Any time you need to hire a service professional it can be nerve wracking.
Reading reviews, trying to understand technical lingo, visiting multiple pages from web searches all claiming to be the best in your area. It can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to pest control services.
You may not have time to do hours of research if you just saw a rat in the kitchen or have a family of raccoons living in your attic or crawlspace.
At Got Gophers we understand how difficult it can be.
That’s why we have compiled a list of the top 6 things you can do to make sure you are hiring the best pest control company to fit your needs. Our list takes the guess work out of finding a competent and trustworthy pest control company.
Let’s get started!
The top 6 things you need to do before hiring a pest control Company
1) Identify Your Pest Issue and do your own research
Knowledge is power! Whether your pest issue is rats, raccoons, gophers, or squirrels, it is important that you know as much about your pest and the control methods as you can. Armed with this knowledge it will be far easier to identify a bad pest control company who will attempt to sell you services you don’t need.
2) Be sure you are paying for what you need
Be sure that the services being offered are what you need. When hiring a pest control company it can be easy to assume that repeat monitoring after service, or services to get rid of one pest would automatically include a similar pest are included. This may not be the case so you need to ask as many questions as you can before signing a contract with a company. It is also a good idea to clarify before and after service what is covered under your contract.
3) Licensing
Before hiring a pest control company, make sure you are aware of the licensing requirements in your state. The pest control company you are hiring should be covered by these licenses. Always ask for proof of licensing. Truly professional pest control companies will have no problem covering as much detail as you require and giving you proof and peace of mind.
4) Technician Experience
Each pest control company must have one certified, licensed commercial pesticide applicator in the specific pest control category. If they are not certified they must be licensed technicians under the direct supervision of a certified applicator. Often you can find this information on the companies website in the “About Us” section.
5) Beware of the upsell
If you are in need of pest control services there usually is no need to upsell you on anything. There should be no feeling of salesmanship or pressure from your contact within the pest control company in question. Companies who try to push a service on you that you do not need are typically not concerned with the quality of the work they will do. Within a professional pest control company there will be no pressure to sell you any “extra” services unless they are relevant to the initial service or have been discovered while implementing said pest control service, and even then they should feel like professional suggestions and information for you to use should you need to make a future pest control decision.
6) Make sure to check the ratings and reviews
Be sure to do your homework on review sites such as Yelp, Google Business pages etc. for reviews on a prospective pest control company. If a company has 5 stars but only 3 anonymous reviews and no additional information given, that may be a sign to question the validity of the reviews. Typically the higher the number of reviews and the more detail given by reviewers is a good sign that you can trust the star rating of a prospective business.
(This strategy of reading reviews should be used for all types of businesses.)
As you can see, there are several things that a pest control company needs to do to prove that they are a professional company worthy of your business.
This doesn’t mean that you should stand back and assume everything will go your way!
Once you have found the perfect company for your needs here are some things you can do as a customer to make sure you get the most out of your pest control services:
- Stay in contact with your pest control company – Often we think once a service has been completed there is no need to communicate anymore with your service provider. In fact, one of the best things you can do is review your contract and make sure the pest control company is monitoring the pest population in question.
- Convey what levels of pest population are tolerable and intolerable to your home or business. For example you may need to get rid of a ground squirrel population that is ruining your garden but you enjoy the tree squirrels you have on your property, or you may be able to tolerate ants outside in the yard but not in the house or your garage.
- Inform your company of choice about changes in pest population between service visits. This type of information can greatly increase the effectiveness of your control implementation.
- Do your part to manage the pest issue – The majority of pest infestations require that the home/business owner employ best practices to maintain a low population of certain pests. For example it may be necessary to clean up areas of debris and clutter such as wood or leaf piles, repair structures, and keep areas clear of food sources or leaky pipes that attract pests of all types.
If you find yourself in need of pest control company please contact Got Gophers now!
Our reputation precedes us when it comes to customer satisfaction and the excellent services we provide.
We have solutions for any pest control infestation you may be suffering from and our veteran certified and licensed technicians are available to answer any questions you may have throughout the entire process.
From your first call to every consecutive visit we are at your service and we never forget that the customer experience comes first!