Why hire is all about service

26 April 2023

Here’s a cautionary tale that shows once again the benefits and savings there can be in hiring equipment rather than buying it. 

A hire company was recently very disappointed when a good contractor customer decided to buy 20 large battery powered machines that it had previously been hiring. The client’s finance department believed it would be cheaper in the long run, so the original 20 machines were off-hired and replaced by the company’s own. 

Shortly afterwards, the customer rang asking for help. The machines had been working well but site managers did not have the expertise nor the time to manage them effectively. Parameters like battery charge condition, fuel levels in backup generators and carbon emission savings can be monitored by telematics systems and apps, but the client was unfamiliar with the technology – because previously the hirer had done it all for them. 

The customer asked the company to step back in to manage and service their equipment for them, which they were happy to do and charge a fair rate for. 

So, far from saving money it has cost the end user more. Indeed, they say it’s one of the worst decisions they have ever made. 

This shows once again that hire isn’t just about the equipment: advice, service and support elements are vital as well.

In the past, many contractors have sold their in-house hire activities to other equipment hirers, but with ongoing maintenance of their fleets as part of the deal to avoid such a knowledge gap arising. 

It may be a truism but hire is all about service, not just price. But your customers know that – don’t they?