Pest Control - Service Standards
Read on, or download our service standards for Pest Control.
The Pest Control Service helps the Council meet its corporate
priorities around protecting the environment and improving the
health of the local community. This information explains how we
respond to your calls regarding household pests, what services we
can offer and what standards you can expect from us.
What we do
· The Pest Control Service is part of the Community Services
Division. We deal with around 1,600 requests each year. We treat a
range of domestic pests, but the most common are rats, mice, wasps
and black ants. Naturally, it is of great concern when you think
you may have a pest problem, and we aim to treat and control the
problem as quickly as possible.
· We offer advice on how to recognise the signs of a pest problem,
what actions you can take yourself, and identify ways that we can
treat the infestation. We also provide a full insect identification
service. These services are provided to domestic and business
customers.
· We undertake a sewer and water course baiting programme
throughout West Lancashire to control rodent numbers and prevent
the spread of infestation.
Fees and payments
· Domestic pest control treatments cost £36.30* (including
VAT).
· A concessionary rate is available for domestic treatments of rats
and mice only, which is charged at £18.15* (including VAT). To be
eligible for this, the householder must be claiming one or more of
the following benefits:
- Income support
- Housing benefit
- Council tax benefit
- Job seekers allowance
- Disability living allowance
- Disability tax credit
- Long-term incapacity benefit
For the safety of our operatives and your convenience, we do not
require payment during the visit to your home. Instead, payments
are required in advance. A member of the Pest Control section will
contact you regarding this once you have requested treatment.
*Please note that these figures will be in effect from 1 April 2007
until 31 March 2008. For current prices visit the Pest Control section.
Our service promise
· When you contact us by telephone, your query will be answered by
one of our Customer Services Advisor, who will arrange for our Pest
Control section to contact you, to arrange an appointment and take
payment for the treatment.
· We will then discuss your problems in detail and arrange a
convenient date for an officer to call. We will aim to visit your
property within 3 days for rodent complaints and within 5 days for
insect complaints. Appointments are arranged for either a morning
(9.00am to 1.00pm) or afternoon (1.00pm to 5.00pm) visit.
· Work will be carried out by trained operatives who provide all
equipment and materials and ensure minimum disruption to your home.
Our staff will also, where practical, dispose of any pests found at
your property.
· There are different treatment options depending on the pest. Some
courses will take longer to work than others. Our staff will advise
you on this.
· We aim to successfully treat all insect complaints in one visit.
There may be some occasions where the treatment has been
unsuccessful. We will come back at no further cost as long as we
are notified within 3 weeks.
· There is no free call back for rodent treatments. A number of
revisits are conducted throughout the treatment to ensure that it
has been successful. We aim to control all rodent infestations as
quickly as possible but in any event within 60 days.
· We aim to achieve the highest standards, but there may be
occasions where delays will be experienced. This is because some
pests, such as wasps or black ants, are seasonal and there is a
heavy demand for our services during these times. If there are any
possible delays, you will be advised at the time your appointment
is arranged.
How you can help us
· Please ensure that when you contact us you have as many details
about your pest problem as possible.
· Please make sure that you are home for the appointment. If you
are unable to meet us, contact us as soon as possible to arrange an
alternative appointment.
· When our staff visit, they provide important information about
the particular pest problem and safety precautions. Please follow
this advice to ensure that the treatment is effective and safe as
possible.
· If you are eligible for a concessionary rate, you need to show
proof of your benefit claim to our staff. Have this information
ready, e.g. benefit book, bank statement or formal letter.
· We are happy to assist all our customers with special needs.
Please mention this to our staff when you contact the
Council.
Our general standards
We have a number of general standards, which apply to all services
across West Lancashire District Council. You may find these useful
to note:
· We aim to answer letters and emails within 10 working days.
· If you request a fuller reply, or the matter requires detailed
investigation, we will send you an acknowledgment within 10 days,
which will set out what action is being taken and when you are
likely to receive a detailed response.
· We aim to answer your phone calls within 10 seconds.
· You can make an appointment to see a manager or speak to staff in
confidence.
· At all times our staff will show courtesy, respect and
sensitivity.
· To view our general standards see below.
Give us your feedback
We want to provide services that delight our customers and which
are second to none. We monitor the standards we set but also value
feedback from our customers and residents on how we can further
improve services. If you have any comments, compliments or
complaints, there is a form on which you can make any suggestions.
These are available by downloading a copy from our website or by
visiting our main offices. Alternatively you can call Customer
Services and one of our advisers will complete a form with you over
the phone.
If you do make a complaint about our services, please note that we
have a formal process for dealing with these. These should
initially be addressed to the service manager whose details are
given below. Our promise to you is that any complaint will be
answered within 10 working days.
Contacting us
Click: Pest
Control
Email: paul.charlson@westlancsdc.gov.uk
Call: 01695 577177 or 01695 585246
Come in: 52 Derby Street, Ormskirk or the CSP at the Concourse,
Skelmersdale
Our offices are open from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Thursday, and
9.00am to 4.45pm on Friday.
Our Customer Contact Centre is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to
Friday for telephone calls.
We can provide this information upon request on audiotape, in large
print, in Braille and in other languages.