Pest control call script: identify the pest, check safety, triage urgency, then book the inspection
By Sharrk Team · October 16, 2026
A good pest control call script does four things in order: identify the pest, ask the safety questions (kids, pets, allergies), get the property details, and triage the urgency, then book the inspection before the caller hangs up. Sharrk runs that exact script on every call with an AI voice agent that answers 24/7, and Mako writes it for you from a plain-English description of your business.
What should a pest control phone script cover?
Callers are usually stressed: something is crawling, buzzing or scratching in their home right now. The script calms them, collects what your technician needs and locks in a time. Every call should capture:
| Step | What you collect | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Greeting | Name, callback number | You can always reach them again |
| 2. Pest identification | What they saw, where, how many, how long | Sends the right tech with the right materials |
| 3. Safety | Kids, pets, allergies, anyone stung or bitten | Protects the household and your team |
| 4. Property | Address, home type, size, access, prior treatment | Accurate quote and arrival plan |
| 5. Urgency triage | Same-day, next-day or routine | Fills the schedule with the right jobs first |
| 6. Pricing | Inspection fee or price range, what is included | Removes the main reason people keep shopping |
| 7. Booking | Date, time window, confirmation by text | Turns the call into a job |
| 8. Recurring plan | Quarterly or seasonal protection offer | Builds steady monthly revenue |
What is the full inbound pest control call script?
Replace anything in brackets with your own details.
1. Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company], this is [Name]. Are you calling about a pest problem at your home or business today?" "I can help with that. Can I get your first name and the best number to reach you in case we get disconnected?"
2. Identify the pest
"What are you seeing? Ants, roaches, mice or rats, bed bugs, termites, wasps or bees, spiders, or something else?" "Where are you seeing them: kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, attic, garage, or outside?" "About how many, and how long has this been going on?" "Have you seen droppings, damage, wings, mud tubes or a nest?"
3. Safety questions
"Are there children or pets in the home?" "Does anyone in the household have allergies, asthma, or a known sensitivity to insect stings or treatments?" "Has anyone been stung or bitten?"
If a stinging insect nest is involved:
"Please keep everyone, including pets, away from the nest and don't try to spray or knock it down yourself. Our technician will handle it."
The National Pest Management Association tells homeowners to never attempt to remove a nest themselves and to contact a licensed professional; it also notes stinging insects send more than 500,000 people to the emergency room each year. If someone is having a serious reaction to a sting, the caller should hang up and call 911.
If rodents are involved:
"Until we get there, please don't sweep or vacuum droppings. If you need to clean a spot, spray it with a disinfectant until it's wet and let it soak before wiping."
That follows the CDC's rodent clean-up guidance, which warns that sweeping or vacuuming droppings can put tiny virus-carrying droplets into the air.
For households with kids and pets, set expectations about treatment day:
"On the day of service, the technician will tell you how long to keep kids and pets out of treated areas. In most cases that's until the product has dried, or longer if the label says so."
That matches the EPA's advice to keep children, toys and pets away from treated areas until the pesticide has dried, and to ask your applicator about safety precautions.
4. Property details
"What's the service address?" "Is it a house, apartment, condo or business? Do you own or rent?" "Roughly how big is it, and is there a basement, crawl space or attic?" "Has the property been treated before, by us or anyone else? When?" "Any gate code, dog in the yard, or access notes for the technician?"
5. Urgency triage
"Thanks, that helps. Based on what you've told me, I'd like to get someone out [today / tomorrow / this week]."
See the triage table below for how to set that.
6. Pricing
"Our inspection is [free / $X], and the technician will give you an exact treatment price on-site before any work starts. Most [pest] treatments for a home your size run between [$X and $Y]."
7. Booking
"I have [day] between [time] and [time], or [day] between [time] and [time]. Which works better?" "You're booked. You'll get a text confirmation with the time window, and the technician will text when they're on the way. Anything else I should note for them?"
8. Recurring-plan offer
"One more thing: a lot of [pest] problems come back with the seasons. We offer a [quarterly / seasonal] protection plan for [$X per visit / month] that includes [exterior barrier treatment, free re-services between visits]. Want the technician to walk you through it at the inspection?"
How do you triage pest control calls by urgency?
