Building a successful and reputable pest control brand requires a lot of work and effort. Many pest control business owners spend countless hours optimizing their websites, creating marketing content, and building their social media presence. While all of these are useful tools for generating sales and providing useful information to your customers, your physical representation in the field may be one of the most overlooked and critical pieces of creating a great reputation in your operating area.
For pest control companies, most of their interactions with your business happens through your field technicians. They are the face of your company and the way they look and act can play a crucial role in shaping customers’ perceptions of your brand. Technicians who are polite, presentable, and professionally dressed will reflect well on your business, encouraging customers to continue working with your company or refer your business to their friends and family. Since many pest control companies are similar, customer service and professionalism is often a major differentiating factor when it comes to selecting a pest control company.
Focus on Physical Appearance
First impressions are critical when working with your customers. In fact, research has shown that most people judge others and form an opinion of them within the first seven seconds. This often happens before your technician has even made it to the customer’s front door. For this reason, the physical appearance of your technician should be a major priority for your company.
There are a few aspects of physical appearance that need to be addressed. The best way to do this is by having a clearly defined dress code and policy on physical appearances. When drafting your policy, here are some physical aspects that should be considered.
- Grooming – The last thing you want is for a technician to arrive at your customer’s home or business looking like they just rolled out of bed. Your technicians should take the time to ensure they are well-groomed by keeping a professional looking haircut that is neatly styled every day. Facial hair such as beards and mustaches and nails should also be trimmed.
- Clothing – Most pest control companies have standardized uniforms. This is a great way to ensure that your technicians always have the appropriate clothing. Making sure these uniforms are cared for is another story. Your technicians should always wear a clean uniform that is free from stains, tears, and discoloration. For this reason, companies should regularly plan to provide replacement uniforms. This may also be necessary if the technician’s weight fluctuates up or down causing them to have uniforms that are too baggy or too tight.
- Jewelry and Other Accessories – Jewelry such as rings and necklaces should be kept to a minimum, especially if they are distracting or can be a safety hazard. Other accessories could include large belt buckles, unapproved hats and jackets, or non-prescription eyewear (when indoors).
- Tattoos and Piercings – Depending on the company’s policy, it may be necessary to prohibit visible tattoos or excessive body piercings that could be seen as unprofessional or inappropriate for customer-facing roles. Clear guidelines should be provided regarding the visibility and type of body art that is allowed.
- Body Odors and Personal Hygiene – You may need to emphasize the importance of good personal hygiene, including regular bathing, using deodorant, and practicing dental care. Technicians should be mindful of their body odor and take steps to ensure they smell fresh and clean throughout the day. Encourage the use of unscented or subtle fragrances to avoid overwhelming customers with strong perfumes or colognes.
- Company Vehicles – The appearance of your company vehicles can also influence a customer’s opinion about your company. It’s important to make sure that your technicians have the resources and time to make sure your company vehicles are washed and well-maintained. If one of your vehicles has been involved in an accident, you may need to get it repaired or supply a rental to avoid arriving at a customer’s home or business with excessive, visible damage.
Your policy should also outline how you plan to monitor and enforce the rules around their physical appearance. This policy should be reviewed when they start with the company and periodically throughout their employment, for example, through annual mandatory training or written acknowledgement of the policy.
Don’t Forget About the Behavioral Factors of Appearance
Having a well-groomed and professionally dressed crew is only half of the equation when it comes to presenting your pest control business as a reputable company. Behaviors, personalities, and other mannerisms play into how the customers feel about the service they received. This is another critical element that many business owners overlook that can impact their sales.
Pest control businesses should be especially mindful that their technicians will often interact with female customers who are home alone. The technician’s appearance and behavior could inadvertently make your customer feel uneasy or uncomfortable.
- Body Language – Humans can capture meaning in a wide range of communication styles including body language. Your technicians should be mindful that their facial expressions and other body language can send negative messages to the client they are servicing.
- Respect – All customers should be treated equally and with respect. This is especially important when working with customers who are women. Unfortunately, women are often treated differently (often unintentionally) than their male counterparts. Every technician should be taught to be patient and treat each customer with the same care. In addition to the customer, technicians should also treat the customer’s property with respect by working carefully and minimizing any potential damage or disruption to the home or business owner.
- Language – Language like profanity or other vulgar topics should never occur on a jobsite, even if your technicians don’t think anyone could possibly overhear the conversation. It’s equally important to avoid negative language about the company, processes, or other daily frustrations. This could send the wrong message that the company is disorganized or mismanaged. Also, certain topics should be avoided altogether like politics and religion.
- Punctuality – Your customer’s time is valuable. Having your technician show up on time is important to show that you respect their time and want to make the appointment as painless as possible.
- Safety – Pest control technicians should do their very best to be safety conscious throughout the job. This includes their own personal safety as well as the safety of their customers, their children, and their pets. Taking a safety-centric approach shows that your company cares about the well-being of their customers.
Managing these behaviors can be challenging for managers who aren’t on-site with their technicians throughout the day. The good news is that much of this can be mitigated with training and setting clear expectations on how to behave and interact with customers on the jobsite.
Performance can be managed based on reviews that customers leave on post-service surveys or online business listings. You can also have yourself or one of your managers ride along with the technicians to provide feedback to the technician on how they interacted with the customer. The most important thing is that poor performance be addressed immediately, but you should also look to reward technicians who strive to uphold the expected standard.
Build a Stellar Image with the Industry Experts
At Rhino Pest Control Marketing, we understand the importance of having a well-established reputation in your industry. Our team of experienced professionals can help you build a comprehensive and successful digital marketing strategy so you can focus on other aspects of your operation including making sure that your field technicians have the right tools, uniforms, and training they need to represent your brand. Contact us today to see how we can help!
