EXECUTIVE REPORT
Hire with enthusiasm
Alan Guthrie meets the team at GR8 Tool and Equipment Hire, who place great emphasis on customer service and satisfaction.
GR8 Tool and Equipment Hire has established itself quickly since it opened for business in 2013. Based in Bishop’s Stortford, it serves customers throughout much of Hertfordshire and Essex, and believes that its success is based on a strong commitment to high standards of service throughout its operation.
MD Josh Thompson entered the hire industry in 2009, shortly after leaving university, as a driver with Speedy, and was determined to progress. “I learned on the job and applied for every assistant manager’s job that came up. I was successful at the seventh attempt, working at a depot in Watford. Three days later the Manager left and I eventually filled that position, subsequently working at several other depots in the region.” However, he became disillusioned with what he perceived as the company’s focus on national account customers, and started thinking about establishing his own business, hiring principally to small contractors, tradesmen and home owners.
“We found premises on a trading estate in December 2012, installed a mezzanine floor giving us a total of approximately 4,000ft2
of space,
plus car parking, and we opened three months later. We initially offered a basic range of popular hire equipment, and bought two of most items to meet potential demand, but we very quickly needed to buy more. We were cold-calling as many businesses in the area as
“We are scrupulous about the presentation of our equipment.”
we could and the response was amazing. We continued to add more of the staple items like aluminium tower and cut-off saws, and, initially, if we received three requests for something we had not considered offering, we would buy it. We never want to say no.
Fast response
“Also, with a building company in our family, we are able to test potential additions to our hire fleet. There is not a single piece of machinery that we hire which has not been trialled before we purchase and make it available. Our emphasis is on excellent service, clean premises and getting equipment to customers quickly. It is really no more complicated than that. We always answer the phone within three rings, and whether a customer is spending £5 or £5,000 with us, we will treat them all in exactly the same way.”
GR8 (pronounced, incidentally, as the individual letters and number) has a team of eight, nearly all of whom are family friends, originally with little previous hire experience. “They are people we knew and trusted, and who were interested in working with us. At GR8 we believe anyone can work in this industry if they are properly trained and committed to maintaining high standards, which is the same in any business. In fact, we would rather employ someone from outside hire, rather than recruit someone with experience but with the wrong attitude and having to re-train them. Hire is a career, not just a job.
Josh Thompson, far left, and the GR8 Tool Hire team. 29
“All of us get on, we socialise and we treat everyone well, probably paying above the industry average. And we are all enthusiastic: our official hours are from 7.30am to 5pm,
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