Customer Communication Is Key

Sometimes it’s the service technician who automatically reaches for a natural product in a certain situation; other times, a customer request drives usage. What’s most important is that the technician knows what makes the product green and can explain both the product and its application to the customer.

“When customers ask for green products, we are open to that suggestion. We have a catalog of natural products available,” said Camille Landry, managing partner, FullScope Pest Control, Cleveland, Texas. “But we talk with the homeowner first to understand their concerns and explain how green products work — that they may be applied differently and that recurring services might be more frequent than if we’d used something with more of a residual. Usually they’re asking for all-green because they don’t understand the IPM method. Once we share the rationale and safety levels of what we’re doing, most end up not wanting only green. They see the value of our integrated approach.”

Croach Regional Manager Michele Cruzat, Tacoma, Wash., often expands that customer conversation to include the steadfast commitment of the broader industry and the EPA. “We have come a long way over the years, and customers rely on us to use the safest products possible for their families and the environment. When I share some of the history of pesticides and explain the safeguards that are in place today to protect the environment 100 years down the road, it gives customers the confidence to allow us to choose the best products for their situation.”

While these conversations seem to be taking place more frequently, PMPs still have plenty of educating to do. Only 39 percent of PMPs think their residential customers understand what makes a pesticide green, according to the 2026 State of the Naturals Market Study, even though 58 percent say their employees do. Further, 62 percent reported that their employees can communicate the difference between green and traditional pesticides. Get those employees talking!