Thinking about customer service

We here at Rent What? Inc. pride ourselves not only on our competitive pricing, our amazing selection, our prompt deliveries and pickups, and our innovative designs, but also on our amazing customer service, or as we like to put it, “Ultimate Rentals, Extreme Service”. But I was thinking recently, what exactly is great customer service?

I did a little internet research on customer service, and I found a lot of good information on the subject. One article, 8 Rules of Good Customer Service, had some great points about listening to your customers, being helpful, and much more. I agree with the article wholeheartedly. But to me, while the eight rules constitute good customer service, you really have to go above and beyond to provide great customer service.

To me, when your goal is not only to give your customers what they expect, but to also go above and beyond to give them more than they ever dreamed they’d even want, then THAT is great customer service. When you can think ahead to any possible issue that might come up, and you are able to stop it before it even begins, then THAT is great customer service. When you go the extra step to make sure your clients get more than they dreamed they could get for a price within their budget, then THAT is great customer service. And when you consider every single detail and make sure that everything that is important to your client is now important to you too, then THAT is great customer service.

In today’s tough economy, there are a lot of companies out there competing for customers, so here at Rent What? we strive to be the easiest, friendliest, most creative, and most organized drapery rental business out there. But above everything else, I think that it is outstanding customer service that makes a good company great, and I am proud to say that, in my opinion, this is truly an area in which Rent What excels.

The passion of illustration

Not long ago I wrote about finding inspiration. This morning I was greeted with an email Megan forwarded to me that I found to be very inspirational.

Without Warning Girl by Leah

Thinking Design?

Design of a printed backdrop starts by identifying a goal or desired end result. Depending on your needs and personal taste, this can take on many different forms. The process can start with a cocktail napkin sketch and a few key words that describe look and feel or, it can be a taken from existing brand pieces such as printed collateral, new CD artwork, your web site or whatever brings you inspiration. The key is in translating that vision into a grand format that sets the tone you are looking for. 
Literal translations can work. Sometimes they don’t. That’s when its time to start thinking design.

Rock and Roll Camaraderie

As you probably already know, the co-owner and president of Sew What? and Rent What? is Megan Duckett, who is a woman of many skills and talents. One of them is her unbelievably-rockin’ band Without Warning. We had a treat last week and were able to go see her band perform live at a wonderful little concert hall in Redondo Beach. Not only was it great for all of us to get together outside of work and help celebrate our boss’s amazing talents as a singer and most of all as a *ROCKER!*, but it was so much fun to be able to hang out with one another outside of the work environment!

Without Warning members Megan Dawn, Doug, DC, David, and Hughes

Even better was bringing several companies that we work so closely with on a day to day basis to come join in the festivities. We here at Sew What? and Rent What? really are a “family”, and a lot of these other companies are like family to us too. One business in particular has been a huge sponsor of Without Warning, and has also been an incredible company for Rent What? to have worked with for years. This company is All Access, who, with the help of Bob Hughes, encouraged Megan to audition for the band earlier this year, and has been indispensable with the band’s swiftly growing popularity ever since.

There’s nothing like “Rock and Roll Camaraderie” to bring everyone together on a Saturday night, and not have to worry about which black poly silk drapes are going where, what solenoid delivery needs to be made that next week, or the huge Austrian drape order that is next on the horizon. By spending some fun quality time with one another, we get to really get to know one another on a more personal level, and that grows into a richer admiration and respect for each other that we might not otherwise have.

 This makes us stronger as a company, and that translates into better customer service and quality of product for our clients. Who knew that getting together to enjoy a little rock and roll could have such far reaching benefits for everyone?

Collaboration-

One of my favorite aspects about what I get to do is the opportunity to collaborate with a recording artist and/or their creative team.
The process usually starts out with a “wish list” of what the artist or team is looking for. I’ve been approached over the years to create all manner of designs and Illustrations for everything from backdrops to concert t-shirts. “The more off the wall the better I say. ”
I’ve found one common denominator.  That is “We all want to bring something fresh and new to the world creatively.” What Drives my passion for collaboration? “The chemistry and contribution of different artists and creative thinkers coming together for a common goal.” Lets Collaborate.

