Why Contact is Key

It’s a fact of life that sometimes breakages and problems occur during a hire period. While a single broken cup in an order of a thousand is barely worth thinking about, there can be times when issues do arise due to something not working as it should.

The big thing with any issue is not about who is to blame – but how to fix it. We want each and every event we serve to be a resounding success; simply because successful events mean more business for us. We don’t want events to have issues because a piece of equipment has not worked or an item has got broken in transit.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a simple guide to what to do if there is a problem.

Check hire equipment when it arrives

The earlier we know about a problem, the easier it is for us to fix.

Before signing for anything we have delivered, we recommend taking a quick once over to make sure everything has arrived that is meant to. We ask you to sign for equipment as being received in good working order – it’s wise to check that is actually the case as far as possible.

If there is an issue, ask the driver to call into the office. We can then make decisions to work out how to fix any problems quickly and to the satisfaction of all. One of the reasons we insist on delivering the day before an event is to give us time should there be any problems to make sure we can solve them.

Problems can be magnified if there is a delay in contacting us. If we’re not told until after an event we have no chance to fix a problem and to make things right; likewise if breakages are not reported immediately it introduces an element of doubt into when the breakages actually occurred. We want your event to be as successful as possible so it’s imperative that as a hirer you take responsibility to check things as soon as possible and to notify us of any problems.

There are occasions when a hirer might not be present to receive a delivery – for example if we are delivering exhibition equipment to a stand. It’s important with these orders that you check equipment as soon as possible once you have seen it and contact us if you have any queries.

Don’t try to fix equipment

We understand that if there is a problem there will be a temptation to try and fix it for yourself. If it’s something as simple as changing a fuse in a plug or pressing a reset button then that’s okay, but what we must ask is that customers don’t open up equipment to try and repair it.

This is particularly the case with high end equipment like ovens, fridges and hot cupboards. These kinds of equipment require professionals to check, service and repair and it can cause long term problems if someone who isn’t qualified opens an item up to fix it.

Again, it comes down to contact.  If it’s a problem that can be fixed easily – like pressing a reset button – we’ll tell you how to do it. If it’s a more complex problem we will organise how we will send out a replacement piece of equipment or a repairman.

Refer to Manuals

Some problems can be caused by using equipment incorrectly. This is particularly the case with larger catering equipment hire and outdoor hire.

We can email out a manual for any piece of our gas or electrical equipment and are currently in the process of adding these to the site so you can download them easily for yourselves. Referring to manuals can help you utilise equipment correctly and safely which should ensure problems don’t occur.

It’s really important that equipment is used as it should be – so if you have any queries it’s best to call us and our warehouse experts can advise

Pack things away carefully

Breakages most often occur in transit, so it’s important to pack things away as they were delivered. We understand that you may not be able to pack things away in the precise manner we have for delivery but there are some guidelines you can definitely follow:

• Make sure linen is dry, free of food debris, any glue or wax and placed into the bags provided
• Don’t overfill boxes if you can help it as it makes them difficult to carry and more likely to cause breakages
• Make sure doors are properly closed on equipment and that plugs aren’t trailing

Our drivers will do their best to take a count of equipment back onto their van but the responsibility is on the hirer to make sure all equipment is collected. If hire equipment is missing then the onus is on the hirer to ensure its returned to us and an invoice may be issued for replacement costs.