest control, but a positive in-person meeting can definitely make a bigger difference in keeping the customer.