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Jose Rodriguez needed 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 begin Pest Brothers. Their sturdy bond set the tone for a thriving enterprise centered on constructing lasting relationships with clients.
“I do not suppose there are plenty of choices the place you get to work together with your finest pal and your greatest cheerleader,” Michael says. “For me, that was actually an important factor.”
It seems, going into enterprise together with your finest pal will be your key differentiator. The 2 exhibit glorious teamwork, which is mirrored of their buyer interactions and plenty 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 explanation for it’s we’re having fun with what we do and who we do it with. I believe that is actually the idea 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 completely different to the desk, together with recruiting, advertising and trade expertise.
Previous-school relationship-building was key to their early progress. The workforce sponsors golf tournaments for native faculties and attends neighborhood occasions to not solely create visibility for Pest Brothers but in addition to honor their roots.
“We have been sponsors on the golf event for [my son’s] highschool, the place we get plenty of leads,” Jose says. “We promote wherever we will as a result of these are the oldsters who’ve fed us after 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 possibility 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 — nearly like we flipped a light-weight 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 may have a low success price.
“Every time we obtain a lead on Yelp, it is about velocity to guide,” Michael says. “The extra rapidly we will attain out, the extra rapidly we will 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 all the time 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 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 speak about 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 vital it’s to set clear expectations, corresponding to how lengthy a therapy will take or when the client will see outcomes. It is any such 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 any person calls you, you may positively rectify their challenge as quickly as you may,” Jose says. “That is actually the entire level of being a small enterprise, [being] ready to do this.”
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After constructing Pest Brothers from a two-man operation into one of the crucial trusted pest management firms within the Miami space, co-founders Michael and Jose share what’s helped them succeed within the aggressive residence service trade:
- Lead with belief. Prospects lengthen belief after they allow you to into their houses and workplaces. Be dependable, present up whenever you say you’ll and deal with each area with respect.
- Spend money on relationships. Repeat clients and referrals are the lifeblood of a service enterprise. Study individuals’s names, bear in mind their considerations and deal with each job as a possibility 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 allow you to higher serve clients. Leverage completely different platforms and instruments to remain organized, reply quicker and construct your fame.
- Keep adaptable. Each job is completely different. Be prepared to regulate your strategy and continue learning new strategies to remain aggressive and environment friendly.
- Construct a fame that lasts. Dwelling providers are about greater than fixing a selected downside. They’re about creating peace of thoughts. When individuals 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 instantly from Michael and Jose Rodriguez, and subscribe to Behind the Evaluate for extra from new enterprise house owners and reviewers each Wednesday.
Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl
