Pest in Class: Expert Voices in Pest Management

In this special holiday episode of Pest in Class , host Amanda Salvatore highlights extraordinary acts of compassion and community support within the pest management industry. Discover how Suzy Rayner of Valkyrie Pest Solutions transforms customer experiences with her trauma-informed care approach, reshaping treatment processes with empathy.  Hear about Eric and Kurt Scherzinger’s inspiring effort...

Ashley Morrison , President at City Wide Exterminating Inc. in Charlotte, NC, is a proud champion of her family business’ family-first culture. By implementing new routing efficiencies and other leadership lessons, she’s helping ensure that her frontline staff can get home sooner and spend time with their loved ones. Tune in to hear how Ashley is leaning on FieldRoutes and her industry contacts to...

Aaron Curtis , CXO of Alta Pest Control , has helped propel the company to remarkable growth by centering on customer experience (CX) and fostering a strong, unified company culture.   Aaron discusses Alta’s mission to create a “better experience by becoming better people” and explains how customer retention is directly influenced by employee engagement.  Whether you're looking to improve customer...

In this episode, we chat with Daniel Shropshire , Director of Operations at Official Pest Prevention . We explore how technology is driving innovation, from FieldRoutes' automation solutions to the use of SMART technology in schools, and how these advancements are reshaping the way pest control companies operate. Daniel shares valuable insights on maintaining a personal, small-business feel while...

In this episode, Ryan Miklus , General Manager of Budget Brothers Termite and Pest in Phoenix, Arizona, opens up about his baseball-inspired leadership style and the vital role of a thriving work environment in a family business. Ryan takes us on his unexpected journey into the world of pest control, revealing the pivotal moment when his father chose to sell the family business to a local permanen...

In this episode, we sit down with Rachel Mendez , the fascinating owner and operator of Last Call Pest Control in Ontario, Canada. Rachel shares how her distinctive journey shaped her compassionate approach to pest management. We also dive into how her bold personal aesthetic infuses her business branding, making her business as unique as she is. As a new mother, Rachel opens up about the delicate...

Did you know the ServiceTitan Podcast network has other shows that can really help you not only grow your business but learn more about and use ServiceTitan even better? We've come out with additional shows to help folks all over your organization get the most out of your time working with us and our platforms. Today we have a guest episode from our sister show "Toolbox for the Trades", with a gre...

In this episode, we discuss cutting-edge reward systems that can boost your employees’ performance.  Chris Anderson , co-founder and VP of Sales at Applause , and Kevin Burton , Business Development Representative Manager at Enzy , join us to discuss their approaches to employee engagement, incentivization, and gamification in the pest control industry.  Chris shares how Applause has turned techni...

In this episode, we sit down with two key leaders from Smarter Launch — Cody Smith , Director of Operations, and Bryson McCutcheon , Director of Customer Success. Cody and Bryson share insights into how Smarter Launch’s innovative proposal software is designed to address common challenges in the pest control industry. They discuss the software’s standout features, its impact on streamlining busine...

Many professional associations across the country provide resources and opportunities for companies to network, connect, learn, and ultimately help each other scale their businesses. These groups have opened the doors for underrepresented groups to join the pest control industry and to pursue a professional career where they feel supported and included. These incredible changes motivated Allie All...

In this episode, we chat with Brianna Neerland , Operations Manager at Kwik Kill Pest Control in Wisconsin. Brianna shares her journey from biotechnology to pest control, along with her passion for making operations run smoothly. Brianna highlights the importance of efficient routing, automation, and clear communication with clients to keep a pest control business running strong. She also tells so...

Ryan Englin truly understands how challenging it can be to recruit qualified people. He knows that if business owners want someone to look at them as their next potential employer, they need to make sure that the company appeals to them and meets them where they’re at. They also need to understand what resonates with the different generations out there in the market who are actively looking for a...

