InTents August/September 2021 - 38

business | tips and techniques
Long-term
rental solutions
Strategies to implement when working with clients.
by Zachary Wilson
T
Be upfront with your clients
When working with a client who is
looking to rent and/or purchase a tent
from your inventory, it is best to be
upfront with information. Take the time
to explain the tent's life expectancy,
weather limitations, and costs for repairs
and maintenance services.
hroughout the COVID-19 pandemic,
many tent rental companies have
experienced an increase in demand for
long-term rentals. While the process of
navigating the ins and outs of long-term
rentals with clients can be challenging,
it can also be rewarding. The following
identiies a few of the long-term rental
challenges we have encountered at The
Greenwich Tent Company and offers
speciic solutions to implement when
working with clients.
Quoting
It became clear during the pandemic that
many irst-time rental clients understand
only the basics about tents. When a client
calls to say they want to rent a tent, it is
crucial to ask questions to understand
what the client really needs. It is also helpful
to be creative with your inventory.
Our team dealt with many clients who
would ask for a particular tent size of
which we would happen to be sold out.
But after asking the right questions and
performing a site review with the clients,
in many instances a different sized tent
could perform the same function as well
or better than the original size. The more
information your team gathers from the
client upfront, the better your outcomes
will be.
Renting vs. selling inventory
We worked with many established restaurant
groups and clients who, after
receiving a rental quote from us, would
38 intents aug-sept 2021
ask for a purchase price. This turned out
to be an opportunity for our company
to sell through older inventory to make
room for new purchases, and it helped us
secure recurring service contract business
for years to come.
When a client asks to purchase a tent,
be upfront about the life expectancy
and maintenance/replacement costs
of the tent. Our team found it helpful to
include a multi-year service contract for
anything the client purchased from us. In
the service contract, we provided pricing
for yearly installation and removal
as well as quotes for storm removals,
cleaning services and warehousing fees
(if seasonal).
Being transparent about " hidden "
costs associated with purchasing a tent
built goodwill with our clients and they
expressed appreciation for knowing
what the costs were upfront.
Equipment selection
Explaining the limitations of the rental
equipment is essential. Clients may not
understand that, although a tent may
have a rating for a speciic wind load, in
practice, it is dangerous to occupy that
above a wind speed that could be much
lower. A site review is essential to not
only measure the space, but also to determine
how a tent will be anchored. Be
speciic about the formula you are using
to ballast/stake the tent. Account for exposure
to cold temperatures and high
winds-a combination that can cause
InTents August/September 2021

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