Not every call needs a truck today. Use simple rules so the script, or the AI agent running it, books the right slot.
| Situation | Urgency | Script action |
|---|---|---|
| Stinging insect nest near a door, play area or someone allergic | Same day | Safety warning, book first available |
| Someone stung or bitten and reacting badly | Emergency | Tell caller to call 911 now, then book |
| Rodents inside living space, droppings in kitchen | Same or next day | CDC clean-up warning, book first available |
| Bed bugs | Next day | Ask them not to move furniture between rooms, book inspection |
| Swarming termites or visible damage | Within days | Book inspection, explain the report |
| Ants, spiders, occasional roaches | Routine | Book this week, offer recurring plan |
| Commercial kitchen or food business | Same day | Book first available, note any inspection deadline |
What should the follow-up text say?
A short text right after the call confirms the booking; if they didn't book, a follow-up keeps you in the running. Keep each message short and use your company name.
Booked confirmation
"Hi [First name], this is [Company]. You're booked for a [pest] inspection on [day] between [time window] at [address]. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule. Please keep kids and pets away from [nest / affected area] until we arrive."
Didn't book yet
"Hi [First name], [Company] here following up on the [pest] problem you called about. We have openings [day] and [day]. Reply with a time that works and we'll lock it in."
After the service
"Thanks for choosing [Company], [First name]. If you see any activity before your next visit, reply here and we'll schedule a free re-service. Ask us about our [quarterly] plan anytime."
Can an AI voice agent run a pest control call script?
Yes. Sharrk's AI voice agent answers every call 24/7 and follows your script step by step: the pest, safety and property questions, your safety warnings word for word, your urgency rules and price ranges, then the booking. Urgent callers can be live-transferred to your team, and a Strike sends the follow-up texts above. See the AI receptionist for pest control page and our pest control answering service cost breakdown.
How does Mako write the script for you?
Mako is the AI assistant inside Sharrk that builds your agents, follow-ups and campaigns from plain English. Tell it something like: "We're a pest control company in [city]. Ask what pest, where, and how long. Ask about kids, pets and allergies. Wasps near a door or rodents in the kitchen get same-day slots. Inspections are free. Offer our quarterly plan at the end." Mako turns that into a complete voice agent with your questions, triage rules and booking steps, builds the follow-up Strike, and shows every change on an Apply card before anything goes live.
How Sharrk handles this
- Every call answered 24/7 by an AI voice agent running your script, with live transfer for urgent calls.
- Inspections booked onto Sharrk's calendar, Calendly, Cal.com or ServiceTitan.
- Follow-up on autopilot: Strikes send texts, calls and emails between 8am and 8pm, and every caller lands in the built-in CRM.
- Mako builds it from plain English and asks before applying any change.
Sharrk Free lets you build and test your agent with Mako in the browser with no card, and Sharrk Core is $99 a month with every feature (see pricing). Start free or book a demo.
Sources
- National Pest Management Association, "Dealing With Stinging Insects? Here's What to Know" (Business Wire, July 15, 2025) (checked October 16, 2026)
- NPMA PestWorld, Stinging Insects pest guide (checked October 16, 2026)
- CDC, How to Clean Up After Rodents (checked October 16, 2026)
- EPA, Pesticide Safety Tips (checked October 16, 2026)
- EPA, Read the Label First: Protect Your Pets (checked October 16, 2026)
Related on Sharrk: AI receptionist for pest control · AI answering service · Speed to lead
Frequently asked questions
What should a pest control receptionist ask on a new customer call?
Ask what pest they see, where and for how long, then whether there are kids, pets or allergies in the home, the property type and address, and any prior treatment. Those answers set the urgency and let you book the right technician.
What should you tell a caller who has a wasp or hornet nest?
Tell them to keep everyone, including pets, away from the nest and not to remove or spray it themselves. The National Pest Management Association advises never removing a nest yourself and calling a licensed professional.
Should you quote a price over the phone for pest control?
Give your inspection fee and a typical price range, then explain the exact treatment price comes after the inspection. That answers the caller's question without quoting the wrong number for a job you haven't seen.
When should a pest control call be booked same day?
Book same day for stinging insect nests near doors or allergic household members, rodents in living or food areas, and commercial food businesses. Anyone having a serious reaction to a sting should call 911 first.
Can an AI answer pest control calls and book inspections?
Yes. Sharrk's AI voice agent answers every call 24/7, runs your pest control script, applies your urgency rules and books the inspection onto Sharrk's calendar, Calendly, Cal.com or ServiceTitan, with live transfer to your team when needed.