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Episode 39: United Rentals' Joe Baltz talks event rental
89 Plays3 days ago
Tents guys🤝equipment rental. This is a must-see cross-over episode! In this episode of Under the Vinyl, Kyle and Nate are on the line with Joe Baltz, a Strategic Account Manager at United Rentals. They discuss Joe's journey in the rental industry, how Joe's role supports Nate's work, and the impact of technology on equipment and event rental. Joe shares insights on day-to-day operations, service calls, and the misconceptions surrounding the rental industry.
This episode is brought to you by Anchor Industries. Learn more about Anchor at www.anchorinc.com.
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Transcript
Introduction and Trade Show Recap
00:00:01
Speaker
And we're back again with another episode of Under the Vinyl, a rental management media podcast. Kyle, how you doing, buddy? I am tired, if we're going to be honest.
00:00:13
Speaker
Are we feeling sober yet?
00:00:18
Speaker
and we're back again with another episode of under the vinyl of rental management media podcast kyle how are you doing buddy i am tired we're gonna be honest now are we are we feeling sober yet I think I'm sobering up now, but it's ah it's been a long four days down in Greensboro at the Matcha Trade Show, but we survived.
00:00:38
Speaker
You don't look as perky or sound as perky. Are you feeling okay? Yeah, I can't wait to go to sleep, to be honest with you. I figured that out. You're fresh off the plane, too, right? Yeah, I landed at 1.30. I'm proud of you. Thanks for being here. 3 o'clock in the afternoon now.
00:00:50
Speaker
We're going to get this done for our viewers. I did a nice plug. I had to speech on stage last night, ah and I introduced myself as Kyle Richardson, the host of Under the Vinyl. love that. Here's nice plug in front of everyone.
00:01:01
Speaker
I love that. And if ah if you want to also touch on a little bit of what why you were up there and um what was going on with Brian there. Well, see, it was just a ploy. Nate, you don't even know yet. He didn't actually get the award.
00:01:16
Speaker
Oh, no. Yeah. It was like guys so that Michael Tannen didn't know he was actually getting the award. So him and Sue Werb got the Hall of Honor last night. That's awesome. Me and Brian did some acting on stage. It was good.
00:01:28
Speaker
yeah Good, good. Well, we'll have to jump into that later.
Introducing Joe Balz and His Role
00:01:32
Speaker
We were able to pull on a good guest today, one of my buddies, good friend, who's in the industry, little bit different part of the industry. um He helps out with more on the side of getting us our equipment and things like that to make sure that we can succeed to get our structures built.
00:01:47
Speaker
um And he is with United Rental. So ah without it without further, we'll go into it with Joe Balz. Joe Balz, how you doing, buddy?
00:01:57
Speaker
See y'all. I feel like starstruck right now. you look You look good. Well, I have no, no, I'm talking about being here with y'all. Like I never seen Kyle before. So I've obviously seen you, Nate, but I'm like, man, I made it big. Now I'm on their podcast.
00:02:14
Speaker
Joe is an avid listener, Kyle, in case you didn't know. He'll tom he texts me all the time and ah he'll throw me stuff out there and be like, this is weird. That's weirder. Oh, you're talking about this, or you're throwing me under the bus. or you know So I figured it was finally time just to bring him on, and then he can feel what it's like to to have to go through this process.
00:02:32
Speaker
That's awesome. Well, we appreciate the listens. Oh, yeah. i've got I've got it subscribed, so every time a new episode comes out like 3 o'clock in the morning on Tuesday, I get it or whenever it is.
00:02:43
Speaker
We appreciate that. So you for having me on. Well, Joe, for anyone who doesn't doesn't know you or hasn't met you yet, who who is Joe Balz, and what do you do at United Reynolds? Well, so I've been with United for a little over 20 years and I'm a strategic accounts manager.
00:03:03
Speaker
So I handle you know some of our larger accounts in middle and West Tennessee and just take care of them wherever they go. And they're single point of contact. So if they're in California, I'm in California, even though I'm in Nashville, I'm California.
00:03:18
Speaker
And so just like y'all, Nate, I mean, where I handle y'all's business across the country, wherever you go, I'm your guy. Single point contact to make it easier to do business with United Rentals. At all hours of the day too, right? Especially when you got three employees from the same company calling you.
00:03:34
Speaker
Yes, sir. Yeah.
Communication Preferences and Organization
00:03:38
Speaker
This episode of Under the Vinyl is brought to you by Anchor Industries, a fifth generation family owned company making tents and clear span structures right here in the U.S. of A.
