The awards recognise the qualities that differentiate a company as being genuinely passionate about the hire industry, and committed to high standards of service and quality. Completely independent, they put all aspects of the business under the microscope and draw on the views of our customers and suppliers, as well as mystery shoppers. The citation praised Kentec for being ‘customer-focused and driven by a desire to give excellent service.’ The award was presented to Kentec MD Steve Booker at the event, held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry in February.
From the company’s depot in Tonbridge, Kent, Steve comments, “The award came as a complete surprise and was especially welcome as it is independently awarded, covers all aspects of the business and draws on the views of our customers and suppliers, as well as mystery shopper visits.”
Kentec is a family business, employing ten people. Steve, who took over running the business from his father, says, “Rather than trying to be a large money-making machine, our core values have always been centred on personalised service. The award shows that even as a relatively small business you can really make an impact and a difference.”
Steve acknowledges the role played by MCS in helping the company to be, in the words of the award citation, ‘a first-class hirer, serving its local community’ and to demonstrate ‘an exceptional degree of professionalism’. He comments, “Our customers really value the way in which we can instantly give them their whole hire history and can answer questions around what they’ve hired previously and their complete service history.”
“The service we receive from MCS, both in terms of account management and technical support, is second to none and this, in turn, helps us in meeting the needs of our own customer base, which ranges from the single DIY enthusiast to larger national construction companies. The MCS' hire management solution has provided invaluable support over the years. We use functionality such as the daily diary prompts all the time to ensure nothing is overlooked in serving our customers.” The business is now looking to further strengthen its understanding of its customers by implementing the CRM module to manage bookings and customer records.
The ‘high reliability’ of Kentec’s fleet was also noted in the awards. The Workshop module helps the company to keep equipment in first-class condition by tracking it as it comes off hire and goes into the workshop. Reports can be run that outline what is being tested, what needs repair, what has been checked and what is ready to go back on hire.
While it offers competitive pricing, it does not claim to be the cheapest operator. However, it scores on reliability and service and Steve is very optimistic about the year ahead despite the tough operating environment. He says, “We love what we do, really respect our customers and often go beyond the call of duty to help them, such as opening late to fulfil an urgent request.”
As well as winning prizes, Kentec’s approach to service has won the business the loyalty of many repeat customers, as Steve explains, “Customers often tell us that when they’ve contacted our larger counterparts, they encounter a lack of understanding of their requirements and it’s difficult to get through to the right person, whereas we offer the personal touch and always work hard to exceed their expectations.”
Steve says, “Our customers often return to us when they have tried a competitor. They may be slightly cheaper but service is shoddy. After the customer has experienced late delivery or received broken equipment, they soon come back to us realising that we go the extra mile.”
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