2) 60-Second Triage Decision Tree (Front Desk or AI)
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.
Key takeaway: A fast triage script prevents guesswork and makes sure true emergencies get dispatched first.