Marketing and Operations Strategies for Pest Control Growth

Running a pest control business has never been more complex or more full of opportunity. Today’s customers expect speed, convenience, and clear communication. At the same time, pest control operators (PCOs) need to manage growing teams, keep schedules efficient, and deliver high-quality service.

That balance is exactly what Scorpion and FieldRoutes explored in a recent Pest Control Technology webinar, “Smarter Together: Marketing and Operations Strategies That Maximize Revenue.” Hosted by Scorpion’s Andrew Adams, FieldRoutes’ Anders Fredericksen, and Axum Pest Management’s Joshua Topham, the conversation highlighted what consumers want, how pest control companies can respond, and why aligning marketing with operations leads to sustainable growth.

Here are the key takeaways and insights to help pest control business owners think about where to focus next.

What Pest Control Consumers Expect Today

Scorpion and FieldRoutes recently surveyed thousands of homeowners and pest control operators to better understand shifting expectations. The results point to a clear reality: the customer experience is non-negotiable.

• 70% of consumers want multiple communication options, not just phone, but also text, chat, and email.
• 54% of homeowners make a decision within four hours of contacting a provider.
• 90% expect a response within 24 hours.
• 64% only consider providers with four-star reviews or higher.

“These stats really surprised me when I first saw them,” said Andrew Adams, Scorpion’s Director of Partnership Marketing. “The clock is ticking for pest control companies. If you’re not ready to answer quickly, there’s a good chance someone else will.”

For operators like Joshua Topham, who co-founded Axum Pest Management in Tennessee, these findings match his day-to-day experience. “In just the last 90 days, 84% of our leads came from phone calls, but 16% came from contact forms, SMS, chat, or web appointments. If we didn’t offer those options, we never would’ve seen those leads at all.”

The takeaway is clear: customers want speed, flexibility, and assurance that your company can be trusted.

Reviews: Building Trust Through Reputation

With 64% of homeowners only considering companies with four-star ratings or higher, reputation management has become a cornerstone of marketing.

Topham shared his straightforward strategy: “The biggest takeaway is to ask, ask, ask. Even if you’ve asked a customer three times before, ask again like it’s the first time. Consistency matters.” Axum reinforces this by combining automated review requests with technician incentives. “We’ve built a culture where reviews are part of the service,” he explained. The company now has more than 260 five-star reviews in just two years.

Technology can also help manage reputation at scale. For example, Axum uses Scorpion Reputation AI to automate responses. “We let the AI write all our responses unless it’s a three-star or below,” said Topham. “That saves us time while still ensuring our customers feel heard.”

The lesson: reviews are more than vanity, they’re a direct factor in winning new business.

Eco-Friendly and Bundled Services: Meeting Modern Preferences

Survey data also showed that:

• 33% of homeowners want eco-friendly or non-toxic products.
• 40% want bundled services, preferring one provider who can handle multiple needs.

These trends open the door for pest control companies to differentiate themselves. Fredericksen pointed out that automation tools make it easier to market bundled services to existing customers. “With Marketing Pro, you can segment your customer list, identify who already has general pest but not mosquito, and send them targeted campaigns. It saves time and drives more revenue without extra work.”

Topham emphasized the importance of training employees to communicate these values. “If your team doesn’t know your mission or the products you use, they can’t explain it to customers. We want everyone to be a voice for Axum, whether they’re in a customer’s home or bumping into someone at Walmart.”

The opportunity is clear: aligning your services with customer values isn’t just good marketing, it’s good business.

Where Marketing and Operations Connect

One of the strongest themes of the webinar was how marketing and operations are no longer separate silos, they’re two sides of the same growth strategy.

From the very beginning, Axum invested in both Scorpion and FieldRoutes. “We knew we wanted to scale,” Topham said. “The software needed to work whether we had five customers or 5,000. With Scorpion and FieldRoutes, leads flow seamlessly into our system, which makes it easier for our office staff to get new customers on the schedule.”

This alignment is also about data. Fredericksen noted that with an end-to-end platform like FieldRoutes, “You have one source of truth. You can see KPIs at a glance, dig deeper into reports, and use that insight to inform your marketing strategy. The better informed you are, the better decisions you make.”

Adams tied this back to Scorpion’s RevenueMAX:

“When marketing and operations are connected, you’re not guessing. You can see which campaigns are driving calls, which calls are turning into jobs, and where to focus your investment. That’s where real revenue growth happens.”

Practical Steps for Efficiency and Growth

For operators looking to put these ideas into action, the speakers shared practical strategies that don’t require adding staff:

• Streamline scheduling and response times: Use automation to confirm leads, set expectations, and keep after-hours inquiries from falling through the cracks.

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• Train technicians to gather customer insights: Simple questions like, “What could we do better?” provide valuable feedback while building trust.
• Invest in review culture: Automate requests, reward technicians for being named in reviews, and respond promptly.
• Use segmentation to cross-sell and upsell: Market bundled services or eco-friendly options to existing customers with targeted campaigns.
• Think long term: “Figure out where you want to go and work backwards,” Topham advised. “Eliminate tasks you don’t need, automate what you can, delegate when possible, and only hire when you’ve maxed out your team’s capacity.”

Each of these steps reduces friction for customers and helps your team work more efficiently.

Looking Ahead

Survey findings showed another surprising stat: nearly half of pest control companies are using 10 or more different software tools, yet only half use software for scheduling and routing. That creates inefficiency and opportunity. Consolidating tools and connecting data points will be essential for pest control companies aiming to grow in 2025 and beyond.

As Topham summed up: “We’re in the people business, we just happen to kill bugs.” Keeping that perspective, while leveraging the right marketing and operations systems, sets the stage for long-term success.

Take the Next Step

Want to hear the full discussion from Scorpion, FieldRoutes, and Axum Pest Management? Watch the full webinar replay. Or, if you’re ready to see how Scorpion’s RevenueMAX can help your pest control business grow, connect with our sales team today.