Guest post by Bob Williamson, pest & lawn director for Cetane Associates
We all like convenience in every aspect of our lives. No one likes to wait, and it’s easy to become frustrated when things aren’t resolved promptly or when we don’t get what we want right away.
Growing your business means being ready to deliver what the customer wants, even when it’s inconvenient. That could mean weekends, rainy days, or times when you’re short-staffed and already feeling stretched thin. But when the call, text, or email comes in, you have a choice: act or miss the opportunity. To grow, you need to BOOK THE CALL. That may require shifting schedules, reallocating resources, or getting creative, whatever it takes to respond without letting the lead slip away.
There’s a famous Yogi Berra quote: “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.” The same idea applies to customer demand. People often complain about long wait times or “rush hour” service, but the truth is, those busy periods are predictable and unavoidable. Prospective customers don’t realize that their needs usually arise at the same time as everyone else’s.
The bugs that just hatched or weeds that just sprouted in their lawn did the same thing in a very large region, creating a surge of calls all at once. When business slows down, those calls won’t come in. Simply put, customer complaints and customer leads are both driven by the same thing.
Here’s an example from my time running our pool business. In the Northeast, pool openings happen in a very compressed window, with mid to late May being the absolute peak. One year, a long-time prepaid customer delayed their opening appointment, only to call on a Friday afternoon, demanding service for the weekend. All our crews were fully booked. My dispatcher, feeling the pressure, told the customer we couldn’t do it.
The customer then called me directly, frustrated – they were hosting guests the next day. I told them we’d make it happen. Even though our crews were already stretched thin, we regrouped and came up with a plan. We texted every crew, offering a $100 cash bonus and dinner to anyone willing to take on an extra job that evening. We made it clear it was completely voluntary. Three crews stepped up, and we got the pool opened. The customer was thrilled and even tipped the crew members generously.
The lesson? Book the call first, then figure out how to make it work.
Growth requires responsiveness. You know that a sunny Monday in spring will be busy – you should coach and plan for it with your staff. Buy lunch for the office, get headbands and eye paint for staff in the office. Remind techs that their route may change as customer needs are met. Calling out sick will hurt the team. Not every job has to be finished immediately, but every opportunity needs to be acknowledged and scheduled.
Sometimes that means starting a job and completing it later, moving schedules around, recruiting extra help, or simply offering a different time that still meets the customer’s needs. The key is proactive communication. Most issues can be resolved just by showing the customer you’re working on a solution. Your ability to grow depends on a team mindset that says yes first, then figures out the path forward. Book the call, earn the trust, and build the business.
