Webinar Date: March 5, 2025
Speaker: Hal Coleman, Coleman Consulting
Moderator: Dan Suiter, Extension Entomologist, University of Georgia
Duration: 1:33:00
Series: Structural Pest Control
CEU Categories: TBD
NARRATIVE SUMMARY
Hal Coleman, a pest control industry veteran with 52 years of experience and Georgia Pest Control Association Hall of Fame member, delivered a presentation on customer service as the most powerful marketing tool available to pest control businesses. Coleman, who graduated from the University of Georgia in 1974 with a degree in entomology and spent a decade as a Georgia Agriculture Department Structural Pest Control Regulatory Inspector before building and selling his own million-dollar company, North Fulton Exterminating, now coaches small pest control operators through Coleman Consulting.
Coleman opened with a restaurant anecdote contrasting a transactional dining experience with what could have been a relationship-building opportunity, establishing his central thesis: “It’s not about the egg — it’s about the relationship.” He argued that killing bugs gets a technician through the door, but only extraordinary customer service keeps clients long-term. He introduced his framework of “SACS” — Shock and Awe Customer Service — grounded in the psychological law of reciprocity, which holds that when you do something generous for someone, it creates both appreciation and a sense of obligation. Coleman emphasized that this obligation can be channeled into referrals by training satisfied customers to recommend your business whenever the subject of pests arises.
The core of the presentation outlined nine strategies for making customers “fall in love with you”: be easy to do business with, be fun to do business with, always give more than expected, respect their time, call them by first name often, love their animals, show continual appreciation, give unexpected surprises, and never take adversarial positions on family, religion, politics, sports, or sex. Each point was illustrated with stories from Coleman’s own business experience and coaching clients, including a Cabela’s customer service story demonstrating the lasting power of exceeding expectations, the impact of an enthusiastic phone greeting on closing a 22,000 commercial lawn care account, and practical tactics like carrying dog treats and sending handwritten thank-you notes. Coleman noted that the average pest control customer stays approximately ten years and spends around 6,000 — a relationship worth protecting through exceptional service. He closed with examples of businesses he had “fired” for poor service, reinforcing that customers who feel unappreciated will take their money elsewhere.
YOUTUBE TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Introduction and 20th Anniversary of GTBOP
2:17 Hal Coleman’s Background and Career
7:45 Marketing Made Easy Series — Customer Service
8:53 The Restaurant Story: It’s Not About the Egg
14:45 Dead Bugs Get You in the Door, But Won’t Keep You There
15:45 SACS: Shock and Awe Customer Service
16:30 The Law of Reciprocity
18:55 Training Customers to Send Referrals
22:00 Nine Ways to Make Customers Fall in Love with You
23:00 #1 — Be Easy to Do Business With
26:00 Customer Lifetime Value: 10 Years and $6,000
28:05 Easy to Find: Truck Signage and Visibility
29:00 Nido Qubein and the Paved Path Story
31:00 Answering the Phone with Energy
34:00 #2 — Be Fun to Do Business With
36:00 The Burmese Python Publicity Stunt
38:20 #3 — Always Give More Than Expected
38:30 The Cabela’s Air Rifle Story
44:20 #4 — Always Respect Your Customer’s Time
47:00 Showing Up Exactly on Time
48:00 #5 — Call Them by Name Often
51:45 Break
52:30 Return from Break
52:50 #6 — Love Their Animals
55:10 #7 — Continually Show Appreciation
57:25 Handwritten Notes and Dan Kennedy on Thank-Yous
58:15 #8 — Give Surprises and Happy Day Presents
1:01:00 The Coffee Mug That Closed a Deal
1:03:15 Give Them a Break When the Chips Are Down
1:04:25 #9 — Never Argue About Family, Religion, Politics, Sports, or Sex
1:05:00 The John Elway Joke in Wyoming
1:09:00 Review of All Nine Ways
1:10:00 Businesses I’ve Fired — Restaurant, Rental Car, and Hardware Store Stories
1:19:15 Audience Q&A and Discussion
1:20:00 Free Book: How to Grow a Pest Control Business
1:22:30 Coleman Consulting — Coaching and Contact Information
1:29:20 Closing Remarks
1:29:58 Dan Suiter — North American Termite Survey (NATS)
1:31:55 Sign-In Sheet Reminder and Wrap-Up
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: What is Hal Coleman’s main argument about the role of customer service in a pest control business?
A: Coleman argues that customer service — not pest elimination itself — is the most powerful marketing tool a pest control business has. He uses the metaphor “it’s not about the egg, it’s about the relationship,” meaning that killing bugs gets you in the door, but only exceptional service keeps customers long-term and generates referrals. He calls his approach “Shock and Awe Customer Service” (SACS).
