Crosshire

Profitable Partnerships

Executive Hire News, April 2009                                    Go to main Crosshire page

One of our industry’s strengths has always been its diverse customer base, and within the broad category of ‘Builder’ there is none more so than the ‘General Jobbing’ variety. No hire business would be   complete without that familiar procession of battered vans and small   trucks arriving at regular intervals to test the fortitude of our staff as they plead poverty and relate tales of woe concerning their  latest contract. They’ll tell you how they never thought they would need to hire anything for this job, but circumstances, usually  provoked by some evil Building Inspector, necessitate an unbudgeted   and urgent transaction to be made!

Just lately, many of our regular combatants have been conspicuous by their absence. My staff have been suffering withdrawal symptoms at not having to engage in the ritual banter accompanying hire and off-hire transactions with those who expect the performance of a five-ton dumper from a half-yard skip loader, or leave more concrete in the   drum of our mixers than they probably put in their client’s footings! Despite such shortcomings, these hardy entrepreneurs are an important revenue earner for most of us and the monthly contribution they drip feed into our industry is just as important as any other regular business.

The added bonus is that, as many of them can’t manage their finances, they pay cash for our services. Big Fred came back from an alleged ‘breakdown’ the other day and commented that the DIY punter he had  
been sent to help out did not need the services of an engineer, but job training. He was floundering on his home extension, having taken on an unfamiliar task he was unable to accomplish. Fred remarked that  
any number of our small builder brigade would do a better job and, judging by the efforts of our DIY man, probably just as cheaply.

As the weather gets better we will doubtless all get more DIY enquiries. Some will turn out to be trouble when the punter ends up out of his depth. It is too easy to blame an unsatisfactory final result on the hired equipment, especially if the ‘wrong’ kit was chosen. I am sure you will agree that many DIY queries start off by asking price rather than suitability for purpose. On more than one occasion we have had a DIY punter (or more often his wife!) comment how they wish they had ‘got in a builder’ but were reluctant to contact anyone unknown or without recommendation due to the negative press and TV publicity that ‘dodgy’ builders currently enjoy.

I just wonder whether, in the current economic situation, we might all profit from bringing together some of these over-optimistic home owners and our established small builder client base? Even with their  shortcomings, I would rather have a known jobbing builder operating a mini digger than an untrained DIY punter. We stopped hiring chainsaws to consumers years ago, but every time one is requested we explain  
the risks and provide names of local tree surgeons or horticultural contractors who deal with us when they need chippers or access platforms. These referrals are appreciated and build loyalty. There is much talk that people who may have moved house until recent events intervened will now want to extend their existing home. We can capitalise on this, and some careful thought and a few words with some of our established builders, who are currently short of work, might produce better long-term results.

I know that some very successful hirers in the USA actually have dedicated staff who discuss inexperienced clients’ problems and offer a total solution. Jobs that can be done by the homeowner are identified and direct hire solutions offered, but where there are issues requiring more experience and expertise, the hire company introduces a ‘partner contractor’. And those of us with interests in supplying materials as well as hire would stand to gain even more. It’s surely worth a thought.

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