SPOTLIGHT ON AN INFLATABLE HIRE COMPANY
YOUR NAME?
Lisa and Dave Butler-Hollington
NAME OF YOUR INFLATABLE HIRE COMPANY?
First Class Leisure
www.firstclassleisure.co.uk
YOUR LOCATION?
Bilston, Wolverhampton
WHAT IS YOUR AGE?
Over 40!
WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE YOU STARTED HIRING OUT INFLATABLES?
Credit Controller (Lisa)
Toolmaker (Dave)
We also managed a Newsagents for 5 years.
WHAT MADE YOU START AN INFLATABLE HIRE BUSINESS?
We wanted a new challenge, we brought 2 castles and worked really hard for 3 years, continued to run the newsagent, early 4am starts, doing about 5 paper rounds each morning before delivering bouncy castles all day, don’t know how we did it, but the hard work paid off.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?
Cooking, eating out, sport, football West Brom (Lisa) and Wolves (Dave) so lots of banter in our house.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE?
Home Alone, ET and Frozen
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEAL?
Chinese and KFC
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE UK HOLIDAY DESTINATION?
Weston Super Mare
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION ABROAD?
Cruising Holidays
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TV PROGRAMME?
Apprentice, Undercover Boss and I’m a celebrity get me out of here.
FAVOURITE SONGS
Day dream believer (Dave’s song)
Secret Lovers – Atlantic Starr (Lisa’s song)
WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY ABOUT THE INFLATABLE HIRE BUSINESS?
Its a fun job. Its nice being a big part with our customers celebrations and seeing the children so happy.
We really enjoy giving our customers a professional hire service from start to finish.
WHAT DO YOU LEAST ENJOY ABOUT THE INFLATABLE HIRE BUSINESS?
Bad weather and rain.
We least enjoy the low hire rates some companies charge and then collect equipment back so late.
It’s not nice hearing other companies talking negatively about each other, we really don’t have the time for this. There is lots of work out there for everyone and our industry needs to be professional.
IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT THE INDUSTRY?
Make operators all be licensed, to weed out the cowboy companies who break the law and who give the industry a bad name.
Reduce the PIPA testing fee by half.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A HIRING FROM HELL? (or an unusual booking?)
1. We delivered a brand new combi unit to a farm in Cannock. We went to collect it back at the agreed time and found so many people on the castle, adults too!! The castle was flat and the lady who hired the castle rolled down the slide and landed at our feet, she then gave us loads of abuse and then refused to let us out of the farm, funny now, but not at the time.
2. Dave delivered a castle to Walsall, when he went back to collect the castle at the agreed time, the men at the party didn’t want us to take the castle away and turned nasty, threatened us and said if we didn’t leave castle longer there would be trouble! The Women at the party apologised for their behaviour (drink talking) situation resolved and customer is now black listed.
DO YOU HAVE ANY USEFUL TIPS OR IDEAS THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH THE OTHER BIHA MEMBERS.
1. On all overnight hires, we charge the hirer £20 cash refundable deposit. This money is refunded back on collection with the equipment returned back clean and in the same condition delivered. It really works and we have never had a customer refuse to pay.
2. Get a website with BCN (www.bouncycastlenetwork.com) it’s the best thing we have ever done.
HOW HAS THE BIHA HELPED YOU IN YOUR INFLATABLE HIRE BUSINESS?
Gives great advice and support, we always look forward to the BIHA emails. Thanks Mark for a great job.
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Thank you Lisa and Dave for taking time out of your hire business to answer these questions – it’s greatly appreciated.
If anyone else would like to be featured in an up and coming “Spotlight on an inflatable hire company” please reply to this email. As a thank you we can provide you with an extra FREE backlink from:
www.biha.org.uk/spotlight-on-a-hire-company to your website
which should help you in your Google rankings. (This backlink is worth at least £60 per
year)
Would you like to read more “Spotlights on inflatable hire companies” ?
Click on www.biha.org.uk/spotlight-on-a-hire-company