The Green Customer

Millennials, or customers born between 1981 and 1996, were the most responsive to green sales and marketing messages, reported 44 percent of PMPs who took part in the 2021 PCT State of the Naturals Market survey.

But Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, was gaining as a key demographic. In PCT’s 2019 survey, 13 percent of PMPs said this cohort was most receptive to green pest control messaging; that number jumped to 24 percent in 2021.

Regardless of age, customers who want green pest control shared specific traits, said PMPs.

Mark Constantino of Arkadia – Eco Pest Control said his customers are health-conscious individuals who watch what they eat, exercise regularly, and buy organic foods and cleaning products. Generally, they’re married with children and pets, and have a bachelor’s degree or higher education.

“It’s a lifestyle. If you’re pro-environment and you’re pro-health, then you’re going to look out for services that follow that philosophy,” he explained.

Blair Smith, Clark Pest Control, has found green-leaning customers are highly engaged in the pest control process. They’re “interested in what we’re doing; they’re interested in what we’re using, why we’re using it and where we’re using it,” she said. In addition, they typically have a higher tolerance for pests being present, she said.

A gap between the green mindset of consumers and their wallets, however, is still apparent at times.

During pandemic stay-at-home orders, for instance, customers who needed indoor treatment wanted technicians to get in and out quickly and to solve the problem in a single treatment. “They were much more concerned about the efficacy than they were the green nature of it,” said Darren Van Steenwyck, Clark Pest Control.

And other service attributes were still more important than being green, reported PMPs in the survey. These included being trustworthy and reliable (94 percent), providing high-quality products and services (88 percent), offering a good value (88 percent), and being local (84 percent), among others. Being green came in last at 28 percent.