LED Drapes for the Holidays

With the end of summer coming fast upon us, it’s a great time to start thinking about the holidays that are quickly approaching, and ways to make your special event even more memorable. I recently came across some incredible photos of the amazing LED Stardrop Drape rentals that Rent What? has.

We offer these gorgeous drapes for every type of occasion you might want to add a “little sparkle” to! With a rich black background, you can choose from either beautiful and inspiring white twinkly lights, or really breathtaking “chameleon” changing-colored lights. For these drapes you also have a dmx controller so you can decide how fast you want the lights to blink, in what succession, what colors it changes through, etc. Rent What also offers a very unique Low Tech LED drape, which is a sheer white voile with the beautiful static white lights running through it!

We’ve had some very happy customers use these drapes for their special events. Everyone from Mary J Blige to the Jonas Brothers, ballet and church performances, trade shows, bridal fairs, unforgettable stage productions, and everything in between! These drapes are so versatile, and can help create some really amazing showcases. With some colorful lighting, you can literally create the most dramatic vision on your stage imaginable. Try layering them with other drapes (especially our Silver Satin Series) to create some very spectacular scenes that will not soon be forgotten!

Take a look at our LED Stardrop Rental Drapes on our website, and get ready to be completely wow’ed like I was!

Opening the door to inspiration.

Every now and then we all can get into a funk when it comes to generating new ideas. The pressure of deadlines and other outside forces can create an environment that is less than conducive for us to be our creative best. How do you get that back and make the creative sparks happen. I’ve found over the years that some of my best ideas come when Im able to walk away and completely forget about the task, even just a short  time. This might be after a good nights rest or a good talk with an old friend you haven’t seen in awhile . Maybe it’s taking a walk in an area that forces you to think about what’s going on around you at the moment and not the task at hand. Forcing yourself to focus on other tasks helps clear the creative block and allow new ideas to come in. When you don’t force it, it allows the ideas to flow.

August Anniversaries

It’s hard to believe, but the summer has come to an end for another year.  Here at Sew What? we had a terrific summer – we hope you did as well.

Congratulations to the Sew What? staff members with anniversaries in August.

Esther, Sewing Machine Operator – 10 years

Silvia Soler, HR / Sales Support – 8 years (yes, that’s me!)

Gloria, Sewing Machine Operator – 4 years

Tragedy in Indiana

We come to you today with a heavy heart, due to the recent tragedy at the Indiana State Fair in August, 2011. It was an unbelievably terrible thing that occurred, and the repercussions are going to linger long and wide for those affected by the collapse of the main stage at the fair’s concert series. They need our support and prayers now more than ever.

First and foremost, we wanted to pass along some information regarding help that is desperately needed for the family of one of the victims, Nathan Byrd. He was the Spot Op who lost his life when the stage collapsed. He was a single dad of two kids, aged 13 and 15. The family is struggling to find money for the funeral, school supplies and clothes for the kids, etc. If you could spare even a few dollars, we know it would help his family tremendously.

Please send donations to:

IATSE LOCAL 30
ATTN: NATHAN BYRD FAMILY
1407 EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46202-2037

Let us also not forget the other four people who lost their lives that terrible day:

Tammy Vandam, 42, of Wanatah, Indiana; Glenn Goodrich, 49, of Indianapolis; Alina Bigjohny, 23, of Fort Wayne, and Christina Santiago, 29, of Chicago.

We wanted to mention that there is another donation organization that has been set up to help those families of the people killed or hurt badly from the stage collapse:

Central Indiana Community Foundation
615 N. Alabama Street, Suite 119
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-634-2423

An easy way to make a donation to CICF is to text “Fair” to 27722 and a $10 donation will appear on your next cell phone bill.

The families and friends of all of those killed or gravely injured in this tragedy will continue to need our love and support long after the repairs are done to the fairgrounds.