Welcome: Taking customer
service full-circle
by Clair Urbain, Editor, Publisher
Crown Rental is finding ways to serve its customers 24/7 without increasing its business hours. The company has developed a system that allows renters to order, pick up and drop off tools and equipment at any time of day or night.
It also closely tracks the location of its tools and equipment. Cameras throughout its rental facilities record movement, and equipment trackers send alerts if items leave a predefined geofence. When rentals are returned, photos document equipment condition upon arrival at the facility. The company has leveraged technology to reduce — or even eliminate — the hand-holding traditionally associated with the rental process.
Critics of hands-off rentals worry about losing the personal touch and insight that come from one-on-one customer interactions. But when a customer needs a sewer snake on a weekend night, or a generator or trash pump after a catastrophic weather event, that “need-it-now” urgency can build more loyalty than casual conversation.
The staff at Crown Rental understand this. Their system does not treat customers like commodities; instead, their hands-off service addresses a real need among current and prospective customers. The company has taken what has traditionally been a high-touch business and adapted its processes to serve those who prefer low-touch or no-touch service.
In doing so, Crown Rental has brought its commitment to customer service full circle.
This article originally appeared in the May-June 2026 issue of Pro Contractor Rentals magazine. ©2026 Urbain Communications LLC. All rights reserved.
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