Just so there’s no misunderstanding here: PGM and Son Pest Control is a LOCAL HEREFORDSHIRE BUSINESS.
We live and work here, our children attend school here and our friends and family live here. And, like you, if we need a job doing, we want to support our local businesses and tradespeople.
Can you say the same for the companies topping the search engines online who purport to be local businesses?? Here’s some common misunderstandings and a few simple tips for the people of Herefordshire to check who they are dealing with before they hand out their hard earned cash!
Myth 1: If it’s a local telephone number, it’s a local business.
Fact: NOT TRUE – many companies buy up local telephone numbers to give the impression you are contacting a local business. In reality, the business itself may be based in another part of the country.
Myth 2: The website looks professional so it must be a professional service company.
Fact: NOT NECESSARILY TRUE – quite often the businesses that top the search engine charts aren’t even the trades service you’re looking for. Many of them are ‘lead generators’ which means they use their purchasing power to get to the top of google, bing and other search engines and then they farm out your business to – guess who – yes, the tradesperson who lives just down the road from you!!
Myth 3: They’ve got excellent reviews online
Fact: They may have excellent reviews online but are those reviews real? And, are those reviews from people who live in your local area?
OUR TOP FIVE TIPS TO TELL IF YOU’RE DEALING WITH A LOCAL BUSINESS
1. Look more closely at the website – see if they have a trading address and if so, where it is. If it’s a limited company, you can check them out at: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/
2. If they report excellent reviews, take a closer look. Do the reviews seems legitimate & are they from local people?
3. Pop their name into google along with another county, such as Surrey, and see if they come up there as well as Herefordshire.
4. Check they are on a recognised register for their service. For example, for pest controllers you can: Check The NPTA Register
5. Ask for copies of their qualifications and licences / certifications. Often, lead generators won’t have those themselves and instead rely on local tradespersons’ to supply their own. For pest controllers, as a minimum, they should be able to supply you with their: a. Pest Control Qualifications (e.g. through the Royal Society for Public Health)
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