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Best Company’s VP of Marketing, Justin Ashby, recently spoke with Rob Greer, the Chief Operating Officer at Rove Pest Control about how Rove has focused on building personal connections with customers and why that has been a major benefit for the company.
Podcast highlights
Rob has been in the pest control industry for many years. He said that in the beginning, it was a “wonderful avenue to make money fast,” but he decided to stay in the industry because it turned out to be about much more than just money.
“The piece that kept me coming back was the people. At first, it was the individuals I was working with . . . it shifted to being able to change people’s lives, have a visible impact on people. I love that about this industry.”
When Justin asked Rob about how Rove Pest Control is able to position itself as a leader in the industry, Rob mentioned that the company has utilized its deep industry knowledge to make continual improvements and adjustments to its service.
“The deeper the knowledge is, the deeper you can go into the space and you can find unique things to develop. Like this year, just with some of the things we were studying, we came across some new technology that’s going to allow us to add on additional pests that we can treat in a way that’s less intrusive for people.”
Rob also mentioned that Rove Pest Control has focused on cultivating and maintaining personal connections with customers. One way the company has accomplished this feat is through customization.
“Just being able to customize it to their situation. Like this new tree treatment that we’re doing, not having to go in and take the whole yard. We can do just a one-inch treatment into the tree and take care of this pest that’s been invading. So, that element of being able to customize is a really good foundation that’s a very appealing element to people . . . there’s care for them personally and that gives them a personal story that they can share with other people.”
“We’re committed to figuring it out. If we’ve got to try 20 different things to find the right solution for them, we’re going to do it and it’s not going to cost them extra.”
He said transparency and honesty have contributed to Rove's ability to establish trust among customers. Those company traits are reinforced when customers read about others’ experiences with Rove in consumer reviews.
“Being able to show people some of those reviews and the experiences that people have is key. I think the element that really helps us out beyond that is transparency and honesty.”
Due to Rove’s personal connection initiatives, Rob said the company has built a strong referral program and continues to grow its customer base.
"Referrals are absolutely huge and we provide really good incentives for our customers to do it . . . (the) kind of perspective we want to use is to help your neighbors and family and friends out. You refer them to us, they’ll get a free service and we’ll give you a free service as well.
With time and continuing to remind customers over and over again about those referral programs, they’ll keep reaching out to those neighbors again and again, and eventually, they’re going to be around long enough to see and experience our services through their neighbor, through their family, through their friend, and that’s a lot more than just hearing about it from somebody you cross paths with, so the more connected those people are to each other, the stronger those referrals get."
About Rob
Rob Greer grew up in farming and mini-ranching, which gave him early exposure to agricultural pest control. He entered the pest control world in sales in 2001 to fund university studies and a two-year stint in Santiago de Chile.
After graduating in business management with an emphasis in marketing, he opened a pest control branch with partners Lenny Gray and McKay Bodily in Minnesota. In 2010, Rob took up ultra running and obstacle-course racing, completing a few sub-24 hundred milers, 80 miles at World’s Toughest Mudder, and a top-five finish in a 314-mile race across Tennessee.
The last few years have included a lot of rock climbing with plans to do a 350-mile race in June, a 1,800-foot climb in Washington in July, and climbing The Grand Teton in August.
Rob has a wife and three kids and serves on the Minnesota Pest Management Association Board. He just completed a few years as a state Political Action Representative, serves on the board of the charity NPO Fostering Love Project, coaches girls cross country at Stillwater High School, and is a principal of Keen Development, Spring Shores Lodge, and Door-to-Door Millionaire.
About Rove Pest Control
Rove Pest Control is a residential and commercial pest control service that has been treating a wide variety of pest problems since its founding in 2006. The company offers both interior and exterior specialty services.
Rove Pest Control provides exterminator services in Arizona, Maine, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin, employs an Associate Certified Entomologist, and is QualityPro Accredited. Additionally, the company received the 2022 Best Company (now Snoball) Sustainability Award for its eco-friendly initiatives such as paperless billing and employee sustainability training.
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