SPOTLIGHT ON AN INFLATABLE HIRE COMPANY
YOUR NAME?
Mitch Tooth
NAME OF YOUR INFLATABLE HIRE COMPANY?
Boos Inflatable Games
www.boosinflatablegames.co.uk
YOUR LOCATION?
Wolverhampton
WHAT IS YOUR AGE?
23 (I started hiring when I was 18)
WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE YOU STARTED HIRING OUT INFLATABLES?
I was in the building trade.
WHAT MADE YOU START AN INFLATABLE HIRE BUSINESS?
I was fed up with the building work and wanted to do something really enjoyable.
I decided to invest money into a bouncy castle hire business and haven’t looked back.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?
I enjoy riding my 125cc Scrambler Motorbike at Motor Cross Events.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE?
22 Jump Street (2013) and also Home Alone.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEAL?
Steak and Chips
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE UK HOLIDAY DESTINATION?
Cornwall
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION ABROAD?
Florida
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TV PROGRAMME?
I’m a Celebrity – Get me out of here!
FAVOURITE SONGS
Reggae Music
WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY ABOUT THE INFLATABLE HIRE BUSINESS?
I enjoy meeting a very wide range of people from lots of different backgrounds – from the very poor to the Super-Rich.
WHAT DO YOU LEAST ENJOY ABOUT THE INFLATABLE HIRE BUSINESS?
Awkward customers who ignore basic common sense!
IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT THE INDUSTRY?
If I could wave a magic wand I would make PIPA / RPII Tests compulsory (in the same way that MOT tests are compulsory for vehicles).
That way everyone could put their hire prices up, knowing that there are no cowboys around.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A HIRING FROM HELL? (or an unusual booking?)
Yes, three hires from hell.
1) I once delivered a brand new castle to a party and the children managed to cover the castle with black boot polish. It took me several hours to clean it off, but the customer did pay me £100 for my time.
2) I once delivered a castle and the customer went on it with stillettos. Not surprisingly, she put a hole in the bed. She took responsibility for her actions and told me that she would pay for the repair. She gave me £200 without any fuss.
3) When a I deliver a ballpond for a party I always insist that the customer pays a £10 deposit, which is always refunded if the balls are packed away in the bags afterwards. I collected a ballpond once and the balls were not packed away, so the customer forfeited her deposit. When I explained why she was not getting her deposit refunded she turned quite nasty, even though it was clearly written in the T and C’s of hire which she had signed!! Fortunately her partner calmed her down before the situation got out of hand.
DO YOU HAVE ANY USEFUL TIPS OR IDEAS THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH THE OTHER BIHA MEMBERS.
1) ALWAYS take payment on delivery. This stops customers trying to wriggle out of not paying at the end of the party. To counter the excuse of “we haven’t got any cash in the house” take along your PDQ machine and swipe their debit or credit card. It’s guaranteed payment!
2) Make sure everything you hire out to your customers is really CLEAN and in tip-top condition – including your crash-mats! Cowboys tend to put out old and dirty castles which gives them a bad name. The cleaner your equipment is the more referrals you will get!!
There’s one exception though – when I deliver castles to a local pub where I know it will probably be abused – I don’t rent them by best and cleanest units!!
HOW HAS THE BIHA HELPED YOU IN YOUR INFLATABLE HIRE BUSINESS?
The BIHA offers many benefits to our hire company – too many to mention, but one which stands out is the Terms and Conditions of Hire and Disclaimer Template form which you allow members to download. This is very useful and a good safety feature on every hire.
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Thank you Mitch for taking time out of your hire business to answer these questions – it’s greatly appreciated.