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Jose Rodriguez wished to comply with in his father’s footsteps and construct a profession within the pest management trade, so it was a dream come true when his brother, Michael, teamed up with him to start out Pest Brothers. Their robust bond set the tone for a thriving enterprise targeted on constructing lasting relationships with clients.
“I do not assume there are lots of choices the place you get to work together with your greatest good friend and your greatest cheerleader,” Michael says. “For me, that was actually crucial factor.”
It seems, going into enterprise together with your greatest good friend may be your key differentiator. The 2 exhibit wonderful teamwork, which is mirrored of their buyer interactions and lots of five-star critiques — securing their spot on Yelp’s High 100 Native Companies of 2025.
“[Customers] discover us well-tempered, well-mannered,” Michael says. “And the rationale for it’s we’re having fun with what we do and who we do it with. I believe that is actually the premise for all of it. After which from there, good issues come.”
Joined by their brother-in-law, John, every member of the Pest Brothers brings one thing totally different to the desk, together with recruiting, advertising and marketing and trade expertise.
Outdated-school relationship-building was key to their early progress. The workforce sponsors golf tournaments for native colleges and attends neighborhood occasions to not solely create visibility for Pest Brothers but additionally to honor their roots.
“We have been sponsors on the golf event for [my son’s] highschool, the place we get lots of leads,” Jose says. “We promote wherever we are able to as a result of these are the oldsters who’ve fed us once we weren’t essentially attending to Yelp’s High 100.”
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Nonetheless, the brothers knew there was extra they may do to spice up on-line visibility. They noticed Yelp as a chance to draw extra leads, and the funding paid off rapidly. “We tried out the free trial [of Yelp Ads], and it was an absolute success — virtually like we flipped a lightweight change, and [leads] tremendously began flowing in,” Michael says.
They obtained such an inflow of consideration from owners that they determined to cease sending out snail mail commercials, which might have a low success price.
“Every time we obtain a lead on Yelp, it is about velocity to steer,” Michael says. “The extra rapidly we are able to attain out, the extra rapidly we are able to get to that home, service it and win that lead.”
Its Yelp presence does greater than lead technology, nonetheless. It additionally builds belief and helps flip potential clients into loyal, long-term regulars. Particularly within the pest management and residence service trade, a brand new buyer would not at all times imply one job. Each new lead is an opportunity to create a recurring buyer — and the alternatives are rolling in for Pest Brothers.
“These are of us that in the event you do an excellent job, they’re gonna reward you for a protracted time frame,” Michael says. “When it comes to the Yelp leads I noticed on our dashboard, views on our web page have elevated by 576% over the previous 30 days [since winning Yelp’s Top 100]. You discuss market consciousness — that is super. That is viral if I’ve ever seen it, so it has been superior for us.”
After you have your viewers’s consideration, Jose emphasised how necessary it’s to set clear expectations, reminiscent of how lengthy a therapy will take or when the client will see outcomes. It is one of these transparency that builds credibility, prevents confusion and earns five-star critiques.
When errors inevitably occur, the brothers acknowledge them with grace, reaching out personally to clients to make issues proper. “If anyone calls you, you may positively rectify their problem as quickly as you may,” Jose says. “That is actually the entire level of being a small enterprise, [being] in a position to try this.”
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After constructing Pest Brothers from a two-man operation into some of the trusted pest management corporations within the Miami space, co-founders Michael and Jose share what’s helped them succeed within the aggressive residence service trade:
- Lead with belief. Clients lengthen belief after they allow you to into their properties and workplaces. Be dependable, present up once you say you’ll and deal with each area with respect.
- Put money into relationships. Repeat clients and referrals are the lifeblood of a service enterprise. Be taught folks’s names, keep in mind their considerations and deal with each job as a chance to strengthen the connection.
- Use instruments to work smarter. From routing software program to on-line critiques, know-how can save time, enhance effectivity and enable you higher serve clients. Leverage totally different platforms and instruments to remain organized, reply sooner and construct your popularity.
- Keep adaptable. Each job is totally different. Be prepared to regulate your strategy and continue learning new strategies to remain aggressive and environment friendly.
- Construct a popularity that lasts. Residence companies are about greater than fixing a particular drawback. They’re about creating peace of thoughts. When folks know you genuinely care about their residence or enterprise, they’re going to belief you for years to come back.
Watch the episode above to listen to straight from Michael and Jose Rodriguez, and subscribe to Behind the Evaluation for extra from new enterprise house owners and reviewers each Wednesday.
Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl
