Lawn and pest control businesses like yours are essential to communities. You provide services that make differences in the daily lives of your customers. Whether you’re the owner, part of field service, or in an administrative or marketing role — or you happen to be all of the above — have you thought about whether your CRM is working for you?
If you’re a lawn care or pest control business operating without an existing CRM, you’ve come to the right place. If you already use a CRM, some scenarios that might indicate a need for change are:
- Your CRM stores contacts, scheduling, and payment information on multiple programs with pieces everywhere.
- Your CRM technically works, but it doesn’t work the way you want it to.
It’s never a bad idea to stop and evaluate how elements of your business are actively working for or against you. Some companies may be hesitant to switch to a different field service CRM system simply because they have no idea where to start.
But don’t worry — you can start here with this quick guide to choosing a lawn or pest control CRM.
When CRM was invented in the late ’80s, the modern workday was forever changed. The initial technology was adopted by all types of industries. In 2021, the technology is more than just keeping company information and contact records organized.
As an owner of a lawn or pest control service, you have several choices for CRM software systems. If you’ve been using multiple systems for different purposes, it’s time to integrate everything into one place with a service software like WorkWave.
Functionalities
When choosing a CRM, be aware of every capability the software has before signing the contract. You know what you need, but you also don’t want to pay for features you’ll never use. These questions can help narrow it down.
Is it an effective communication and marketing tool?
Your new CRM needs to have the traditional functionalities of any system, but be fully optimized to handle everything related to marketing and communication. When you use a pest control software like PestPac, your company benefits from features that improve efficiency, drive more revenue, and improve customer satisfaction.
- Customer preferences – Increase customer satisfaction by keeping track of how your clients prefer to communicate. Before you pick up the phone, your system can tell you that a specific customer prefers to communicate by email.
- Automation – There is no need to spend time looking up information and sending customers one-on-one email reminders for appointments or payment notices. You’ll save time and money by automating the reminder messages your customers rely on.
- Marketing campaigns – Choose a CRM system that also serves as your email marketing platform. Automate marketing messaging to go out to customers and prospects, and keep track of analytics all in one place. If a customer consistently opens emails specific to a certain type of lawn treatment, you know what they’re looking for and can quickly close a sale. It’s the definition of working smarter not harder.
Does it also serve as scheduling software?
What does your current process look like for scheduling an appointment? Here’s an example: a customer calls to request a new quote at a specific time, and Joe is not available, but Bill might be free. Now you have to find and pull up Bill’s calendar to check. This takes extra time and your potential client is getting impatient.
WorkWave’s field service software has calendars with a simple drag-and-drop feature for scheduling changes. You may not notice how much time it saves right away, but those minutes can add up to saving you and your customers valuable hours.
Can it process payments?
If you’re looking to implement a new system, take advantage of one that also processes customer payments. Why use a totally separate payment and invoicing system when your CRM has the functionality to do it for you and all in one place?
A full-service CRM can automate the sending of invoices and collect payments in pieces or all at once. You will no longer need to manually update payment information into contact records. When you choose a service like WorkWave, you also get safe and secure payment for all customers.
Implementation and Training
The implementation of your new CRM system is not something to overlook. It actually might be the most important decision-maker.
User access
How many employees need to have access to the software? If it’s a smaller number, you may need to go with a CRM that provides quick implementation and easy and basic training so there aren’t workdays lost during the transition.
If your company is larger and can spend more time moving to a new system, you may be able to go with a CRM that offers a more robust platform and a more extensive training program. Also inquire as to weather or not ongoing training and support is included with the program.
Scalability
Is the CRM system optimized for growth? Keep this in mind even if hiring more employees is not in the near future. Make sure you’re aware of the following:
- Does it cost anything to add additional users?
- Is there a limit to the total number of user licenses in your contract?
- Is there a training resource library accessible for new users?
Is There an App for That?
With field service reps on the road, you need a CRM system with a fully optimized mobile app like PestPac by WorkWave. Employees at the office and technicians in the field can remain 100% connected. The home office can track where each field employee is and even provide instant rerouting in the event of a canceled appointment, rescheduling need, or emergency.
Your reps will love the convenience of having so many options available right on their mobile devices, such as:
- Capturing leads in the field – If a neighbor is checking out the quality of your work and asks for more information, just pull out your smartphone. Take down the lead’s information and even schedule the first appointment. Nothing beats an on-demand, in-person referral.
- View service history – Say a customer was previously serviced by the company but they don’t remember how long it’s been. The ability to take out your phone and quickly pull up a client’s service history and past appointments is invaluable. Previous customers are often the hottest lead around.
- Company-wide connectivity – Get real-time updates from coworkers back in the office. It’s not only efficient to have all teams connected on a platform, but it also increases safety.
Multiple System Integrations
Some clients may prefer to communicate virtually, and having the ability to send text messages is integral for reaching those customers. Plus, business texting is quicker and more efficient than phone communication. Contact records are integrated within your CRM for further efficiency. Any phone number, including your main business line, should be text-enabled to ensure you can instantly answer questions, schedule an appointment, or resolve problems.
When to outsource
With business churning and growing, outsourcing is another way to cost-effectively increase efficiency and productivity. Slingshot is an industry-specific communications partner with phone answering services. Much more than a call center, Slingshot is an all-in-one engagement platform designed specifically for pest control and lawn services.
Over 25% of all sales opportunities take place outside of regular business hours. No CRM system on its own can solve that. The agents at Slingshot are an extension of your company with availability around the clock — all for less than the cost of a single employee.
Even today, 70 to 90% of sales happen over the phone, and residential consumers like yours still want and expect that personal interaction. Partnering with Slingshot, you can sleep easier knowing that agents are answering calls, providing quotes, and completing sales.
Some of the benefits of partnering with Slingshot include:
- First contact resolution: A benefit of having a small business is when people call you, they’re likely to talk to a real person. First contact resolution aims to take care of customer needs on the first call, eliminating as much back and forth as possible.
- Multichannel communication: Slingshot answering service agents can engage with your customers through webchat, web leads, text, social media, and phone.
- CRM ntegration: Slingshot integrates with most pest management platforms including Voice for Pest, PestRoutes, Briostack, and PestPac. Not only does Slingshot integrate seamlessly with these CRMs, but their home service industry specialized agents can even work directly in your pest control or lawn CRM system.
Final Thoughts
All CRM systems are not created equal. Partnering with an industry-specific CRM software will benefit your business and save you time and money. With this comprehensive guide, you have all you need to make a confident decision for your company, employees, and valued customers.
