Articles

Pest Control Software Features

34 business owners share exactly what they’re looking for in the the perfect pest control software.

Chris Moreschi

As the GorillaDesk team enters 2019, we’ve started to think about how can we best help business owners working in the pest control industry.

After much thought, we found there are primarily two things pest control business owners can do, to grow their customer base and increase revenue.

  1. Improve marketing and lead generation.
  2. Reduce the amount of time spent on manual tasks (so, they can spend more time serving their clients).

There’s no one-size-fits-all marketing and lead generation strategy, so we plan to leave that topic  for another post.

This post, however, is going to cover the second point. More specifically, we’re going to take a look at how you can use software to tackle getting your time back.

Keep reading to learn how software can help you run your pest control business. If your pest control company currently doesn’t make use of any software, these tips will help take your business to the next level.

Let’s begin!

How does software help pest pontrol businesses reduce the time spent on manual tasks?

Manual redundant tasks will keep you working in your business instead of on your business.

Thankfully, with the help of specialist software, you can reduce the amount of time spent on such tasks.

But if you’re going to invest in pest control software – what exactly should it help you with?

Well… Here’s a list of features you’ll tend to find in the top software products, designed for pest control businesses –   

  • Automating tasks.  
  • Efficient routing.
  • Better scheduling.
  • Ability to complete these tasks anytime, anywhere.

Now, provided you have the right software suite, it’s not too hard to tackle these issues, thereby making it easier to run your business.

That said,  there’s many software suites to choose from and deciding which one is right for your business isn’t always easy.

After all, you only have to perform a quick Google search to find dozens of pest control software suites vying for your business.

So, how can you work out which software suite is best suited to your needs?

In the next section, we tackle this issue by asking the people who know the most about this issue – those who own pest control businesses already operating on software. Using the following answers provided from real owners, you will be able to make your a well-informed decision.

The things that matter most when choosing a pest control software solution

We reached out to 60+ pest control owners across the United States and asked them one simple question:

What are the must-have features you look for when evaluating pest control software providers?

Out of 60+ owners, we reached out to, 34 owners took the time to share their opinion.

Here are their answers –

Aaron Veal - Phoenix Pest Control

Aaron is an Associate Certified Entomologist (A.C.E) and the owner/operator at Phoenix Pest Control. His list of must-have features includes:

  • All functions such as routing, scheduling, invoicing in one program that automates as much as possible
  • Constantly improving

Allen Smith - Mr. Pest Control

Allen is the founder and CEO at Mr.Pest – a family owned and operated pest control business.  Allen has more than 10 years of experience in the pest control industry. Allen’s list of must-have features includes:

  • Ability to draw graphs
  • Option to upload many pictures of the location

Dave McCracken - A.N.T. Pest Control

Dave is the Chief Operating Officer at A.N.T. Pest Control. His list includes features which automate redundant tasks, such as:

  • Email and SMS Reminders: Messaging customers and appointment reminders. Part of my high-level customer service comes from constantly texting customers
  • Text messaging is very important

Example: “This is Dave with A.N.T. Pest Control, I am headed to your home now and will arrive in 15-20 minutes.”

Gary Andrews - Prudential Pest Management

Gary is the owner and the certified tech and Prudential Pest Management. Along with it, he also owns a lawn care company – Turfy Lawn Care. Gary’s list of must-have features includes:

  • Automation: A pest control software that automatically performs repetitive tasks such as billing and scheduling notifications

Ian Horridge - Hitman Pest Control

Ian “The Hitman” Horridge, as he likes to call himself, is the owner and the operator at Hitman Pest Control. He has more than 18 years of pest control experience. Ian worked for pest control biggies like Orkin and Terminix before starting Hitman Pest Control in 2011. His list of must-have pest control features includes:

  • Automation
  • Time-savings
  • Ease of use

Adam Collette - Adam's Pest Control

Adam is the Vice President at Adam’s Pest Control. He has over 21 years of experience in the pest control industry. For him, the most prominent feature is:

