You’ve got a pest problem. You want a company to come and deal with it. You want that company to have the expertise to do the job safely, effectively and with exemplary customer service.
How do you find such a pest control company?
A good starting point is professional accreditations. There are many different assurance schemes available to businesses, each covering their own area of expertise. If a pest control company is accredited to one of these schemes, it is a sign they have been independently assessed as compliant with the standards set by the operators of that scheme.
Another thing to look for is ISO certification.
What is ISO?
ISO stands for the International Organisation for Standardisation. This organisation publishes a wide range of standards to help businesses improve the quality, safety and efficiency of their products and services. Each standard is developed by an expert technical committee and considers current best practice to create a framework for continuous improvements.
Adopting an ISO quality standard is a sign the company aspires to delivering the highest standards for quality in its services and products.
Standards relevant to pest control include ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
ISO 9001 – Quality Management System (QMS)
A company’s QMS is the way it monitors and improves service delivery. Over a million companies around the world hold an ISO 9001 accreditation, making it the most recognisable quality standard in the world.
To achieve ISO 9001 certification, a company must implement a robust QMS that includes objectives for continual improvements and customer satisfaction. This is important to pest control customers because often they are anxious when discovering an infestation. They may be embarrassed if they are a residential customer or concerned about reputational damage if it’s a business.
ISO 9001 provides assurance that the pest problem will be dealt with safely and professionally.
ISO 14001 – Environmental Management System
Sustainability is important to everyone. Customers want to know the work carried out on their property will be done with the minimum of impact on the environment.
ISO 14001 certification shows customers your business has a strong environmental policy with a commitment to improving environmental performance. This is important, especially in pest control where treatments can negatively impact the environment if they are used incorrectly.
Is ISO certification compulsory for pest control companies?
No. However, it is a sign that a pest control company thinks about the way it delivers its services seriously and are committed to constant improvements. I believe any pest control company worth its salt will have, at a minimum, ISO 9001 accreditation. Certainly, if I was looking to engage a company to deal with my pest problem, I would expect it to have ISO 9001 and probably ISO 14001 certification.
At Cleankill, we are proud to say we meet the criteria for a number of accreditations, including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. In addition, we are members of a wide variety of assurance schemes, including Achilles, Alcumus SafeContractor, Avetta, CHAS, Constructionline and SafePQQ. Find out more by clicking here.
Learn more about our commitment to the environment.
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