Beavers being busy

1 June 2020

According to online reference sources, beavers are second only to humans in their extraordinary ability to change the environment in which they live. That makes Beaver Tool Hire very aptly named.

Tony Criddle, Operations Director of the Chichester-based business, told me that he and MD Neil Johnson have remained at their desks ever since the Covid-19 outbreak, but in very changed working conditions.

After the lockdown was announced on 23 March, the company furloughed its staff and closed all its six depots, except Chichester.

“We routed all calls and emails to a central system for Neil and I to monitor,” said Tony. “We were obviously limited in the scale of service we could provide, but we prioritised orders relating to the NHS, utilities and essential suppliers.

“After three weeks, two new members of staff joined. We couldn’t furlough them, so, with full social distancing arrangements in place, they started and have proved to be absolutely brilliant.”

Shortly afterwards, Chichester was able to open more fully from 9am to 2pm, serving customers collecting pre-booked items.

Following the easing of lockdown restrictions, Beaver’s other depots re-opened on 18 May with two members of staff per location. The temporary counters and other hard surfaces are regularly cleaned with a sanitiser (above) to prevent infection.

“Many people who are furloughed or self-isolating have time on their hands to do DIY and gardening tasks,” said Tony. “So we’re seeing demand for equipment like turf cutters, rotavators and mixers. As more construction sites open, demand will rise for larger machinery and we’ll be ready when that comes.”

All credit to Tony, Neil and their colleagues for working tirelessly in these challenging times, as indeed many other hirers are doing. They demonstrate the total commitment to service that is integral to hire.

Incidentally, another beaver fact is that their front teeth grow continuously, so they can gnaw and chop wood to maintain their habitat. This means they are always ready for work. Again, how very appropriate.

Let me know how YOUR business has adopted special measures to comply with the new regulations.