  • Awesome customer support is the first thing I look for when evaluating various pest control software

Bill Yonuts - ChemTec Pest Control

Bill is an industry veteran and a Texas Tech graduate. He is academy trained in pest control for commercial accounts by one of the largest pest industry companies. Bill has worked for two of the largest commercial pest companies before starting ChemTec in the year 2017. His must have pest control features list includes:

  • Trial Version
  • Scheduling: Easy to schedule appointments
  • Email & SMS: auto text-email, easy customer confirmation
  • Easy to use calendar
  • Device scanning, Easy mobile app
  • Customer portal

Dawn Cooperrider - Preferred Pest Control

Dawn is the owner/partner at Preferred Pest Control – A locally owned and operated business specializes in bug removal in St. Joseph since 1970. Her recommendation to anyone evaluating a pest control software is to look for a solution that offers:

  • Ease of training employees
  • Reports
  • Routing

Gene Wright - Planet Friendly Pest Control

Gene is the owner and CEO at Planet Friendly Pest Control. It is a locally owned and operated landscaping firm uniquely focused on analyzing aspects of both the health and beauty of your home and landscape. Gene’s must-have pest control features list includes:

  • Customer database management
  • Multiple route mapping and scheduling
  • Invoicing, accounts receivable and follow-up client communication.
  • Marketing, services follow up and customer interaction
  • Sales forecasting, which is vital in our inventory planning
  • Material management and usage reporting for the Department of Agriculture
  • Department of Agriculture documentation requirements and reporting for each client
  • Electronic contract signing and customized documentation for our inspection reports and sales agreements
  • Real-time GPS tracking of service.
  • Outstanding customer service

Adam Sanchez - In Control Pest Solutions LLC

Adam is the owner and operator at In Control Pest Control. When it comes to evaluating various pest control features, his list includes:

  • Mobile friendly:  Ability to access customer’s data from any device in the field
  • Job Scheduling: Reassigning jobs must be super easy
  • Stripe integration
  • Support for recurring/future billing
  • Ability to operate directly from the field with zero office support

Craig Scott - Casco Pest Control

A certified pest control operator, Craig worked for Florida’s largest pest control companies for more than 11 years of experience before he started Casco Pest Control in 2014. His recommendation to anyone evaluating a pest control software is to look for a solution that is:

  • User-friendly
  • Easy to learn and navigate
  • Scheduling and entering payments

Frank Ellett - Ellett Exterminators

Frank – the owner and the operator at Ellett Exterminators – has more than 16 years of experience in the pest control industry. He started Ellett Exterminators back in 2002, and his primary area of service is Corona, Eastvale, California. For him, the most critical pest control features are:

  • Job Scheduling
  • Ability to add new customers, whether I’m on my desktop or mobile device

Hussam Bin Break - Diagno Pest Control, LLC

Started in 2016, Diagno Pest Control is owned and operated by Hussam Bin Break. He is an accounting graduate and has worked as an accountant before he decided to take up pest control as a career. Hussam’s list of must-have pest control features is:

  • Real-time, fast
  • Easy to do reports and issues invoices
  • Ability to calculate the cash and the whole bill of each tech

Jacob Middleton - Upstate Pest & Wildlife Control

Jacob is the owner and operator at Upstate Wildlife Control – A 24X7 wildlife control service provider located in Schenectady, New York. For him, the most important features anyone should look for are:

  • Personalized onboarding
  • Customer support

Jan Bezuidenhout - Bez Valley Pest Control

Jan is the owner and operator at  Bez Valley Pest Control. It serves Bakersfield Area in Los Angeles, California.  The most important pest control feature for Jan is:

  • Lead generation

Jeff Davis - Nukingstreet Pest & Wildlife Control

Licensed as a CT Commercial Supervisor, Jeff founded Nukingstreet Pest & Wildlife Control as a sole proprietorship while he attended the University of Connecticut. He got in pest management career by helping out with a relative’s pest control business that needed a little help with jobs that he could not get to right away. Now, he has an MA Commercial Certificate and a CT Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator. For him, the most important feature is:

  • Ease of use: I recommend using a pest control software anyone can use without much training. I have used other software that was built on older platforms or not specific to pest control.

