2 days before we put our renovated house up for sale, we found out that we had animals (probably rats) running inside the basement walls. It was a big shock, as we couldn’t sell the house like that.
We wanted to make sure that we used a reliable company to take care of the problem & asked advice from the real estate agent, who told us to use one of the big firms such as Aetna.
I called Aetna on Monday morning, and they sent a technician to my place the next day. I was worried about the visual impact all this would have on the sale of the house – starting with the fact that people would see some pest control vehicle parked in front of the house. But I didn’t need to worry about that: first of all the technician came in an unmarked vehicle, and second, without being asked to, he automatically parked the vehicle a block away from my house. That showed me straight away that I was dealing with true professionals.
Aetna advertises the fact that they are specialized in termite problems, but actually they really know the job when it comes to all kinds of pests.
Doug, the technician who came to see the house, was extremely knowledgeable about rats: he found signs to confirm that we were indeed dealing with rat(s), and signs to confirm where they were entering the wall. He installed traps, and told me he would come by twice a week to check things out. I felt a huge sense of relief after his visit, knowing that the problem was in good hands and would get solved as best as could be.
On Friday night a rat got caught in the trap. I called Doug on Saturday morning, just to leave him a voice mail & ask him to call me on Monday (as I figured that he wouldn’t be working on Saturdays). Indeed he doesn’t work on weekends, but nevertheless he returned my call on Saturday morning (he is not just working “a” job 9 to 5 Monday to Friday: he is doing his job conscientiously & thoroughly) and he gave me advice on what to do until he came by on Monday morning.
What also made a big impression on me is that Aetna gives a big importance to customer service.
Too often nowadays when you call a company they talk to you as if they are doing you a favour by taking your business. But Aetna is different: the lady who answered the phone was friendly and helpful, and the technician who came to the house was extremely courteous and friendly, answering all the questions and explaining everything very clearly.
I would give Aetna 11 out of 10 if that was an option.