‘Get the Pin, Punch It In, Gate Opens’: After Hours Return Service a ‘Perfect Solution’ for NZ Event Company

From public street events to off-the-grid chef-catered functions, Food by Fire’s Head Honcho, Rod Thomson, knows that delivering fun and flavour to his clients takes more than great chefs, live-fire cooking and cool circus gazebos… he also needs generators, toilets, trailers, lighting and heating.

 

Solutions for businesses outside regular hours

Rod’s been hiring equipment from Kennards Hire’s Christchurch Branch for more than a decade and there’s a reason he keeps coming back. 

“Kennards Hire are always looking for ways to help their customers,” says Rod. “They’re identifying problems, coming up with solutions and making it happen.”

With his team often working outside of regular business hours, hire equipment would have to be packed down from an event, loaded onto their truck and trailer and securely stored until it could be returned to the branch on the next working day.  

“When your team is finishing a job in the early hours of the morning, it can be a nightmare to ensure what you’ve hired is kept safe overnight,” says Rod.

That all changed when he was introduced to Kennards Hire’s After Hours Return Service.

Rod is now sent a pin number via text which enables him to come into the branch at any time during the night, enter the pin and return the equipment. On his way out, he waits to ensure the gate closes behind him and he’s on his way. 

“How good is that?” says Rod. “It’s so simple: I get the pin, punch it in and the gate opens.” 

 

Efficient returns for efficient businesses

“If we’re doing a wedding and it’s out of town, we can pack down that night, drop it off at the branch and the job’s done,” says Rod. “It’s one trip and it’s a perfect solution for us.”  

It’s also delivering efficiencies to the way Food by Fire quote on a job and roster staff as they now don’t require someone to be available to return the equipment the next day. 

“Now, it’s all done on the night which means you can be cracking on with your next job sooner,” he says.

With winter coming to an end and the event season about to kick into gear, Rod says they’ll be using the service regularly in the coming months. 

“Being able to drop hired equipment back to the branch so it’s no longer under our care, makes my life 10 times easier,” he says. “At the end of the day, we all want to make a dollar so if you can make that dollar more efficiently, it’s a win-win.” 

It’s what keeps Rod and the team from Food by Fire coming back to Kennards Hire. 

“They’ve got great gear and are good at what they do,” he says. “Nothing is a problem and they keep coming up with solutions to make our jobs easier.”

Find out more about our After Hours Returns Service.