Editorial: Best foot forward
Tell us how you put your best foot forward.
How do your customers perceive your rental operation? That first impression can go a long way in influencing how they fulfill their present rental need as well as future rental opportunities.
Black Hawk Rental, which is our rental center feature in this issue, has two stores in Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa. Those stores make a very positive first impression. Both branches are bright, clean and organized. Merchandise in the showroom is well-marked and set up in attractive displays. All equipment looks new or near new.
Jeff Bresson, owner of Black Hawk Rental, learned the importance of making customers comfortable and confident in his earlier days of operating auto repair centers. He makes it a practice of walking up to customers coming into the rental center to make them feel welcome. New employees learn that it’s as important to keep the showroom looking in top shape as it is being knowledgeable about the equipment they offer for rent or sale.
Unlike his competitors, Bresson’s store hours cover every day of the week and his service department offers 24-hour coverage. They are points of difference that really count with Black Hawk Rental customers that range from professional contractors to weekend-warrior DIYers.
Bresson is also cognizant about the importance of his web site, www.blackhawkrental.com. His thinking aligns with another article in this issue, Online trends in the rental industry. He plans to add online equipment reservations and rentals to the site. Increasingly, customers are looking to conducting business online, and Bresson believes it will garner additional business in the long run.
What is your rental center doing to make customers feel welcome? What are you doing to make it easy to do business with you? How are you instilling confidence that your rental center can supply the right equipment for the job in a dependable, economical way?
It’s all about putting your best foot forward. Customers who have confidence in your employees and equipment will likely be repeat customers and will share their positive experience with others.
How do you put your best foot forward? Share your ideas with me at 866-214-3223 x 130 or via email at curbain@urbaincomm.com. We’ll share the best ones in future issues or online at www.procontractorrentals.com.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Clair Urbain, Editor
Pro Contractor Rentals magazine
This article appeared originally in the July-August issue of Pro Contractor Rentals magazine. All rights reserved.
PRO CONTRACTOR RENTALS MAGAZINE
Pro Contractor Rentals provides information of value to rental centers who focus time, resources and attention on meeting the demands of construction contractors and other equipment rental customers.
