Scarlett Nolen
As technology continues to evolve, so does our industry’s opportunity to make sure the interactions we have with our customers are positive.
Pest control is a referral-based business. We work hard during training to make sure our team members understand how additional business can grow from every single person they deal with, be it a current customer or someone they refer to us.
We live in a world where unsatisfied customers — for any brand — feel empowered to make large numbers of people online aware of why they are unhappy. But it is also important to identify why a customer takes that action. Looking inward, did something unavoidable cause an appointment to be missed or rescheduled without properly explaining why to the customer? Did we not attach the same sense of urgency to something the customer sees as a major issue?
The only way the pest management industry can conquer these hypothetical situations is to make sure proper communication circulates throughout an organization. From the customer service representative who answers a call, to the sales person who makes a visit, to the technician who needs to perform a follow-up service, all these team members need to understand the importance of treating every customer with respect. They need to understand they will do everything they can to ensure a customer’s happiness.
Likewise, if a customer requests service online or expresses concern on a company’s social media platform, those requests need to be treated with the same sense of urgency as if the customer were calling the office directly. In fact, the influence social media has in today’s society can either create tremendous opportunity or have a negative impact, depending on how quickly a company gives a response.
With so many different avenues open to a customer, those of us in the pest management industry need to recognize the importance of covering all our bases and not letting something as simple as taking too long to respond to someone hurt the customer experience before it has even TRULY begun.
Read more: Shape better customer experiences with team input
Scarlett Nolen was promoted to president of Truly Nolen of America on March 1. Nolen has worked for the company since 2012 in multiple roles. Most recently, Nolen was the district manager for the “Growth District,” a district of new service offices throughout Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Prior to joining the company, Nolen graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s Degree in Experimental Psychology and Summa Cum Laude from the University of Central Florida with a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.
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