Live Calls Vs. Submission Forms for Pest Control Companies

We live in a 24/7 type world these days. No longer is it impossible to get in touch with someone beyond a certain hour due to technology.

While this can be great, there is still a limit to how long a person can stay awake or how late a business can open before turning into a 24-hour operation and in turn, increasing their overhead costs.

Regarding pest control, you never can predict when a pest will enter your home and cause issues. It could be 9 a.m or 12 midnight and your immediate next step would be to want to get in touch with your local and trusted pest control company for help.

What seems to be a better option for leads, though? Having someone to immediately speak to (even if the pest controller cannot make it out until the next day) or filling out an email form for someone to respond once open? There is no real set answer as both offer benefits which are detailed below:

Live Call Pros

Getting direct answers fast:

Being able to speak to a customer immediately can allow for you to answer their questions, get them on the schedule and put them at ease early on without a gap in time where they can change their mind or go to another pest control company for help.

Being a valuable resource:

You being on the other line offers the customer a voice of valuable information regarding the pest situation that would otherwise go unknown if they had just filled out a form. If they were not ready to commit to a company, having the information they need could make them decide to use you much faster than intended.

The Human vs. Robot debate:

While some people may not care as long as they are getting the information to the pest control company, some really do not like not having someone to personally speak to. Although we live in a technologically run world, some people like the old-fashioned approach of speaking to a live person instead of shouting phone commands into a phone for a robot to understand or submitting a form.

Submission Form Pros

Getting clients after-hours:

If you do not have a 24-hour operation, then email forms are beneficial for after hour service needs. You will be able to get all their information and be able to get in contact with them upon arrival. You also can see all leads and triage them beforehand or offer service based on who reached out in an orderly fashion.

Getting clients during operational hours:

You may think, “But why don’t they just call?” But the answer is simple, sometimes they cannot. If you are at work and you get a call from your child that there may be a critter in the attic, you may only have the availability to discretely fill out a quick form at work and get the ball rolling that way. It is a great way for workers to passively put the word out that they need help.

Attaching a survey

One part of being in the pest control industry is having a good reputation. Gathering ratings and reviews can sometimes be daunting, but having an email form allows you to capture your customer’s email addresses and be able to follow up with a friendly reminder to rate your company, which is something you cannot do as easily with a phone number.

While there is no right or wrong approach, many pest control companies have adopted a mix of both tactics to provide across-the-board help to those who need their help.