Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for termite control companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Proven Termite Solutions, the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is simple: focus on keeping its clients happy throughout every step of the termite control process. “We take customer satisfaction very seriously because it makes us relevant and keeps us in business,” says President Jim Weed. “From using state-of-the-art equipment to offering one of the best warranties in the industry, everything we do is geared toward providing a great experience for each client.”

Proven Termite Solutions has been providing termite control, protection, and inspection services for residential and commercial clients in Santa Clara, Alameda, and San Mateo Counties since 1989. The company offers various treatment options that are designed to eradicate both drywood and subterranean termites, including soil injection, tent fumigation, and alternative methods like “local drill and treat” and Orange Oil.

Unlike termite control companies that hire subcontractors to perform the actual eradication work, Proven Termite Solutions uses its own employees throughout every phase of every job. “When most people hire a termite company, they expect that same company to do all the work, but that’s not always the case,” explains Mr. Weed. “We’re one of the few companies in the Bay Area that handles everything in-house. When our clients hire us, they know exactly who will be performing the work.”

Another distinguishing feature of Proven Termite Solutions is its comprehensive approach to quality control, which includes providing monthly training sessions for its employees and performing random inspections after every job is complete. “We can’t do a quality job without quality employees, so we take the necessary steps to ensure our staff always meets and exceeds industry standards,” says Mr. Weed. “This type of approach isn’t always a given in the pest control industry, but we feel it’s crucial for meeting our clients’ needs as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Take simple steps to keep your home termite-free for extended periods of time. The success of any pest control program depends on the ability of the homeowner to make sure their property doesn’t experience any further infestations. The best way to accomplish this is to maintain a professional inspection schedule—even if you don’t see any discernible signs of an infestation, termites can still exist under your house or in other difficult-to-spot areas. To keep termites from re-infesting your home between professional inspections, consider the following tips:

Keep all wooden parts of your house from touching the soil. Termites can crawl directly from soil onto wood, so it’s a good idea to have stone, concrete or sand barriers between the soil and your house. Don’t forget to make sure wooden deck posts and home supports also have barriers that protect them from the soil.

Remove wood debris, leaves and brush from around the base of your home. Termites often live in fallen trees or firewood, and they can transfer to your home if old wood comes in contact with its exterior. They’re also drawn to standing water, so make sure you regularly clear out your gutters and drains.

Use pretreated wood when building a new deck or patio. Also, consider installing termite-resistant windows and doors to further prevent the chance of an infestation.

Apply fresh coats of paint to all painted areas of your home. “There’s not a lot you can do to prevent drywood termites from coming in to your home, but it’s much harder for them to burrow if they land on a freshly painted surface,” explains Jim Weed, president of Proven Termite Solutions in San Jose.

Seal attic vents and vents leading to crawlspaces under your home. Keeping termites out of these areas will help prevent them from boring into untreated wood.

Don’t hesitate to take preventative measures against subterranean termites. “Even if you don’t have a noticeable problem, getting regular treatments can set you up for six to 10 years of protection,” says Mr. Weed.

Q: What’s the difference between fumigation and a local treatment like Orange Oil?

A: When you have your home fumigated, you don’t have to worry about the effectiveness of the treatment because it’s nearly 100 percent effective. Local treatments like microwave technology and Orange Oil are applied to specific areas of the home where termites are found. Only 10 to 12 percent of the wood in a house can actually be seen, so these methods are more localized and, therefore, less effective for completely eradicating termite infestations.

Q: Is termite fumigation safe?

A: Yes. The industry standards for fumigation were changed about three years ago, and they’re safer than ever. All the fumigant is circulated out of the building before the protective tarps come down, so when you go back into your home after fumigation, you don’t have to wash or clean anything, including dishes and children’s toys.

Q: What kind of preparation is involved with fumigation?

A: Preparing the outside of your home for fumigation is pretty straightforward. Primarily, we need a path of bare dirt or concrete around the base of the building so we can fumigate effectively. On the inside, anything alive has to be removed, including plants and pets.

Q: Will you take care of my property during the fumigation?

A: Absolutely. We’ll completely secure your property while it’s being fumigated, and we’ll install secondary locks and devices on all doors and entryways. Only our licensed fumigator will have access to your home—our other employees aren’t allowed inside at any time.

Q: Do you perform termite repairs or inspections for home sales?

A: No. We focus on eliminating termites, so we don’t have the capabilities to perform repairs or inspections for real estate transactions. Since eradication is the only thing we do, we’re very aware of what it takes to complete each job efficiently, affordably and with the best quality of service. If you need termite repairs, we can give you referrals for other contractors we’ve worked with over the years.

Q: What are the details of your guarantee?

A: We guarantee our fumigation services for three full years. When we started this company in 1989, every guarantee in California was for one year, but we made ours for three years and kept it that way until this very day. You can also renew your guarantee at the beginning of the fourth year for an annual fee.