March 12, 2010

Facilities Managers now rejecting cheap pest control

Dyno-Pest reports shift in FM attitude

A flurry of recent headlines in which unwanted pests have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to managed buildings is, according to Clive Brown, senior surveyor at Dyno-Pest partly attributable to a change in the way in which facilities managers are now buying pest control services.

"Traditionally facilities managers have instructed their cleaning contractor to buy pest control facilities and, this has resulted in a budget skimming price coupled with an ineffective pest control service.  The trouble is that corners have to be cut if the lowest price is to be delivered.  But when an outbreak of pests does occur, the results can be catastrophic - both for the tenants of the building and the reputation of the facilities manager.  We’ve recently been asked to survey the premises of a blue-chip company that is in the grip of an outbreak of pests so severe it will take a few months to bring it under control.  Had Dyno-Pest been awarded the contract from the outset, I can categorically say that these problems would not have occurred.  We would have appointed two technicians to manage the contract on a monthly visitation basis as opposed to the quarterly visit they have been getting from one technician."

Clive Brown believes that a growing number of facilities managers in the Greater London area are now  appointing their pest prevention and control partners in a more strategic way - by talking to them direct and putting their credentials under the microscope before making their decision.  "Whilst price still comes into the equation, the more dominant factor is the ability of the pest control company to prevent outbreaks.  This is music to our ears given that the Dyno-Pest name has been built on delivering value through pest prevention and control," he concludes.