Scaling a small business is always challenging. Sometimes, “winging it” feels like the best tactic that a growing team can do. But what about when a party like private equity enters the picture? Those investors want to see more concrete processes that can be scaled and don’t rely on knowledge that only resides in various minds across the company. Laura Gergle , VP of Project Management at Pest &am...

Anyone in sales will tell you that managing a large team spread across different locations and time zones is no small feat. You need to lead and guide them so that they meet and exceed quotas and improve continuously. With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technology, sales teams are now able to improve how they work in ways that were previously unthinkable. This posi...

Get ready for an electrifying episode as we bring you the best insights straight from the floor of Ignite 2024 , the must-attend event for pest control professionals in Orlando, Florida.  We’re diving deep into the future of business operations with cutting-edge AI integrations, game-changing software strategies, and powerful automation techniques that can elevate any pest control business.  Wheth...

Eric Scherzinger and Kurt Scherzinger know that taking over a multigenerational business comes with its own set of challenges.  They knew that in order to scale sustainably, it had to start with a shift in mindset and the way that the business operated.  As members of the senior management of Scherzinger Pest Control , Eric and Kurt are on a mission to help homeowners get rid of their bug problems...

In a male-dominated industry like pest control, engagements with customers tend to be very impersonal and transactional. These circumstances motivated Suzy Rayner to lead with empathy when she interacts with customers so that she can meet them where they are. She joins us on this episode of Pest in Class to share her story of incredible resilience and how she turned the adversities she faced in he...

As an avid outdoorsman, Sam Taggart , Founder and CEO of D2D Experts , compares door-to-door sales to his love for snowboarding. That’s because Sam believes that while most people will certainly fail in the beginning, it’s those who overcome their fear of rejection and persevere who will become master salespeople. He highlights the importance of perseverance through adversity, a reasonable recruit...

Meet Rian and Noelle Goins , the dynamic husband-and-wife team behind Los Angeles-based Get Goins Pest Control . Ryan and Noelle's passion extends beyond their business; they are actively involved in industry organizations and are the driving force behind the Keep It Goins Foundation , a nonprofit that provides essential pest care services to those in need.   The Goins emphasize the importance of...

Michael Moorhouse , President of Mosquito Shield , has been helping start small businesses since 1991, when he and a partner opened an ice cream shop in a small Massachusetts town. Since joining Mosquito Shield in 2008, he’s facilitated 120 new franchisees operating in over 400 territories. Michael will be the first to tell you that the first leg of the journey wasn’t easy — he realized pretty ear...

In service-based industries such as pest control, improving the customer experience while creating more sales opportunities is paramount to growing sustainability. Delivering flexible financing options as a sales tool for companies enables them to provide better solutions to help customers make informed decisions quickly. That motivated Josh Brill to proactively create relationships with pest cont...

Hiring the right people for your pest control business is a marketing activity, not an HR one. You need to be intentional about attracting the right talent to your company.  You also have to create the right message to put in front of the right people when they’re most apt to receive it. Retaining that talent is just as crucial as onboarding and training them. That motivated Ryan Englin to start h...

From the outset, a pest control business might appear like an easy undertaking. What many don’t know or realize is that there’s more to it than meets the eye. It involves understanding the types of challenges and issues that each individual customer faces, introducing systems and processes to help the operation run seamlessly, and training staff regularly. In many cases, employees are also jugglin...

Dr. Dini Miller has had a burning passion for pest control field research since she picked up a copy of The Flight of the Iguana , a commentary on evolutionary biology. Today, as a professor of Entomology at Virginia Tech , she spends considerable time studying the patterns behind agricultural and habitat infestations.   In this insightful episode, Dini shares what she’s learned throughout 30 year...

On the surface, door-to-door sales can look like an easy job. Everyone in the pest control business will tell you that it’s harder than it looks. You need to be able to handle rejection, grab the listener’s attention, and be quick to adapt to changing circumstances. It’s about building relationships, caring for customers, and ultimately helping them to solve their problems. That motivated John Ely...