Great service starts with communication

Many technicians are not naturally comfortable speaking to customers. They enjoy doing their thing, seek comfort in their vehicles and are just happy to get a day’s work finished. But communicating well builds good bonding and trust with customers.

To customers, the technician who services their home or commercial account is the company. When the bill comes due for payment, customers want to feel they know it is worth the service they receive. The knowledge is fortified by not just being pest-free, but by a:

Warm feeling about the technician.

Feeling that the technician really cares about them.

Trust that if they have a problem, it will be taken care of.

In other words, they need a strong sense of comfort.

A history lesson

Before chlordane was discovered in 1948, homes and businesses usually were treated once a week. If the technician did not show up on time, the customer would call the office, concerned about the health of that technician.

With the advent of chlordane (until it was banned in 1988), service frequency went monthly. With today’s products, quarterly service often is adequate — and often performed outdoors, with little to no contact made with the customers. Communication relies on emails and apps for payment.

Stay in touch

There are still ways to reach out and reinforce the value of your service. For example:

Did you ever send customers a little history and background about their technician? Talk about the technician’s hobbies, interests, community involvement, number of children and grandchildren, number of years on the job, special awards received and more.

Do your technicians know the following about their customers?
Their names
Their pets’ names
Their sports teams
Their hobbies
Ages of children and grades in school or college

Do your technicians ask for permission from dog-owning customers to offer a treat from a box they keep in their vehicles? Happy pets equal happy customers in many cases.

How often do you give bill stuffers, door hangers or emails with useful information like:
Practical tips for mosquito season
How to protect straw, pumpkins and other fall décor from rodent and insect problems
What your company does extra each season to protect them

Basic training

Your technicians should strive to find at least two things about each customer that require special attention. Bring up these examples at your next training meeting, and add your own:

1. Many customers remember why they called you in the first place, even if it was years ago. Does the current technician know what the reason was for each account? If it was a mouse in the garage, does the technician have monitors in there to ensure it doesn’t return?
2. What special precautions are you taking for customers with a pet turtle or snake?
3. A neighborhood in your service area has reported cases of Lyme disease. Are there handouts technicians can leave behind for customers who could be affected? Is your team well-versed enough to answer basic questions from concerned customers, either in person at the account or on the phone to the office?

Technician’s checklist

Try to remember names and details. Ensure every customer knows your name and your company name.
Smile and be persistent while staying respectful.
Be a great listener. Hearing it is not enough.
Push your limits to sharpen your skills.
Learn to communicate with and truly care about customers.
Enjoy what you do.
Think before treating.
Practice safety.
Be creative and share your creativity with your team.
Work smarter, not harder.

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Sacramento CA

Walker Pest Management administrator earns Women in Business award

Amity Marcy, of Greenville, S.C.-based Walker Pest Management, was selected as a 2026 SC Women in Business honoree by Greenville Business magazine. The award recognizes outstanding women across South Carolina whose leadership, professional excellence and community impact are shaping the future of business in the state.

Marcy joined Walker Pest Management in 2023, bringing more than 15 years of leadership experience from the hospitality industry. Originally serving as office manager, she was promoted to business administrator in January 2026 in recognition of her role in strengthening internal operations, elevating service consistency and supporting the rapid growth of the company’s customer service team. She is also a participant in the South Carolina Pest Control Association’s Leadership SCPCA program, a statewide initiative developing the industry’s next generation of leaders.

“Amity’s commitment to this team has had a direct impact on the growth we’re experiencing as a company. We couldn’t be prouder to see her recognized for it,” said Caleb Walker, president of Walker Pest Management, in a company news release.

About Walker Pest Management

Founded in 2000, Greenville, S.C.-based Walker Pest Management has grown from a one-man operation to now employing more than 30 people. Walker Pest Management is a privately owned company servicing most of South Carolina and now expanding into North Carolina.

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Sacramento CA

J.T. Eaton: ZendoZones Fruit Fly Traps, Bulk

Get effective, widespread fruit fly control with the J.T. Eaton ZendoZones Fruit Fly Traps. Each trap features a sleek white base and a cleverly disguised succulent potted plant design that seamlessly blends into home décor for discreet and stylish pest management. Perfect for restaurants, cafes and other fruit fly-prone areas, these traps provide a decorative yet practical solution to keep your customers’ spaces pest-free.

This bulk pack does not include lure, giving you the flexibility to use your preferred attractants or replace existing ones as needed. These traps offer a safe, non-toxic way to manage fruit flies without compromising your style. Item 1818B-VAN, pictured, comes with 12 traps with a white base and assorted toppers.

