Pest Exclusion Services Increases Revenue, Boosts Customer Retention – PCT Magazine

Build more value into your business by offering services that are preventive instead of reactionary.

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a preventive, long-term strategy to control pests of every kind in every setting, with a focus on limiting the use of chemicals. There are several guiding principles to IPM, the most crucial of which is exclusion. Unfortunately, its also one of the most commonly overlooked and under-performed pest control services.

Exclusion services shift the focus of pest control from reactionary to preventative. It allows more time for inspection and observation instead of moving directly to treatment. Its also a green solution, as most of the products used are environmentally safe and cause no harm to people or pets.

Exclusion services allow pest management professionals are demonstrate their knowledge and professionalism. It improves the image of the industry. Were not spray jockeys. Were problem-solving professionals. Were experts. Customers like the option of having a PMP perform exclusion services rather than a general contractor. PMPs understand pests and their behaviors.

The principles of exclusion are essentially the same for residential and commercial structures. Exclusion methods are dependent on the design of the structure from homes and condos, to retail stores and warehouses. They differ only in the types of building materials and extent of exclusion needed; commercial buildings having more access points.

Commercial buildings have unique access points homes dont: dock levelers; trash compactor transition points where it meets the building; astragal seals, especially primary customer entrances; under and around doors; overhead doors; and, loading dock pedestrian doors. There are more opportunities for pests to invade commercial structures.

EXCLUSION SERVICES INCREASE REVENUE. Pest management professionals (PMP) have an opportunity to increase revenue by providing exclusion services and, if priced correctly, theyll also see increased profits. Consider using time and materials to price jobs. PMPs may expect to invoice residential customers $4001,200, depending on the structure and landscape. Exclusion services also reduce the likelihood of call-backs and, since little trapping or treating may be necessary, expenses are reduced. In addition to increased revenue and reduced costs, exclusion services can increase customer satisfaction and retention.

Revenue from commercial pest exclusion services can vary greatly. A PMP may invoice commercial customers anywhere from thousands of dollars up to six figures, depending on the structure. One PMP shared that there really is no limit to the revenue potential working with commercial customers. It depends on the time, effort, planning, and follow-up necessary to perform a flawless exclusion. Consider a multi-story building and the time it takes for planning, access to elevated areas, hidden voids, dismantling equipment, and deconstruction to perform a thorough inspection and exclusion. Time and materials invoicing, again, seems to be the best option.

THERES NO AREA THAT CANT BE PROOFED. Any area that can allow pest entry or harborage can be pest proofed, from cracks in a homes foundation, to roof voids in food processing plants where insects and vertebrates can take up residence. The goal of exclusion is to block every possible access point. Not just most of them, all of them. Denied access to one access point, pests will move on to find another.

LET THEM LEAD THE WAY. Use your detective skills and let the pests show you their access points. Look for signs such as runways, rub marks, and gnawing to identify active paths. Start there. Then scour the structure for every other access point.

THINK SMALL, REALLY SMALL. If a mouse or rat can fit their heads into a hole or crack, the remainder of their body will most certainly fit through. These vertebrates dont have bones that are soft or the ability to disjointand they havent gone through circus contortionist training. Their bodies are simply long, flexible, and cylindrical. Mice can fit into a hole as small as 1/4 thats only slightly smaller than the diameter of a pencil. Rats can fit through holes as small as the diameter of a quarter.

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Pest Exclusion Services Increases Revenue, Boosts Customer Retention - PCT Magazine