Why the next visit gets lost
A re-inspection doesn’t need a no to get lost. It gets lost because nobody booked it. The tech leaves, the customer forgets, and a year later someone else’s flyer is on the fridge.
A re-inspection booked on the day is a job you’ve already won. One left as “we’ll be in touch” is a job you’ll have to win again.
Fix 01: Set the interval on site
You know the right interval while you’re standing in the yard. Decide it before you leave, based on what you found and how you treated it:
- 30 days: a follow-up after an active treatment.
- 90 days: a check on baits or a barrier.
- 12 months: the annual inspection.
Fix 02: Tell them, then put it in writing
Say it at the door: “We’ll be back in 90 days, the week of February 8, to check the bait stations.” Then put the same date on their service report or invoice, so it’s in writing.
Fix 03: One reminder, not five
Send a single reminder a week or two before the visit, with the date and a way to move it. That’s enough. A string of reminders makes a service the customer wanted feel like a sales push.
“Hi Sarah, your termite bait check is due the week of February 8. Reply here if you need a different week.”
Make it a plan, not a one-off
If most of your customers need you back every year, offer it as a plan from the start: the treatment, then the inspections on a schedule they agree to. The work is the same, but the customer knows what’s coming and when.
This week’s checklist
- Add a “next visit” line to every service report.
- Make setting the re-inspection the last step before you leave the property.
- Go through last year’s jobs and book anyone whose annual inspection is due.
Common questions
How often should a pest re-inspection be?It depends on the pest, the treatment and local conditions. Common intervals are 30 days after an active treatment, 90 days for baits and barriers, and 12 months for an annual inspection. Use what your treatment and your local regulations call for.
Should I book the re-inspection on the day of the treatment?Yes. That’s when the customer is paying attention and you know what’s needed. A date set on the day doesn’t depend on anyone remembering to call later.
How many reminders should I send?One, a week or two before the visit, with an easy way to move it.
How Goanna Digital handles this
In the Goanna Digital app, the re-inspection interval is part of closing out a pest job, so it’s set while the tech is still on site. Every plan also includes a quarterly customer email with seasonal tips and reminders, to keep past customers warm.
Want this handled for you? Goanna Digital runs your website, your Google presence, your lead inbox, quoting and invoicing from one app on your phone. Book a free 15-minute call and we’ll show you how it would work for your business.
Want this handled for you?
Goanna Digital runs your website, your Google presence, your lead inbox, quoting and invoicing from one app on your phone.