About J.T. Eaton

Founded in 1932 by Jasper T. Eaton as a mail-order house for pest control products for professional use, J.T. Eaton was brought to prominence when Pest Management Professional (PMP) Hall of Famer Stanley Baker (Class of 1999) purchased it in 1949. Before his death in 2005 at the age of 87, he built it up to a multi-million-dollar company. Baker was a lifelong innovator, and is credited for creating the paraffin rodent bait block in 1962. He is also credited with developing the modern glue board design, in 1980. In 1999, he helped patent an ant and cockroach product that uses just 1 percent boric acid. Still family-owned and -operated by the Baker family, J.T. Eaton’s product line includes products for rodents, wildlife, bed bugs, mosquitoes and other flying insects and more.

JTEatonPMP.com

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Sacramento CA

Nisus restructures sales team

Nisus Corporation (Nisus) is making several changes to the structure of its sales team, shifting Javier Ramos, Mike Purcell and John Singletary, ACE, to new roles.

The move comes on the heels of several recent product rollouts as the company continues its years-long trajectory of steady growth. The organizational changes allow the company to better support customers and allow for stronger relationships between the field, the Nisus sales team and corporate team members.

More support for innovation

Javier Ramos and Mike Purcell have been named Nisus’ first-ever National Sales Managers. Ramos will focus on the western portion of the United States while Purcell will focus on the east. As National Sales Managers, they will oversee new sales initiatives in the field and provide support for sales team members in each region. The pairs new roles will allow them to deepen communication channels between the field, customers and Nisus employee-owners based in Rockford, Tenn., with the ultimate goal of enhancing customer success and experience.

Building customer relations

Customer success was a core factor in another change for the Nisus sales team. John Singletary, ACE, has taken on a new role as National Vector Manager. In addition to managing his sales territory in the Mid-Atlantic, Singletary will also serve as Nisus’ subject matter expert on disease-transmitting pest such as fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. He will work closely with Nisus’ technical, regulatory and operations teams to develop programs that improve customer success in the mosquito and vector management markets, offering an additional level of support to PMPs in a time period when insect-transmitted diseases are increasingly in the news cycle.

“The individuals on our sales team are all driven to help their customers succeed and to help them find the solutions that are going to make a difference on their routes. With this changes to our team’s structures, we will be able to expand on that work in a way that is meaningful to our customers,” said Jim Sparks, senior director of sales. “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, from the products we make to the training we provide” added Lee Barrett, President & CEO. “People helping people is what makes this industry so incredible and we are so proud to be a part of it.”

About Nisus Corporation

For over thirty years, Nisus Corporation has pursued a singular mission: to create products that work better and are better for the environment than the ones they are designed replace. Nisus manufactures pest control, wood protection and agricultural solutions at its production facility in the heart of East Tennessee. Nisus Corporation is 100% employee-owned and an award-winning Responsible Care Member of the American Chemistry Council.

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Sacramento CA

Modern Pest Services coordinator earns National recognition

Ashleigh Randall, fleet fleet and special projects coordinator at Modern Pest Services in Maine, received the National Pest Management Association’s 2026 Impact Award and was recognized during the 2026 NPMA Women’s Forum.  

Randall joined Modern Pest Services six years ago and has grown steadily in her role, consistently demonstrating a strong commitment to innovation, organization and teamwork. David Lock, president of Modern Pest Services, who nominated Randall, said in a news release, “Ashleigh’s drive and organizational skills have been instrumental in revamping Modern’s fleet management and supporting other Anticimex platforms. Beyond her technical contributions, she is a highly valued teammate known for her positive attitude and deep-rooted commitment to her local community.”   

Randall noted in a news release that she is proud to work in the pest control industry and is especially “grateful to be part of a company that not only values the work we do but also recognizes and invests in the individuals behind it.”

Modern Pest Services began back in 1945 as a Massachusetts family business. Over the course of eight decades, the company expanded across New England, eventually joining Anticimex in 2017. Randall is one of 16 women to receive the NPMA Impact Award across the Anticimex family of companies. 

Women in Pest Management

Women are increasingly leading operations and shaping work across the pest control industry, accounting for 8.8% of the workforce as of 2025, up from 5.1% two years earlier according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting. The NPMA Impact Award celebrates outstanding women who demonstrate leadership, professionalism and a commitment to excellence in the pest management industry.  

