Where There’s a Firesale, There’s Usually a Fire…

In the equipment rental business, just as in any other service and product-oriented business, there is extreme competition for potential business. Most customers are driven to rent equipment by a few factors. First of all, the customer likes to know that they will be taken care of for the entirety of their rental. Knowing that your rental house is giving you the best in service and expertise is huge. No one likes to feel like they are being squeezed for every nickel they can be squeezed for, and then pushed out the door with their gear (and invoice). I know that one reason our clients like to rent from us is that we strive to be as fair as possible when shoots take unexpected twists.

The next factor that usually drives a customer to choose a particular rental house is price. There are all kinds of deals floating around out there. Discounts, cash back offers, 2 for 1 deals, referral specials, not to mention the usual day, week, and month specials. As a consumer, I like to save money. I, like most of my customers, like to feel like I am getting a good deal when I buy or rent something. I also like to feel good about the business that I am giving my hard earned money to. As a rule, I stay away from the giant chain stores, especially if the service is suspect. By sticking with reputable and knowledgeable vendors, I eliminate worries about the technical stability of the gear I rent, and know that I can get service when I need it. There is however an alarming tactic that competition uses to attract business, and that is the dreaded “Fire Sale”. The term “Fire Sale”, as defined by Wikipedia, is “…the sale of goods at an extremely discounted price, typically when the seller is facing bankruptcy or other impending distress.”. In other words, where there’s a fire sale, there’s usually a fire.

You can usually bet that vendors offering you camera or equipment rental at half price, or extremely discounted rates, are suffering for business. There is also usually a reason they are suffering. Poor customer service, bad technical support, and financial mismanagement are all usual suspects behind the fire sale. By buying into a fire sale, you may get a deal in the short term, but you definitely miss out on the service and support you get from a reputable and dedicated rental house. Are you really saving money when you rent a ½ off HD camera, and it’s not set up and engineered properly? Or that double-your-discount incentive that leads you to rent a VTR that likes to eat tapes, and is of suspect mechanical condition? What about the gear you rent with the sometimes tricky menu structure? Do you think the fire sale guys are going to support you after they have your money? I didn’t think so.

Next time you encounter a fire sale, look at the big picture. You will realize that the value added by working with reputable vendors far outweigh the short term value found in a fire sale. Remember, where there is a fire sale, there is usually a fire!