Jessica Hooten - Empire Pest Solutions

Owned and operated by Jessica and Andy, Empire Pest Solution is located in Conway, Arkansas. Jessica is employed at Nephrology Associates and she primarily manages the back office at Empire Pest. Her list of top features includes:

  • Ease of use: I would look for simplicity. I like software that does the job as simple as possible
  • Tax Reporting: Anything that helps with reporting to the state sale and use tax

Kirkwood Forbes - Forbes Pest Control

A family owned and operated company serving Bluffton, SC,  Bluffton Pest Management is started by Keith in May 2018. Keith takes pride in the fact that more than 80% of their business from customer referrals. His #1 feature in a pest control software is:

  • Documentation Support:  Streamlining documents I can use in presenting my business contracts to customers

Mark Reardon - Critical Care Pest Management

Mark has been operating in the pest control industry for over 25 years and has a vast amount of experience in protecting your property from pests. He started Critical Care Pest Management in 2007. For him, the most important pest control feature is:

  • Ability to send clients reminders that their regular service is due

Mitchell Colvin - Next Generation Pest Control

Located in Manteca, CA, Next Gen Pest Control is run and managed by Mitchell and his two other partners (Stephan and Javier). Mitchell’s list of must-have pest control features includes:

  • Routing features to move customers from other cities or regions in cities to expedite the routing process

Sean Thorpe - Modern Pest Control

Sean is the owner and operator at Modern Pest Control located in Puyallup, Washington. The pest control couple – Sean & Susie- have a history in the pest control industry. They both started out at the same company, a company owned by Susie’s parents.  Together, they laid the foundation of Modern Pest Control in 2016. Sean’s must-have list of pest control features includes:

  • The automated scheduling feature is a must-have for my team and me. It allows us to plan routes months in advance and make changes if needed as the technician is working the day

Jay Best - U.S. Best Pest Control

Located in Baltimore, Maryland,  U.S.Best Pest Control is owned and operated by Jay Best. His must-have features list includes:

  • User-friendly and easy to use: A pest business must be able to grasp the functions of the software quickly

Jeff Timmons - Timmon’s Exterminating

Timmons Exterminating is locally owned and operated by Jeff Timmons, serving Stephenville, Texas and the surrounding areas since 1998! Jeff’s list of must-have pest control features includes:

  • Easy to understand and use
  • Billing and invoicing
  • Ability to send emails
  • Increases profits by reducing paperwork

Josh Wilson - Finishline Pest Control

After spending 15 years working for one of the nation’s largest and most highly regarded pest control companies, Josh started Finishline Pest Control in 2015. When looking for the best pest control software provider, he believes it should provide the company with the ability to communicate with its customers easily. According to him, some important features to have would be:

  • Texting option to schedule
  • Email options to automatically send invoices, receipts, appointment, and payment reminders

These features save a ton of time and money. Another important feature Josh considers a must have is:

  • Route Optimization: What a time saver as well as cost saver when scheduling appointments for your staff.

Leverett Hadlow - Hadlow Pest Solutions

An Associate Certified Entomologist, Leverett was fascinated by pest and bugs ever since he was a kid. He loves bugs so much that he decided to make pest control a career and started Hadlow Pest Solutions. For him, the essential features a pest control software should have are:

  • Tracking commission % for technician pay
  • Job scheduling

Marlin Voss - Action Pest

Started by a husband (Marlin) and wife team with more than 25 years in the oilfield business and over 7 years in the pest control, Action Pest and Weed Management is located in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The must-have pest control feature on Marlin’s list is:

  • Paperless invoicing

Pete LaQuaglia - Dyno Natural Pest Control

Known for its natural and eco-friendly pest control offerings, Dyno Natural Pest Control is located in Woodstock, GA. Pete – sole owner & operator – is running the show from last 13 years. His list of must-have pest control features includes:

  • Easy mobile accessibility and navigation
  • Easy client setup
  • Option to access customer history
  • Easy to automate your business

Trudy Connors - KC Pest Control

Located in Norman, OK, KC pest control is locally owned and operated by Trudy and her partner Kevin. The duo has 40+ years of experience in the pest control industry. Trudy’s must-have list of pest control features includes:

  • How mobile ready it is
  • Does it save everything that you need to produce for your state requirements
  • Is it easy to navigate and easy to complete in a short amount of time
  • Is it cost effective
  • Do you get upgrades at no additional cost to you

Jeff Ayotte - Select Pest Control Services

Jeff is the owner and operator at Select Pest Control. Founded in 2006, It is one of the premier pest control companies in and around Carthage, Tyler, Longview, TX. For Jeff, the most important feature is:

  • Route optimization by zip code

Jeremiah Wittenbarger - Froggs Pest Control

Jeremiah is the owner at Froggs pest control. A family owned and operated business with Christian values, the team has more than 35 years of pest control industry experience. The #1 thing Jeremiah recommends someone to look for in looking for a pest control software provider is:

  • Customer service

Keith Berlin - Bluffton Pest Management

A family owned and operated company serving Bluffton, SC,  Bluffton Pest Management is started by Keith in May 2018. Keith takes pride in the fact that more than 80% of their business from customer referrals. His #1 feature in a pest control software is:

  • Scheduling and utilizing a visual calendar

Lisa Botts - Peacock Pest Prevention, LLC

Lisa is the owner and operator at Peacock Pest Prevention. She has more than 10 years of experience in the pest control industry. Lisa’s must have pest control features list includes:

  • Service reminders and scheduling: Must send reminders and give the customer the opportunity to respond yes/reschedule
  • Service review and feedback: Must send follow-ups “how did we do?”
  • Credit card integration: Must integrate credit card payments seamlessly

Matt Binns - Delta Pest Service

Matt is the founder at Delta Pest Services – an owner-operated business locally based in Brentwood, Contra Costa County, California. He has been in the pest control industry for more than 8 years now. According to Matt, the pest control features one should look for are:

  • Easy to learn
  • Makes scheduling and billing a whole lot easier
  • Mobile and Tablet Compatible, so I can upload and e-sign all my contracts and invoices on a phone or tablet
  • Allows me to run my business almost 100% paperless

Ronald Scarbrough - BeeSafe Pest Control

A certified agricultural pest control advisor, Ron is the sole owner and operator at BeeSafe Pest Control, Yuma, AZ. Among various pest control services, he specializes in Yuma Bee Removal. The features he looks for when evaluating a pest control software are:

  • Easy to use
  • Job scheduling
  • Map features
  • SMS and email
  • Periodic invoicing

A big THANKS to all 34 pest control businesses owners who agreed to contribute to the post.

Summary

In summary, here’s a look at the things that matter most, when it comes to selecting a software suite that improves the way they run their pest control business.  

Feature(s) Total Votes
Ease of use 15
Scheduling 11
Routing, Invoicing, and Automation 6
Billing, Mobile App/Support, and Email & SMS 5
Reporting 4


Here’s a simple graph to look at the data – 

As you can see, the top five must have features are:

  1. Ease of use
  2. Scheduling
  3. Routing
  4. Invoicing
  5. Automation

If you’re looking for software for your pest control business, you may want to look out for the features listed above. In doing so, you should find a solution that will help make it easier for you to handle the wide range of tasks associated with running a pest control business.

Your Turn To Take Action

The suggestions in this post should help you find a software solution to run your pest control business. We’ve identified the features listed above to help you narrow down your search. Finding the ideal solution for your specific business model may still take time.

Want to see how 7200+ pest control and field service operators are growing their businesses?

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