About Modern Pest Services

Modern Pest Services provides advanced pest management solutions that go beyond quick fixes. The company’s approach combines proactive prevention with eco-conscious practices, ensuring long-term protection for your property. It utilizes the latest technology, safest methods and environmentally responsible products to safeguard homes and businesses.

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Sacramento CA

The most challenging pest? Mismanaged expectations

In pest control, we’re trained to identify problems that customers often can’t see. We understand pest biology, behavior, product chemistry and application strategy.

Yet one of the most persistent challenges in our industry isn’t a pest at all. It’s the gap between what we know and what our customers believe. If that gap isn’t managed properly, even a technically sound treatment can feel like a failure.

Perception vs. reality in the field

A technician can perform a service exactly as intended — selecting the right materials, applying them correctly and targeting the proper areas — only to receive a callback a few days later: “I’m still seeing bugs. The treatment didn’t work.”

From a professional standpoint, we recognize what’s happening. Increased activity can result from disturbance. Nonrepellent products take time to transfer through a population. Eggs still may be hatching. Environmental factors still may be contributing to activity.

But from the customer’s perspective, the situation is much simpler: If pests are still visible, the service must not have worked.

This disconnect is where many service issues begin, not because of poor application, but because of unmet expectations.

Why the disconnect happens

One major factor in this miscommunication is that much of our work is not visible. Treatments often are applied in cracks, voids and wall penetrations and along exterior perimeters. To a customer, it may appear as though very little was done, even when the service was thorough.

Another factor is timing. Many modern products are designed for long-term control rather than immediate knockdown. While these solutions are effective, they don’t align with the expectations many customers have from over-the-counter products that provide instant results.

Finally, pest activity itself does not operate on a schedule. Weather changes, structural vulnerabilities and surrounding environments all influence what customers see after a treatment.

Shifting the technician’s role

Today’s successful pest management professional (PMP) is not just a technician, but also an educator. Taking a few minutes before treatment to explain what the customer should expect can significantly reduce callbacks and improve overall satisfaction.

Simple, clear explanations build confidence and trust. Customers are far more likely to remain patient with a treatment when they understand how it works.

Pointing out treated areas, explaining why certain locations were targeted and showing monitoring devices also can help reinforce the value of the service. Leave-behinds going over the basic processes can help customers adjust expectations as they review after the technician leaves, especially if they’re trying to explain what is happening when other family members come home from work, for example.

Follow-up services provide one of the best opportunities to strengthen customer relationships. The technician can answer questions and ensure treatment is going the way it should during such visits.

Consider a customer experiencing ant activity in a kitchen. A baiting program is implemented. Within a couple of days, the customer reports increased activity. With proper expectation-setting, this becomes a reassurance instead of a concern (“He said this would happen!”).

In essence, PMPs do more than eliminate pest infestations. We manage expectations, reduce uncertainty and build trust.

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Sacramento CA

Suburban Pest Control team member earns ACE designation

Yonkers, N.Y.-based Suburban Pest Control announced that Ralph Rinaldi earned the Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) designation.

Like many in the industry, Rinaldi built his career from the ground up, learning firsthand what it takes to solve real-world pest problems for homeowners and businesses. Over the years, that hands-on experience evolved into leadership, where he now plays a key role in training technicians, developing protocols and elevating service standards across the company.

Passion to grow in the industry

“Earning the ACE isn’t something you stumble into; it takes discipline, study and a genuine passion for the industry, ” said Ken Unger, president at Suburban Pest Control in a news release. “Ralph represents exactly what we stand for: expertise, integrity and a relentless drive to be better for our customers every single day. ”

Rinaldi said the process challenged him to deepen his understanding of the science behind the work he’s been doing for years. “This wasn’t just about passing a test. It was about really understanding the ‘why’ behind what we do. You start to see problems differently. You make better decisions in the field. And ultimately, you deliver better results for customers. That’s what pushed me to do it.”

That deeper level of expertise shows up in the results. Whether tackling large-scale infestations or implementing integrated pest management strategies, Rinaldi has consistently demonstrated the ability to combine experience with precision.

As for Rinaldi, the ACE designation isn’t a finish line, it’s part of the journey. “The industry is always evolving, ” he said in a news release. “The more you learn, the more you realize there is to learn. That’s what keeps it interesting.”

About ACE certification

The ACE certification, administered by the Entomological Society of America, signifies a high level of proficiency in insect biology, behavior and control strategies. It’s a distinction held by a select group of professionals committed to raising the bar across the industry.

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Sacramento CA