A people industry
16 June 2021
A hirer recently told me how they picked up a welcome but unexpected order.
“Someone contacted us having been let down by another hirer,” they said. “They’d ordered and paid for online the hire of equipment three weeks ahead of an important job. However, it didn’t turn up on the day.
“When they contacted the company they were told, with a shrug of the shoulders, that the order somehow hadn’t been processed.”
Perhaps this is partly a by-product of the equipment shortages and high demand that many hirers are reporting, but the customer should have been alerted well in advance – assuming the order was actually in the system.
“I think some companies are struggling to source certain items at the moment, because customers are coming to us with similar stories virtually every week,” this hirer continued.
Many hirers have added online enquiry and ordering platforms and are operating them well. But they complement, rather than replace, traditional approaches made by phone or face-to-face.
Indeed, the same hirer said, “Probably half the phone calls we get at the moment are from Joe Public doing work on their homes during the pandemic restrictions or who are on furlough. Many are tackling jobs for the first time and need a lot of extra advice.
“I spoke to one person last week and I was on the phone for 40 minutes. They wanted to hire a floor sander and asked questions on every topic you could think of apart from the weather, but I patiently gave them the information they needed.
“We also demonstrate equipment like floor sanders in the customer’s premises highlighting correct operation and maintenance. Everyone comes back with a big smile on their faces because they completed the job successfully.
“I think it’s imperative that hirers give DIY customers our time in this way. It’s good from a Health & Safety perspective and it can also lead to more business.
“If people have a good experience they come back when they’re doing their next job because of the service we gave, and they recommend us to friends and colleagues.”
Image: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
