If your Kent business has a pest problem, then you will no doubt want to choose a professional and reputable pest control company that will deal with your pest problem swiftly, professionally and within the boundaries of the law. But how do you know who or what to look for when selecting a Kent-based pest control company?
Competence
First of all, a good place to start would be to look at the competence of the company and the individual who is going to be doing the work. It’s a frightening thought but you can do a one-day safe use of rodenticide course and call yourself a pest controller. That’s all well and good but this does not make you a pest controller, it simply means you can use rodenticide safely and understand how dangerous.
Qualifications. So, what should you be looking for in a technician to protect your business? A technician that has completed their RSPH Level 2 in Pest Management demonstrates the key skills to deliver professional pest management services. They have been trained in the legal requirements to safely deliver pest services. They have a good understanding of the characteristics of rodents and route cause analysis. They will know the life cycle of many insects, recognise the key signs of an infestation, and identify the source.
Memberships. What does a membership matter when searching for a Kent-based pest control company? The fact that a business has aligned itself with a governing body shows the company’s integrity. Membership in these bodies means the company agrees to follow the correct operating procedures, legislation, best practices and code of conduct within the pest control industry. The main body in pest control is the BPCA (British Pest Control Association). The NPTA (National Pest Technician Association) is the other body available for companies to join.
British Pest Control Association. The BPCA membership is a minimum requirement for the many companies that deliver products under BRC (British Retail Consortium) to supermarkets and shops. The reason for this is the audit process that the BPCA imposes on its Pest Control Companies, this gives confidence to the BRC that it’s a regulated pest control company. The BRC sets out standards that must be adhered to by the pest control company and a BPCA member will achieve these just by following the code of practices.
Pest Control Companies in Kent
There are many options when it comes to pest control companies in Kent. To simplify it, you have your national companies, mid-range local district companies and your one-man bands. All of these have their pros and cons for different reasons. A lot of the time, it depends on your requirement and other factors such as budget as to which may be your best option.
National Company. When we talk about National companies it is the big household name that not only operates in the UK but some around the world. Because of the size and spread of these large companies, they have the network to cover contracts and big chains across the country such as Costa, Mcdonald’s and Tesco. The size of these contracts is huge due to the amount of stores etc. However, if you are a single unit or a loan business then this may carry cost implications because you will not be worth anywhere near the same value to them as the big chains. These big players have large overheads which will be felt by a small Kent business. On the plus side, they will have every service available from within but once again they will cost.
Local Midrange Company. The mid-range companies of which I consider Pest-Tech Ltd to be a part, offer a good all round service at a reasonable price. They tend to work in a specific area using Kent as an example or a radius of the HQ. They can deal with multi-site work and have a number of technicians so there is always emergency coverage 24/7 if this service is required. This type of company is the ideal fit to work with both local chains and individual businesses however there are times when they work in collaboration with other pest control businesses to support a larger operating area. This can work very well because it can keep the cost down to support a larger chain or area of operations. One possible downside is that some services may need to be outsourced due to the size of the company such as heat treatments or hawking work. They will have a plan to cover any service they can’t cover.
One Man Band. At the far end of the scale, you have your one-man bands. Due to the scale of the loan worker technicians, their running costs are always going to be a lot less which means their cost of treatments and services should be cheaper than the larger companies, however, sometimes that is not the case. The biggest issue when using a one-man band is when they are away on holiday or off sick then the service simply just stops which is fine if your business can deal with that. However, when you are dealing with a restaurant that has a mouse running around the restaurant amongst the customers you need action fast. This is not the time you want to hear sorry I am on holiday at the moment. I should be back in a week’s time. These are the limitations you have to consider and the service they can offer.
So Where Next
The first consideration to be made is what a pest infestation could mean to your business. Are you looking at a loss of reputation which may hit you financially and impact your business? We have all seen a business that struggles the shake off the stigma of local rumour control. Therefore you need to list what is important to you in the service delivery such as response time, call-out procedure and what the contract covers in relation to pests. The frequency of visits is always a sticking point as it will always be linked to the cost. If the duration between visits is monthly due to high risk then it’s going to be more costly than a lower frequency of visits.
Once you have considered all your factors you should know what to look for and remember cheap is not always the best in this industry as you get what you pay for. When you request a company to quote for a service contract, there is nothing to stop you from contacting their other contracts to get their opinion. I for one want my potential customers to talk to my existing customers as I believe they would soon realise what a great service we deliver. If everything is good and the offer works for you then you are ready to sign up for an agreement.
My final bit of advice would be not to sign up for anything longer than a 12-month contract. This is normal and gives you an escape route if the contract is not working or over-delivering then changes can be made. That said I always tell my customers that if there are any problems or changes needed to talk to us and communication is key to delivering great customer service.
Contact Us
Hopefully, this guide has helped to identify what you should look for when looking for a pest control company. It may, however, raise some questions so if this is the case then we are always available to answer any questions you may have by contacting Pest-Tech Ltd and we will help where we can.