Q: What is the law of reciprocity, and how does Coleman apply it to pest control?
A: The law of reciprocity holds that when you do something nice for someone, it creates both appreciation and a sense of obligation — they feel compelled to return the favor. Coleman teaches pest control operators to leverage this by going above and beyond for customers, then training those grateful customers to refer business by saying, “If you ever hear anyone mention bugs, just tell them to call me.”
Q: What does Coleman say about the lifetime value of a pest control customer?
A: Coleman states that in 2025, the average lifespan of a pest control customer is about 10 years, and they’ll spend approximately $6,000 with you over that time. He uses this figure to argue against rigid policies — like insisting on credit card-only payment — that might drive away a customer worth thousands of dollars.
Q: How does Coleman recommend pest control companies answer the phone?
A: Coleman teaches clients to answer with an enthusiastic greeting: “It’s a great day at [Company Name]! This is [Name]. How can I help you today?” He illustrates its impact with a story about a coaching client whose receptionist’s upbeat phone greeting directly led to closing a $22,000 commercial lawn care account — the caller said she knew who she wanted to do business with the moment the phone was answered.
Q: What are the nine ways Coleman says will make customers fall in love with you?
A: The nine strategies are: (1) Be easy to do business with, (2) Be fun to do business with, (3) Always give more than what they expected, (4) Always respect their time, (5) Call them by first name often, (6) Love their animals, (7) Continually show appreciation, (8) Give them surprises from time to time, and (9) Never assume an adversarial position concerning family, religion, politics, sports, or sex.
Q: Why does Coleman recommend using customers’ first names rather than Mr. or Mrs.?
A: Coleman argues that first-name relationships create a personal bond that makes customers less likely to cancel service. As he puts it, “It’s a lot easier to fire Mr. Smith than it is to fire John.” He recommends asking permission to use first names early in the relationship, noting that almost everyone will agree and that hearing your own name creates a positive emotional response.
Q: How does Coleman suggest pest control technicians build relationships through customers’ pets?
A: Coleman recommends that technicians carry a Ziploc bag of small dog treats, always asking permission before offering one. He explains that after a couple of visits, the dog will recognize the truck and eagerly await the technician. This creates an emotional bond — Coleman jokes that if a customer considers canceling service, the spouse might say, “We can’t let Hal go — Tuffy would be heartbroken.” The pet becomes an ally in customer retention.
Q: What does Coleman say about punctuality and respecting customer time?
A: Coleman, drawing on advice from his mentor Larry Latimer, says technicians should make punctuality a visible selling point, not just a habit. He describes arriving on a customer’s street early, then pulling into the driveway at exactly the promised time. He also emphasizes that if your schedule gets disrupted, you should call the customer immediately — not wait until the last minute — and offer the choice of waiting or rescheduling.
Q: What is Coleman’s “happy day present” concept?
A: Inspired by his wife Lynn, who would spontaneously buy small gifts for friends for no occasion at all — calling them “happy day presents” — Coleman encourages operators to surprise customers with unexpected gestures. Examples include passing along free Braves tickets, offering a complimentary service visit during a difficult time like a death in the family, or recycling vendor gifts to loyal customers. The surprise reinforces the law of reciprocity and builds loyalty.
Q: What resources does Coleman offer to pest control operators?
A: Coleman offers a free downloadable copy of his book “Bottom Line: How to Grow a Pest Control Business” at howtogrowapestcontrolbusiness.com, which contains over 100 marketing and sales tips. He also hosts the Pest Control Marketing podcast at pestcontrolmarketing.live with co-host Mike Stewart, runs a group coaching program called Pest Control Marketing Gold, and offers free one-hour individual coaching consultations through his website PestControlMarketer.com. His phone number is 770-993-0004 and email is hal@halcoleman.com.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Free book: howtogrowapestcontrolbusiness.com — “Bottom Line: How to Grow a Pest Control Business”
- Podcast: pestcontrolmarketing.live — Pest Control Marketing podcast with Hal Coleman and Mike Stewart
- Audio podcast: pestcontrolmarketingpodcast.com
- Main website: PestControlMarketer.com
- Contact: hal@halcoleman.com / 770-993-0004
- North American Termite Survey (NATS): Discussed by Dan Suiter during closing — citizen science project mapping Formosan termite distribution in the southeastern U.S. QR code displayed during webinar.
Processed for UGA Center for Urban Agriculture / GTBOP Archives
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