Why I Chose - Customer Engagement Software

Within a year of implementing Applause to boost customer reviews, reward team members and jumpstart sales for add-on services, American Pest Solutions (APS) in Agawam, Mass., has more than doubled its Google reviews.

In May 2024, the century-old, five-generation family business — founded in 1913 — had collected about 600 reviews. In June 2025, General Manager Jordan Russell counted 1,228 reviews and a Google rating uptick from 4.8 to 4.9 stars. (“No one has 5,” he quips of this reality.)

Even more important, technicians who work hard daily are getting recognized in these reviews. Every time a client posts feedback with a star rating, American Pest Solutions tips the team member $5. Plus, customers have an option to add a tip, too.

Russell and his father, Bob, CEO, learned about Applause at a conference and soon had a call with Senior Account Executive Bear Duplisea. “Don’t you want to boost your reviews?” he asked the Russells.

“Of course I want to,” Jordan Russell told him, though he admits some healthy skepticism at first. There are many review companies in the market that promise results.

The Applause platform and partnership lives up to its claims. “No other service provider like this has been able to replicate these results, at least in the pest control industry,” Russell says. “Onboarding was flawless. Applause integrates with our CRM, PestPac, so within a week or two, we were up and running — seamless.”

Piloting Programs, Generating Leads Applause reached out to Russell to see if APS would pilot a lead-gen solution it wanted to test. He said yes, and in May, after customers received their review/ratings text following service, a message offered $25 off the first mosquito and tick service if they sign up for the program.

“When customers press, ‘I’m interested,’ the lead is sent to our office. Then we can call them with a warm lead: ‘We saw you’re interested in $25 off the service,’” he says.

While the weather in May wasn’t luring in mosquitoes, Russell expects this tool to gain traction now that the weather has warmed up. “Every experience I’ve had with Applause, they want to work with me to make their product better,” Russell says. The platform has already exceeded his expectations. “We shoot off ideas to each other, and the next thing you know, I’m trying something new and they’re trying something new. And since onboarding the software, our reviews and customer engagement has skyrocketed.”