“The Olton premises are on a busy main road and have an imposing shop front. We were very interested to see whether we would attract a significant amount of passing trade, and we have been very pleased with the level of business achieved since the first day of opening. This proves to us that the traditional hire model, whereby an independent can serve local tradesmen and members of the public by having a good high street presence, can still be successful.
“The current trading environment is challenging, but levels of business for us remain good. We keep in close contact with our customers to ensure we provide them with what they need. They appreciate our standards of service and our quick response times, and they generally recognise that this has a value. They realise that they might be able to get a slightly lower price quoted from a different or unfamiliar hire company, but if equipment is not delivered when they ask for it, or if breakdowns are not resolved quickly enough, they know that it will end up costing them more in the long run, in terms of downtime and delays. We are able to maintain sensible hire rates without compromising our quality of service. Obviously, there is an element of flexibility, but in the end the price has to be right for the customer, and right for us.”
When EHN reported on Prestige in our
December 2009 issue,
Additional investment in equipment for both depots has been made over the past year.
we noted that its list of larger clients included several local authorities within its region. This is still the case, but the government’s reductions imposed on public spending to lower the budget deficit have led to a decrease in business from this market, and the company is developing other aspects of its customer base.
“The national hirers seem to be focused on serving larger contractors and developing national accounts business, whereas we are concentrating on smaller builders and local tradesmen. Indeed, we are finding that this kind of customer is increasingly turning to us for the equipment and service they need on a local basis. We are opening new accounts steadily at both our locations, and our customer base is definitely growing.”
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www.prestige-hire.com
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