When Tates Rents in Boise, ID first hung its shingle as Safway Scaffolding Company in 1946, the internet and social media were about as imaginable as landing on the moon. Seven decades and three family generations later, the rental company has nine rental tool locations throughout the state, employs close to 100 people, and relies on its website and other digital resources to help get its message to current and potential customers.
“We recently retained an advertising agency to develop a new website for us,” said company Operations Manager Haley Hennessey. “Customers primarily use it to get directions to our locations and view our rental selections. The site is integrated with Point of Rental, so it’s updated automatically when we add new inventory. At this point, customers call to reserve items, but we are working on plans to allow them to reserve online and track their equipment.”
Hennessey noted the website is especially valuable to homeowner customers who are less familiar with their store than contractors who likely already have a relationship with stores and salespeople. She also uses the site to post monthly instructional videos such as a recent one on “how to operate a boom lift.”
In addition to having a website, Tates Rents is active on both Facebook and Instagram. “We try to post something new at least every other day to keep people interested. That could be anything from company news, including images of events, new equipment, and new hires or promotions, to position openings. Instagram is more image oriented, but we generally post the same news on both platforms,” added Hennessey.
The company has also shifted it phonebook advertising to Yelp. “We want to be where people are,” Hennessey emphasized. “Potential customers like to read reviews before deciding where to rent and Yelp provides that opportunity.”
