Lines of business: How add-on services drive growth and retention

The right add-ons strengthen customer bonds

As we plan for business growth, it’s worth revisiting the strategic value of add-on services. Over the course of my career at ABC Home & Commercial Services of Dallas-Fort Worth (ABC of DFW), we’ve explored many different service lines. The key is to find services that not only generate revenue but also naturally align with your core business and, crucially, your customer relationships.

Key takeaways

• Prioritize alignment: The most successful add-on services are those that are directly related to pest control (e.g., termite, mosquito, rodent proofing) or share a core operational structure (e.g., repetitive routing like lawn care).
• LOBs drive retention: Lines of business (LOBs) are your “not-so-secret weapon” for customer retention, as the hassle of replacing multiple services deters customers from canceling a single one.
• Infrastructure is non-negotiable: Services with poor operational alignment, such as plumbing or HVAC, require a separate, dedicated infrastructure (staffing, vehicles, expertise) to succeed.

The strategy of aligned services

The most enduring service additions are those that are basically pest control-related. These are lines that naturally bolt onto an existing pest control service, such as adding termite control, mosquito management, or rodent proofing. They require similar expertise and easily integrate into the PMP’s established routing.

Beyond pest-specific services, we also successfully integrated three offerings that are not pest control per se, but serve as a natural expansion: lawn fertilization, lawn mowing, and sprinkler repair. While these do require a separate technician and vehicle, they remain similar to pest control because they are routed and serviced repetitively.

Infrastructure and readiness: Lessons learned

Not all lines of business (LOBs) have such alignment, and in our experience, the failure to prepare the infrastructure led us to exit certain markets.

For example, we entered the plumbing and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) business by purchasing a company that provided those services. We remained in the market for a little over five years before exiting. We were not ready and did not have the necessary infrastructure to support those lines. By contrast, my brother Bobby at ABC of Austin has the staffing and infrastructure in place and has remained in these lines very successfully. The lesson here is that regardless of the service, success depends entirely on having the right people and operational readiness.

Your not-so-secret weapon: LOBs and customer retention

LOBs provide a crucial framework for measuring and comparing the success of your various service offerings, but their greatest value lies in customer retention.

The more LOBs you have, the more likely you are to hold onto customers who might be thinking of dropping you for economic or other reasons. Consider how much easier it is for them to cancel a single service versus canceling the company that not only provides their pest control but also fertilizes and mows their lawns. Canceling you means they will have to replace you with multiple service companies. The thought of going through that hassle can sometimes get you through a difficult moment with your customers.

“Regardless of how many service offerings you provide, it is the professional relationship you have and care for so much that allows you to do more for your customers.”

This is the core of the strategy. They know you, they trust you, and your staff takes great care of them on the phone and in person. With the right people and the existing trust, you can add lines of service, and your customers will completely enjoy it.

Looking back, I do not regret adding any of the lines we tried. My team and I always will continue to look for ways to deepen our company relationships with customers. As I have said for many years, “At ABC, it’s not just about what we do, it’s also about who we are.”