Taking Command

Practical strategies empower technicians to deliver authoritative service without compromising the client experience.

Lissa Andreassen

When it comes to pest control, technicians are the frontline experts—yet many struggle to confidently lead service interactions while maintaining positive customer and client relationships. With a little practice, technicians can learn how to realign expectations, establish professional authority during appointments, and use active listening as a powerful communication tool.

INSTILL CONFIDENCE AND EMPOWER TECHS

Courtney Carace, chief operating officer at Pest-End, a Massachusetts-based pest control company, says her company helps its technicians build confidence through: 

• Field coaching and shadowing: Both new and seasoned technicians benefit from observing confident service interactions and receiving real-time feedback from supervisors, directors, and the technical team.
• Encouraging a teaching approach: Technicians are asked to explain their service steps to customers and clients as if teaching a new hire. This reinforces their knowledge and builds communication confidence.
• Emphasizing body language and tone: Maintaining eye contact, standing upright, and speaking clearly can significantly enhance perceived confidence, even if a technician is still learning his or her own way.

At Kwik Kill, a pest control business in Wisconsin, Breanna Neerland, operations manager, says that professional authority comes from sticking to the facts and remaining positive. “Our technicians focus on solutions over obstacles,” she says. “When you present yourself as a client’s team member, the client knows you have their best interest at heart—working together for optimal results.”

Beyond explaining the service and setting proper expectations, consistency is also key. “Sometimes a client will ask questions in multiple ways to see if they get a different answer,” Neerland says. “In these scenarios, it’s important for the technician to remain cool and stay consistent with their messaging.”

At Pest-End, technicians are also empowered to maintain strong client relationships by:

• Educating people, not just solving problems: Technicians should position themselves as educators, explaining the “why” behind their service plans rather than just performing the service. This reinforces their authority and increases client confidence. For example, technicians can share integrated pest management principles and educate clients on how they can reduce insect or rodent populations on their property. This helps to reduce aspects of service beyond a technician’s control while keeping the client’s expectations realistic.
• Setting expectations early: From the moment the technician arrives, he or she should set the tone for the service call. A simple introduction such as, “Here’s my plan for today’s service based on your concerns,” establishes leadership right away.
• Suggesting proactive solutions: Rather than waiting for clients to dictate service, technicians should lead by explaining the best approach. For example, instead of asking, “Where have you been seeing activity?” a stronger approach is, “I see potential entry points here and here. Have you noticed increased activity around these areas?” In situations where the client is unsure of the needed service, technicians should be able to provide a few different options. For some clients, this is a recurring preventive program, while for others, it may be a one-time solution. 
• Using work orders as a communication tool: Technicians should always tie their recommendations back to data and documentation, including pictures or videos if possible. All this reinforces that their decisions are based on expertise—not guesswork.

Confident communication also starts with believing in what you do. Kwik Kill instills that belief with new-hire orientation on day one by covering what it means to be protectors of public health. After that, technicians need to clearly grasp how the service works and how to provide it, then pass an in-house exam, proving their knowledge. “With a strong foundation and understanding, communicating with clients becomes second nature,” Neerland says. 

ESTABLISH TRUST AND ENSURE ACTIVE LISTENING 

In Neerland’s experience, clients most often try to dictate service when trust with the company or technician hasn’t been developed yet. That’s why Kwik Kill focuses on building trust from the get-go. 

“We ensure that what’s on our website matches what customers are told over the phone, along with what’s done at the time of service—no surprises,” Neerland says. “Once on site, the technician starts to build a positive client relationship to further establish confidence. They make sure the client feels heard and addresses concerns. Spending a few extra minutes consulting with the client goes a long way.”

A few “wow” facts can also help boost trust. For example, at Cook’s Pest Control, which serves six southeastern states, Customer Experience Manager Jeremiah Prevatt says that technicians are encouraged to give clients at least one piece of information about seasonal, local pest pressures before starting the service. This reinforces that they’re local pest control experts.

Active listening is an essential tool for client trust and confidence, but it can take a certain level of patience and diplomacy to demonstrate active listening without having the client dictate the service. These techniques help walk that line: 

• Acknowledge before redirecting: Instead of dismissing a client’s request outright, teach technicians to validate the client’s concern before explaining the best course of action.
• Repeat and confirm key concerns: This ensures clients feel heard but allows the technician to maintain control of the solution.
• Maintain a calm and professional demeanor: A technician’s calm, steady tone reassures clients that they’re in capable hands.
• Engage the power of role play: Team meetings are a great way to assess a technician’s active listening skills. When providing instructions, if a technician doesn’t appear to be actively listening, you can pull them aside, share what led you to believe they weren’t really listening, and then translate the situation to a possible client interaction. It’s important to walk through common scenarios (or objections) and demonstrate how to respond confidently.

For example, Carace says if a client is requesting an unnecessary treatment such as wanting to have the whole yard sprayed for ticks, the technician should acknowledge the concern and the importance of protecting their family but offer an alternative, such as: “Instead of a blanket spray, I recommend focusing on the perimeter and high-risk areas where ticks are most active. That way, we target the problem effectively without unnecessary exposure.”

This response puts the tech in control, satisfies the client’s concern, and instills trust because the technician is not overtreating nor charging for an unnecessary treatment. 

When responding to client ideas/suggestions, Prevatt also suggests leaning on previous experience as opposed to general training information. “Clients tend to be more confident in a process when they’re reminded that it has worked in the past for others,” he says. 

The Language of Leadership: Phrases That Help Technicians Take Control 

Using professional language that asserts expertise is essential for pest control technicians. Small adjustments in wording can significantly impact how technicians are perceived, reinforcing their authority and positioning them as the trusted experts in the field. It can require a lot of intentionality to ensure this becomes second nature when speaking with a customer or client, but making these small tweaks can drastically improve the customer/client experience and ensure the technician is directing the conversation and the service.

For example:  
Instead of: “Where do you want me to treat?”
Say: “Here’s where I’ll be focusing my treatment based on my inspection.”

Instead of: “I don’t know if that will work.”
Say: “What I’ve found to be most effective in situations like this is …”

Instead of: “I can spray everything just in case.”
Say: “A targeted treatment will be much more effective and will prevent unnecessary product use.”

Jeremiah Prevatt of Cook’s Pest Control suggests that phrases such as “in my experience with other customers” and “based on industry-specific research” can help qualify a technician’s proposed solution. Phrases of acknowledgment such as “I understand your concern” and “I can see you’ve put a lot of thought into this” can help ease the emotional impact of a technician’s efforts to maintain service control.