Emergency Call Protocol for Pest Control Companies

In pest control, an “emergency” is any situation that creates an immediate safety risk, rapid property damage, or a high chance of the customer losing sleep/ability to operate (especially for restaurants, hotels, and rentals). Your goal is to respond fast to the calls that can become dangerous or expensive within hours. Treat these as emergencies: - Stinging insect threat: active bee/wasp/hornet activity near doors, playgrounds, pools, or inside living space; known allergy in the home; nest in a wall void with insects entering indoors. - Rodents inside living space: rats/mice actively in kitchen/bedrooms, droppings in food areas, or chewed wiring concerns. - Bed bugs: confirmed bites plus live bugs, or confirmed bed bugs in a hotel/rental/healthcare setting. - Commercial account risk: roaches/rodents in a restaurant, food plant, daycare, or any place facing health inspection. - Termite swarmers indoors: winged termites inside (possible active colony), especially if paired with mud tubes or soft wood. These are usually not emergencies (book within 1–3 business days): ants in a line, occasional spiders, beetles at windows, silverfish, pantry moths, “I saw one roach” with no activity, and outdoor-only nests far from people. Use customer language to guide you. “Swarm,” “biting,” “kids can’t go outside,” “allergic,” “in my bed,” “in the kitchen,” “restaurant,” “health inspector,” and “chewing wires” are emergency words.

Use this decision tree on every urgent call so you don’t guess. Keep it printed by the phone and inside your CRM. A) Life/Safety First 1) Is anyone in immediate danger right now (severe allergy reaction, bees/wasps inside, child’s room, someone trapped)? - YES → Tell them to call 911 if there’s a medical emergency. Then dispatch fastest available tech if safe. - NO → Continue. B) Identify Pest Type (don’t let the caller stay vague) Ask: “What are you seeing—ants, roaches, mice, rats, bed bugs, termites, or bees/wasps?” If unsure, ask: “Do they fly? Do they sting? Are there droppings? Any bites? Any wings on the insects?” C) Location + Access Ask: “Is it inside the home/business, in the attic/crawl space, or outside?” and “Where exactly—kitchen, bedroom, wall, ceiling, near a door?” D) Severity Triggers - Stinging insects: Is it near an entry door, kids area, or someone allergic? - Rodents: Are they inside living space right now? Any chewed wires, strong urine smell, droppings in pantry? - Bed bugs: Any live bug seen, photos, bites in a line, or recent travel/used furniture? - Termites: Any swarmers indoors, mud tubes, or hollow-sounding wood? - Commercial: Is this a restaurant/hotel/daycare? Any inspection or customer complaints? E) Decision - Dispatch ASAP (same day/after-hours) if: sting risk + proximity/allergy, rodents inside, confirmed bed bugs in sleeping areas, termite swarmers indoors, or commercial food-related pest activity. - Schedule next-day/priority window if: pests indoors but no immediate safety risk (roaches in a home, ants throughout kitchen). - Standard booking if: outdoor-only issue away from people or occasional sightings. If you use SkipCalls (or any 24/7 answering), load this triage as your call flow so urgent calls get classified correctly even when you’re under a house and can’t answer.

Use this script word-for-word. It’s designed for pest calls where customers use vague language like “bugs” or “infested.” 1) Contact + Site - “What’s your name and best callback number?” - “What’s the service address?” (Confirm city/zip—after-hours travel matters.) 2) Pest + Proof - “What pest do you think it is?” - “Are you looking at one right now?” - “Can you text a photo/video?” (Ask for close-up + a wide shot of the area.) 3) Safety Triggers - “Any allergies to stings in the home?” - “Any kids, elderly, or pets at risk in that area?” - “Is this in a bedroom, kitchen, or food prep area?” 4) Location Details - “Where exactly is the activity—wall void, attic, crawl space, under sink, behind stove, ceiling?” - “Is it inside, or outside only?” 5) Timeline - “When did you first notice it?” - “Has it gotten worse today?” 6) Access + Readiness - “Is someone 18+ on-site to let us in?” - “Do you have pets that need to be secured?” 7) Set Expectations (don’t overpromise) - “We can get you the fastest available time window. Emergency visits cost more than regular service.” - “We can often reduce activity today, but follow-up may be needed—especially for bed bugs and rodents.” These questions help you avoid wasted trips (wrong address, no access, misidentified pest) and keep your tech safe when working in protective gear and tight spaces.

After-hours is where pest control companies lose the most money. People with bed bugs or wasps at the front door will call three companies in a row until someone answers. Set a clear after-hours policy: - Define hours: “Emergency line 6pm–10pm weekdays, 8am–6pm weekends” (example—adjust to your market). - Define what you will and won’t roll for (stinging insects inside/near entry, rodents inside, bed bugs in sleeping areas, restaurant emergencies). - Define what is not after-hours: “ants outside,” “spiders in garage,” “I want a quote.” Operational setup: - On-call rotation: 1 tech + 1 backup. Keep a shared calendar with on-call coverage and service area limits. - Stocked emergency kit: bee/wasp PPE, flashlight/headlamp, spare respirator filters, dust/foam tools, basic rodent traps, exclusion materials for temporary seals. - Safety rule: No attic/crawl entry at night unless absolutely necessary and safe. If it’s unsafe, offer a “risk reduction visit” (treat entry points, set monitors) and schedule full service in daylight. If you can’t reliably answer after-hours, a 24/7 answering system like SkipCalls can capture the lead, run your emergency triage, and book the first available slot so the caller doesn’t move on to the next pest company.

