Your plan customers are your growth plan

New customers are exciting. Plan customers pay the bills. In residential pest control, plan customers bring in most of the revenue, so keeping them is some of the best marketing you can do.

What the numbers say

In April 2026, the National Pest Management Association shared results from Specialty Consultants’ 26th edition study of the U.S. pest control industry. For 2025, it found:

Finding	Number
Share of residential service revenue from recurring service	85.4%
Pest control firms operating in the U.S.	16,565
Firms expecting residential revenue to grow in 2026	66.8%
Firms naming ants as a top callback pest	51.6%
Firms naming cockroaches as a top callback pest	42.6%

The same month, NPMA released a Harris Poll survey of 1,389 U.S. homeowners. It found that 52% had used a licensed pest control professional in the past year.

So about half of homeowners hire a pro in a year, and most residential revenue comes from service that repeats. Winning a customer once is only the start.

Write your plan terms in plain words

NPMA tells homeowners that if a guarantee is given, they should know what it covers, how long it lasts and what they must do to keep it in force. It also tells them not to rush, and to look for a company whose judgment they trust.

Put the answers on your site and on the paper you hand over at the door:

• What the plan covers, and what it does not
• How often you visit, and how visits are scheduled
• What happens between visits if the problem comes back
• What the customer needs to do, if anything
• How to cancel or change the plan

Clear terms help prevent surprises when a bill arrives or a pest comes back.

Make re-service easy to ask for

Callbacks are part of the trade. More than half of firms in the study named ants as a top callback pest. Treat each re-service request as a chance to show you care.

• Let customers ask by text, by form or by phone, whichever is easiest for them.
• Reply fast, and give a time.
• After the visit, follow up to make sure the problem is handled.

A quick, friendly answer shows the customer the plan is worth keeping.

Ask for reviews at the right moment

People notice how fresh your reviews are. In BrightLocal’s 2026 consumer survey, 74% said they look at reviews from the last three months. And 80% said they would likely choose a business that replies to every review.

• Ask after a good visit, especially a first visit or a solved callback.
• Reply to every review, good or bad.
• Never offer a discount or gift for a review. Google’s review policy prohibits incentives.

Use reminders that sound human

Send a reminder before each visit, a short note after it, and a check-in before the busy season starts in your area. Keep each one short, friendly and about the customer.

Your checklist

• Plan terms written in plain words, on your site and on paper
• Re-service requests open by text, form and phone
• A fast reply and a set time for every callback
• A review request after good visits
• A reply to every review
• Reminders before visits and before the busy season