Best Of 2012

The end of 2012 is almost upon us, and what a year it was. Despite the Mayan calendar coming to an end, signaling our population’s supposed demise, we are still here.

Between dancing to PSY’s Gangnam Style, and calling Carly Rae Jensen (maybe), the year seemed to fly by.

This year brought us the excitement of the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the sobering tragedy in Newtown, CN. Our Country was divided during the 2012 Presidential election, but came together during Hurricane Sandy. In addition to it all, 2012 was also the hottest year on record. What a busy year!

Top 10 Stories on Blog Pest Control For 2012

This year was also a busy year for the pest control industry. New species of insects were discovered, like the dive-bombing parasitic wasp and the headless ladybug. A world-record millipede was caught, that had 750 legs. The FTC took action against unproven bedbug treatments. On top of all of it, pest control operators were busy battling pest invaders. The year was full of many of these stories.

Here are the top ten stories on Blog Pest Control, determined by you the reader:

Over the years we have been privileged to watch several movies featuring bugs. Here is Blog Pest Control’s compiled list of top bug movies.

9. $12 Million Pest Control

When Elin Nordegren, former wife of golfer Tiger Woods, has a pest control problem, she demolishes her 17,000 square foot house. Nordegren’s beach front home in North Palm Beach, FL after it was infested with termites and carpenter ants.

Yes, Washington has scorpions. The Northern Scorpion rarely invades homes and is actually a very rare find. This article discusses scorpion stings, catching scorpions, getting rid of scorpions, and hunting them with a black light.

As a pest control owner or manager you must manage workflow, cash flow, sales, overhead, inventory, and your employee’s needs, all while not neglecting customer service. With every one of these responsibilities it can be easy to make mistakes in your businesses accounting and bookkeeping. Here are some of the most frequent accounting mistakes.

This article, with its infographic, gives us all a very clear picture of how serious the bedbug problem really is.

Finding a pest control software program for your small business can be challenging and often times overwhelming. There are a few things to keep in mind while navigating the pest control software maze.

The Arizona Bark Scorpion is one of the most feared, and misunderstood, pests out there. Here are five things you need to know about this stinging pest.

As labor costs, cost of pesticides, gas prices, and property taxes all increase; some pest control companies are left facing the inevitable… Raising prices to meet overhead, or closing the doors forever. Here’s an article on how raising prices can best be done.

A woman who was seeking medical attention went into China’s Changsha Central Hospital because she felt a burning and itching inside her ear. To her horror, and the horror of her doctors, a spider was found living in her ear canal. See the pictures here.

As our mouths loll open, passing arachnids find themselves strangely compelled to crawl in, where we cheerfully gulp them down without knowing. According to this exterminator, this is not true.

Stay Tuned For Many More Informative Pest Control Articles In 2013

Thanks for following Blog Pest Control this year. The above list was compiled based on several components including: number of views, number of comments, number of shares on social media sites, and the how compelling the news is/was. Keep checking back for all of your pest control news in 2013,

What Was Your Favorite Blog Pest Control Article?

Anthony Ball

Pest Control Operator Q & A- Raising Prices

One of the most difficult challenges pest control operators face is meeting overhead. As labor costs, cost of pesticides, gas prices, and property taxes all increase; some pest control companies are left facing the inevitable… Raising prices to meet overhead, or closing the doors forever.

Question:

How do I tell my existing customers that I am raising my prices?

Answer:

The notion of raising prices strikes fear in pest control operators; and for good reason. Nothing will send your customers to the nearest competitor faster than raising prices. There’s a lot at stake when you decide.

Surviving a price increase means getting it right. You need to keep up the number of sales, avoid a customer exodus, and use your price increase to maintain the required margins.

There are a few pointers other pest control operators have used to help ease this price transition and avoid a mass customer exodus.

Find The Right Time

When you raise your prices, pick a time that will offer the least customer resistance. Your pest control business’s seasonality, growth stage and sales cycle all affect your choice. It’s best to raise prices when times are good rather then when they are bad. When gas hits $5.00 per gallon, everyone pays it. Raising prices when times are lean communicates to your customers that you are just passing the buck on to them.

Offer Customers A Price That Will Sustain Your Company Long-Term

Deciding on how much you should change your prices is very challenging. There are two theories out there: one large price increase, or several small ones over time and hope they go unnoticed. I find the latter strategy, “death by 1000 cuts.”

Set a price that you can sustain your pest control business for as long as possible. Customers can better deal with a price increase if they know the new price will hold steady for a while. You can even offer contracts that can lock in the new rate for a long time, so customers can rest assure the price won’t go up again in the near future.

Be Honest With Your Customers

If you have decided that conditions are such that you need to raise prices, be completely honest with your customers. Explain to them that raising prices isn’t for purposes of gouging them for bigger profits. Explain to them it’s a matter of survival. Many customers understand that your prices have to go up if you want to stay in business.

Brain science suggests that we tend to be more agreeable when there’s a reason for change. Have a reason and share it. Feel badly about raising your price? Share that too. Make sure your common sense explanation is short, straightforward, and consistent.

Changing Value By Emphasizing New Or Added Benefits

Price is supported by the value the customer perceives in the product and service in which the price is attached. Basically, your customers need some additional value of your product s or service if you are going to raise your prices. Focus on the benefits of your unique pest control method, a new and different product, or your company’s unmatched service.

Add An Incentive

Have you ever heard of the saying, “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down?”
A small gift or gift card, a one time discount, or and extra free pest service can help ease this transition with customers.

Listen To Your Technicians

The pest control technicians are your front-line people. Make sure they are all on the same page with the company and that they’re all offering the same truthful explanation to the price increase.

Technicians have more face-to-face interaction with the customer then you ever will, so get some feedback from them. What are your customers saying about the price increase?

Raising Prices

Unfortunately, raising prices are a necessity for many businesses; and not just in the pest control industry. Make sure you absolutely need to raise prices before you do, and expect that you will not retain all of your customers during this transition. With a well thought out plan, you can continue to help your customers live pest free lives, and still stay in business.

Please comment below with your experiences. If you have any other pest control questions, just ask.

Related articles

• Gas prices affecting small businesses
• How to Engineer Increased Sales & Happy Customers With Behavioral Psychology
• 5 Ways to Retain Customers
• 4 Tips for Creating a Great Customer Experience
• Pest Control Q&A- Servicing Landlords

Anthony Ball