Dispatch is where you protect profit and avoid chaos. Emergency dispatch should be based on pest type, safety risk, and travel time—not who yells the loudest. Dispatch rules by pest: - Wasps/bees/hornets: Send the tech with sting PPE and proper products/tools. Confirm location (eaves, wall void, attic vent). If it’s honey bees, confirm your local rules and whether you refer to a beekeeper. - Rodents: Send tech equipped for inspection + traps/bait stations. If the caller hears scratching in walls, set expectations: you may need a follow-up exclusion visit. - Bed bugs: Send your bed bug specialist if possible. Confirm prep expectations (laundry, bagging, clutter reduction). If they can’t prep, schedule inspection first. - Termite swarmers: Send an inspector/termite tech. Don’t promise treatment same day; focus on inspection and a scheduled plan. Routing and timing: - Triage by zone: Split your territory into zones (north/south or zip clusters). Dispatch the closest qualified tech. - Give a 2-hour window for emergencies whenever possible. If you’re slammed, be honest and offer the next best window. Dispatch checklist (text to tech): - Pest type + exact location - Photos received (yes/no) - Safety notes (allergy, pets, kids) - Access notes (gate code, tenant contact) - Service expectation (risk reduction vs full treatment) This prevents techs from showing up without the right PPE or products—especially important when they’re already geared up and can’t run back to the truck repeatedly.

People call pest control in panic. If you sound unsure, they hang up and call the next company. You need calm, confident scripts that set a real window. If you can come today: - “We can get a technician out today between 3–5pm. If anything opens sooner, we’ll call you. Please keep pets secured and avoid spraying store chemicals so we can treat correctly.” If you can’t come until tomorrow: - “The earliest we can be there is tomorrow 9–11am. I know that’s stressful. I can give you a few steps to reduce activity tonight, and we’ll be there first thing.” If it’s a non-emergency trying to be an emergency: - “From what you described—activity outside and away from doors—this isn’t an emergency visit. The soonest standard appointment is Thursday 1–3pm, and that will save you the emergency fee.” Bridge instructions (pest-specific): - Stinging insects: “Stay away from the area, keep doors closed, don’t hit the nest, and keep kids/pets inside.” - Rodents: “Put food in sealed containers, don’t leave pet food out, and don’t use poison from the store if you have pets.” - Bed bugs: “Don’t move items to other rooms. Bag linens and keep them in the room until we advise next steps.” Clear wait-time communication reduces cancellations, chargebacks, and angry reviews.

Emergency work should cost more because it disrupts your route, adds overtime, and often needs specialty PPE or repeat visits. Use a simple structure customers can understand: - Standard one-time treatment: $150–$400 (during normal hours) - Emergency dispatch fee (same-day/after-hours): +$75–$200 depending on time and distance - Bed bug urgent service: typically $1,000–$3,000 total (often starts with a paid inspection) - Termite work: $500–$2,500 (usually scheduled; emergency inspection may have a fee) Pricing script (clear and calm): - “Our emergency visit has an additional dispatch fee of $125 because we’re rearranging the schedule and sending a technician right away. The exact treatment cost depends on what we find on-site. For many one-time treatments, you’re typically in the $150–$400 range, plus the emergency fee.” Prevent surprises: - Confirm what’s included: inspection, treatment, follow-up visit or not. - Take a card on file for after-hours dispatch (or a deposit). State cancellation policy. This keeps emergency calls profitable and filters out people who only want free advice at 10pm.

Emergency calls create the most misunderstandings. Documenting protects you if the customer says “you didn’t fix it” and helps you sell the correct follow-up. Minimum documentation for every emergency job: - Call notes: pest described, customer statements (“saw 3 mice in kitchen”), allergy notes, who authorized service. - Photos: entry points, droppings, nest location, bite evidence (if provided), treatment area before/after. - Products used: name, concentration, amount, where applied (especially important with chemical application). - Safety steps: re-entry time, ventilation notes, pet instructions. - Outcome: “Knockdown performed,” “traps set,” “nest treated,” “monitoring installed,” “follow-up recommended in X days.” Emergency follow-up prompts: - Rodents: schedule exclusion inspection and sealing (often separate visit). - Bed bugs: schedule full treatment plan and prep checklist review. - Roaches: schedule a second visit in 10–14 days if German roaches suspected. If you use call transcription (SkipCalls or your phone system), attach the transcript to the job so you can prove what was requested and what you promised.