00:03:48
Speaker
Anchor isn't just about selling great products. They bring decades of experience and stand beside you as the business grows. With Anchor's craftsmanship and engineering, you'll have a peace of mind knowing your equipment is built to last season after season.
00:04:01
Speaker
And for the next generation of rental owners and installers, Anchor is more than just your supplier. They're a trusted partner helping guide you to the right products to help grow your business. Give them a call today to connect with your sales rep. 1-800-544-4445 or visit anchorinc.com.
00:04:19
Speaker
so what So what does kind of a day-to-day look like for for Joe in the and that side of the industry? So a lot of emails, lot of texts, some phone calls. it It's...
00:04:32
Speaker
It seems like there's been a shift in the past couple of years where the phone calls have really died down. I mean, it it used to be nothing but. But I think everybody has gotten to the point where they want everything in writing.
00:04:48
Speaker
you know what I'm saying? Does that make sense? i I totally agree. I prefer to text people. Yeah, so that they they text a lot. You got a place to blame somewhere, man. Yeah. That too.
00:04:58
Speaker
But I, so it goes both ways. So I love it because, you know, I'm pretty, pretty diligent and like to be on top of things. And so that's a good thing. The text messages are kind of getting to be the worst because they really are.
00:05:15
Speaker
It's, it's, it's tough because you don't know what the person on the other side of the phone's doing. Right. So like, Earlier today, I was in a funeral and there was like four or five text messages that went off and and it was nothing urgent. So it was all good. But, you know, sometimes you're off or sometimes you're doing doing other things. And it's like if you don't respond in a timely fashion, that that person on the other end doesn't doesn't have a clue what's going on whatsoever.
00:05:44
Speaker
So I try not to fire off texts unless someone texts me. You know, i'm saying I like the emails I can send them. I can send them before bed every night and get back to them in the morning. It's just text is really disconnected from the world, I feel like.
00:06:02
Speaker
Yeah, and for me, i mean it used to be to the point where you know text messages, if you looked at it, they went away, so you couldn't you couldn't remember to go back. And now, luckily, like on the iPhone, you can go back and read it and slide it back so you can remember to do it.
00:06:16
Speaker
The only issue now, I feel like, is... I'm a big inbox zero guy and I have a lot of folders in my inbox or my um email. And so I like to click and drag things to where I can remember them, where if somebody texts me, I feel like it gets so lost in the in the shuffle.
00:06:33
Speaker
um And then I have to go back and type in keywords to remember. And then I'm searching text messages. I mean, people will text me all the time and I'll employees and people and I'll just say, hey, email me. email me. yeah cause that that's the I feel like I have to do it then.
00:06:47
Speaker
and i'm With being an inbox zero person, it forces you to have to go in and and and nail that out.
Career Path and Industry Experience
00:06:54
Speaker
for so um and I'm with you. I'm inbox zero all the time right and i'm real big on flagging it and then if it's something super urgent i even set a reminder to like tomorrow at 9 30 in the morning go back to this and finish up with whatever it was right because you got to stay organized this business is so fast-paced that it's like your head's spinning at all times um and that's that's one of the things someone asked me the other day like do you love your job and i was like man
00:07:28
Speaker
I think I was like built for this. and I know that's crazy. And like, it takes a special, like y'all know y'all been doing it long enough. I mean, it takes a special person to love this grind.
00:07:40
Speaker
And, um, you know, you get, I get, I get weird when my phone doesn't go off or my email doesn't go off in like an hour. I'm like, don't let science ah still am I still employed?
00:07:50
Speaker
i solo like why Why is the phone not going crazy? So, um but yeah, I'm in box zero all the way. Got to be. So you say it takes a special person. So what what got you in this seat at United?
00:08:05
Speaker
What made you want to be a rental guy? So I actually started at ah at a small very small – rental and party place i know we've talked about this nate but yeah it was a it was a small place in in my hometown and i actually worked there in high school and i actually was part of this program called co-op where you went to a couple classes in high school during the day and then you left early from school and you went and worked and that was your you know that was your credit hours for for school that's the exact same thing i did
00:08:40
Speaker
Yeah. So um I worked at this place. Um, the owner was, um, super, super big mentor of mine. We still keep in touch. Um,
00:08:52
Speaker
He helped me out a lot, got me started. i was i was like his jack-of-all-trades. I'd deliver a skid steer and come back, and we'd go set up a 20x30 tent.
