How to Respond to Pest Sightings in your Business
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If your business serves consumers – whether you’re a retail business, bar, restaurant, or a hotel – a pest sighting can be a real problem.
Customers are more likely to forgive poor service than spotting even one, small pest. But in the, hopefully unlikely, event that your business experiences a pest problem, how you respond to it will affect your reputation too.
React Quickly
Whoever reports the pest problem, whether it’s a customer, supplier, or member of staff, your reaction time is important. Responding immediately reassures people that you’re taking the matter seriously.
Plus, the faster you react, the less time the infestation has to get established. Most pests breed quickly and prolifically, so delaying treatment can have much wider effects and make the situation harder to resolve in the long run.
Respond Professionally
No business wants to deal with pest problems, and your instinct may be to look at how to pass the blame elsewhere. The thing is, even if the pests were brought in by someone else, it’s your establishment that has to deal with them. Reacting professionally, without getting defensive, will go a long way towards protecting your reputation.
Assure everyone that the situation is being handled (and make sure that it is), implement stringent cleaning processes immediately, and offer refunds as appropriate. Don’t pass the blame, even if it’s not your fault. Just handle the situation with grace and you’ll do better.
Bring in Experts
Part of responding professionally also means bringing in the professionals. Businesses don’t have the luxury of trial and error with DIY treatments that may or may not work. You need results and you need them quickly.
Bringing in a professional pest control company not only gives you the peace of mind that your pest problem will be handled as quickly, effectively, and discreetly as possible, it is also a good way to demonstrate that you are taking the situation seriously, and doing everything in your power to protect your customers.
Setting up an annual pest management contract is another way to demonstrate commitment to pest management, and protects your business by proactively tackling pest issues so you don’t have to worry about reacting to an unforeseen issue in the future.
Check your Obligations
Make sure you understand your legal and regulatory obligations – do you need to report your pest issue to any authorities? Are there health implications that need to be addressed? Are you using a pest control company who follow all legal requirements for the management and disposal of pests (if you are concerned about this, please get in touch with us – we’re licensed, BPCA approved, and fully compliant with all relevant legislation)?
Understand the Implications
For most people, pests imply a lack of care and hygiene, though they can appear anywhere they find an opportunity. Pests like bed bugs don’t care how clean or dirty a hotel is, but they will make people think that the premises are unclean.
Cockroaches, rats, mice, and flies all carry significant implications, especially for food service businesses. Not only do they imply a lack of hygiene, they also carry diseases and can transmit food poisoning.
When you’ve had a pest problem, especially one with health implications, thorough cleaning is vital to return your premises to safe and healthy standards. We offer full, environmental cleaning services, not only for your peace of mind but also that of your clients and staff.
Prevent Reinfestations
Once you have calmly and professionally dealt with the current problem, you need to ensure that you do your best to prevent any future infestations. Our services can include pest proofing measures to help you achieve this.
Blocking up access points, removing sources of food, cleaning scent trails – different pests require different approaches. Make sure you effectively prevent them coming back.
