How your business can be affected by pest control problems

Advice About How Pest Problems Can Adversely Affect Your Local Business

Step By Step Guide 1. RODENTS...

• Rats and mice can infest and contaminate foodstuffs and sterile areas around your restaurant or hotel with droppings. This means it will not reach health and safety standards.

• Rodents carry serious diseases and chew things. Throwing away any contaminated food stocks or products can be expensive.

• Customers will be put off and alarmed if your restaurant or hotel is infested with rodents. They won’t return in the future.

• Badly compromised health and hygiene standards can lead to lost trading revenue and will damage your reputation within the community.

• Mice and rats and even squirrels pose a health risk to staff and customers. They also pose a fire and structural damage risk from chewing through wires and timbers.

2. BED BUGS… • Customers will complain, and not give you any repeat custom if you own a hotel or guest house.

• An infestation will cause extensive damage to your brand and reputation with your visitors, which may take years to correct.

• With few customers coming because of the infestation, you will consistently lose profits, amounting to a substantial loss of earnings.

• Possible legal proceedings could be bought against you, particularly when you should be providing a healthy environment for guests to stay in.

• Treating an entire hotel or guest house will be costly and time consuming if not acted on immediately, especially if you have a big infestation to get rid of.

3. COCKROACHES… • Cockroaches contaminate foodstuffs, having a detrimental effect on the health of your staff and customers visiting your restaurant or food service venue.

• They cause damage to goods such as leather, books, pictures, furnishings etc. and will eat almost anything in their path. This is particularly dangerous if you own a furniture store, or have a restaurant.

• If spotted by a customer in a restaurant or diner, they will immediately raise the alarm, causing loss of customer trust through word of mouth.

• They will damage your health and hygiene reputation irreparably, especially if you own a hotel, private hospital or restaurant.

• The cost of damages caused by cockroaches is extensive, and you may have to temporarily close your business for treatment meaning a loss in revenue.

4. FLIES… • Flies will damage your restaurant or hotel’s reputation through very bad hygiene standards and health and safety concerns.

• Some flies can bite people, a major source of annoyance and are a huge health concern for staff and customers.

• Flies contaminate food, and carry diseases. This has huge implications to a restaurant or food preparation service’s reputation, and may lead to legal proceedings.

• A severe fly problem will create a very bad impression of your business. People will think it’s dirty and neglected. This is particularly damaging if you own a food outlet.

• Non­compliance with UK legislation on hygiene standards can lead to fines, and your income will be reduced from fewer customers.

5. WASPS… • Customers at outdoor dining venues will become uncomfortable and leave your premises, or not enter at all, if they see that wasps are present.

The same goes for any outdoor based business.

• If your shop, restaurant or pub is losing customers due to wasps, it reflects negatively on your reputation and results in a big loss of income.

• Fear amongst staff of getting stung when collecting glasses or empty plates can lead to loss of staff, and make hiring new employees difficult.

• Many people are allergic to wasp stings, so people will avoid your premises if they know you have a wasp infestation. No one wants to eat, or buy things from, a place that has wasps buzzing around constantly.

If you have a wasps’ nest on your business property it needs to be removed professionally. The added danger to your customers of swarming is a very real threat.

6. FLEAS...

• If fleas bite your employees and customers, it immediately negatively impacts their trust. It is even worse if you have a hotel and your guests are covered in flea bites.

• If spotted in any branch of the leisure industry or retail outlet, they will cause serious damage to your health and safety and hygiene reputation.

• Customers will leave immediately if they know your hotel, hostel or guest house has fleas, losing you revenue and repeat custom in the future.

• If fleas cause harm to your employees, they may decide to take long absences or resign completely from their jobs.

• Fleas are very likely to be a recurring problem in a dog or cat grooming parlour once one infestation has been experienced if it’s not treated properly.

0800 633 5220

EMPIRE PEST CONTROL www.empirepestcontrol.co.uk

0203 633 2143