Web Exclusive: Customer Cooperation, Take II

Dr. Vantassel reminds uncooperative homeowners of the perils of procrastination in a humorous way (SOURCE: Despair.com)

We recently asked all of our contributors, What’s the best way to convince a customer to cooperate with you?

While the responses from Dr. Austin Frishman, Frank Meek and Stuart Aust made our May print issue, several other contributors had great responses, too:

• Dan Gordon: Just ask.
• Paul Hardy: Good service is a partnership. Explain the customer’s responsibility and the pest management professional’s responsibility. This is most important, and must be done at the initial service and followed up with documentation. Tell, show, practice and follow-up for long-term success. It’s a team effort!
• Dr. Doug Mampe: Without cooperation, the problem may not be resolved or may require many service trips — all of which would cost the customer money.
• Kurt Scherzinger: Offer a compromise that will benefit both parties — your customer and your company — and will address the issue at hand. This may be offering an extra no-charge visit, a percentage off the next service, or even simply offering to send management out with the service professional the next visit to make sure everything is being addressed.
• Pete Schopen: You must educate your clients. As long as they understand your process for getting rid of their pests, they will be more patient.
• Mark Sheperdigian: Explain why it is in their best interest. Clients always do what is in their own best interest. For example, explain how “the less there is to choose from, the more likely the pests are to eat our bait and the sooner this will all be over.”
• Dr. Stephen Vantassel: I often affirm the benefits of procrastination by quoting from the Demotivator series (posters that satirize motivational posters, online at Despair.com): “Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always pays off now.”