‘OK: How do I do this?’
8 August 2023
Anyone in tool hire knows that the equipment is just part of the story: much of the remainder comprises elements of service like delivery, maintenance, backup and advice.
And that last item is apparently in even greater demand. Home improvement retailer Wickes last year surveyed 1,500 adults aged between 20 and 40, and found that, while traditionally many people would turn to their parents for advice, more than half of the survey respondents (54 per cent) said this was not an option. The older generation would no longer know what to do either, having got used to just buying in services.
Consequently, almost half (46 per cent) said they consulted social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok or Instagram to gather information.
The most frequently searched DIY task was painting a room (65 per cent). Others included putting up shelves (55 per cent), wallpapering a room (48 per cent), laying flooring (30 per cent) and sanding floors (28 per cent).
Commenting on the survey at the time, the design historian and TV presenter Professor Deborah Sugg Ryan said: "Over the last 50 years, the landscape of DIY has changed vastly. Historically, learning the technique of fixing or building things in the home was taught via school from a young age and also through people in your family.
“People also learnt from magazines and manuals and had time to master skills from wallpaper hanging to bricklaying. Nowadays, we are much less reliant on print media, and this means that the way we learn has changed. We want content that is easily accessible and doesn’t tie us to a particular schedule.
“During the pandemic, there was a huge boom in home improvement,” she went on. “The home, for many, became a hub of where you live, work, exercise and rest and it encouraged a new generation of DIY-ers who want to learn new skills and social media allowed them to do this."
This is something that the blog highlighted early on in the pandemic as people, faced with lockdown or working unexpectedly from home, sought to improve their surroundings.
So hire companies offering this sort of advice on social media or directing them to a dedicated area on their website could tap into an important potential customer base.
Indeed, a very quick YouTube search showed that several national and independent hirers have uploaded educational content on their channels to help people using equipment like carpet cleaners and petrol cut-off saws.
And a number of hirers and suppliers make their own instructional videos and upload them on their websites, or offer detailed guidance on product selection and usage. I’ll be mentioning some of these in future posts.
Such initiatives obviously require commitment in time and resources, but the dividends could be significant in terms of customer satisfaction – and, above all, new business.
