From: Stan Brown 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Recommendations regarding termite control
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 13:27:54 -0400
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Sun, 22 Jul 2007 06:24:48 -0700 from Bill :
> I would just call a "large company" exterminator in your area.
> 
> If you are worried about being ripped off or the exterminator not doing the 
> job properly, then I think you should be safe by using a large company 
> rather than say a "one man business".
> 
> The large company would have a lot to risk by not doing jobs properly. And 
> they would not have grown to be a large company if they had a lot of 
> dissatisfied customers!
> 
> A one man operation could easily do a poor job or rip people off, then go 
> out of business and move to another town.

There's something in that, but I think the argument can also go the 
other way. I would *prefer* a one-man operation if I had 
recommendations from people I trust.

The brand names get business basically through advertising and name 
recognition. To an extent, they don't care if they alienate one 
customer because they've got plenty more on the horizon.

Also, like any other large company they have good employees and bad. 
Your neighbor may be very happy, and you very unhappy, because you 
got different service people.

A one-man (or -woman) local operation is much more dependent on word 
of mouth and reputation. I would far rather call Sweeney's Pest 
Elimination than Orkin or Terminix -- I and my friends have dealt 
with him and know he does a good job.

-- 
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
                                  http://OakRoadSystems.com/