00:09:03
Speaker
We also did some like little single one-yard concrete mixers that I've never seen anyone else do. So I'm sure it's a thing. It's obviously a thing. But we did that. So like on Saturdays, that was a big thing for us. i mean, you were just kind of all over the place. And it was like everyone...
00:09:21
Speaker
had every job, like no one was like a specific employee that just did this, right? So everyone did everything. And so I learned a lot. I mean, I used to go set up 40 by 60 tents and there'd be like five of us out there to go do it.
00:09:35
Speaker
And I think I've told you this, Nate, like the owner came up to us one day and it was me and now he's like my best friend. and And he comes up and he's like, hey, instead of taking five people out there, y'all are strong enough to set those center poles up.
00:09:49
Speaker
Three. and i yeah um I'll give you a hundred extra dollars if just y'all two that go out there. And so I attribute that to my back problems today because I was young and dumb. Yep.
00:10:00
Speaker
And so I just thought, yeah, man, we can do that. No problem. You know, go out there and make it happen. And, but we, we did the inflatables. We did tables, chairs, what y'all called the tabletop service type of stuff. We did, we did a little bit of that. We had some,
00:10:16
Speaker
Some China, some silverware, all all that good stuff. And so that was how I got started. met Met a lot of great people there. um Actually, my first like manager that was there, he actually works with us at United now. Got him on a couple months ago.
00:10:32
Speaker
So he's he's really loving it. And then from there, I went to a tech school in Nashville called Nashville Auto Diesel College to become a mechanic.
00:10:43
Speaker
And then a company called RSC hired me straight out of there. So I worked at RSC, which is now United Rentals. They bought us out in 2012, I think it was.
00:10:54
Speaker
So I was a mechanic for just a couple months, and we we kept going through inside salespeople left and right. And every time we'd get one, They would go, hey, go out back with Joe, learn how to drive a skid steer, learn how to use a mini X, learn the bucket sizes and stuff. and I just kept showing these people. you know and We were at a smaller branch, so like usually people would start with us, and then they would transfer to like Nashville or something, you know a bigger a bigger hub.
00:11:25
Speaker
and so he got to the point my my branch manager comes to me, and he's like, hey man, like why don't you just become an inside sales rep for us? I'm like, dude, I just spent $30,000 at tech school.
00:11:39
Speaker
I've got $30,000 in Snap-on tools. like I don't think so. like this is No, it's not a good idea. It's not the path for me at all. And so i started talking to people and then I thought to myself, this is pretty good you know plan.
00:11:53
Speaker
um And then he came to me with like, oh we're going to pay you X amount more dollars per per hour. And I was like, I'm 19 at the time, so I'm like, dude, I don't have to be outside in the elements anymore?
00:12:05
Speaker
that what you're saying? Like, if it's raining, cold, snow, 110 degrees, like, I don't have to be crawling under a machine anymore. Or ripped off by a snap-off truck, snap-on truck. Yeah, that too, yeah. I don't have to go see my local drug dealer snap-on anymore. Yeah, no kidding. Yeah. I jumped to the counter.
00:12:26
Speaker
I did that for a couple of years and I transferred to Nashville, worked there for a while and then got my first outside sales role in May of 2011. And then from there, one year to the date of me being an outside sales is when the United acquisition closed.
00:12:44
Speaker
So that was the timing was like super weird. You know, it was super, super good. But it was just like, man, one year to the day United, the merger happens.
00:12:56
Speaker
and so i transferred to a store um in in between Nashville and Knoxville, worked there for a little bit, and then I transferred to another store. That's kind of where I started seeing how big the event stuff was because we would handle a a project called Bonnaroo.
00:13:14
Speaker
and and I know y'all are familiar. Some people might have heard of that. We did it for a little bit. Might have heard of it. At the time, I don't know what it is now, but at the time, I think that was the second largest music festival in the country.
00:13:25
Speaker
I don't know what it is now. Music festivals are a totally different topic that we need to have somebody on this podcast explain to us because it's a damn shit show. Yeah, yeah. That's one way to put it.
00:13:38
Speaker
So that was fun. I mean, you and talk about learning a lot. That's... ah You know, from from getting light towers in and just different deliveries all hours of the night to get the customer taken care of.
00:13:49
Speaker
And then service calls that come along with it because, you know, this stuff does break. there There is people that think equipment doesn't break, but it does. It shouldn't. Yeah. Yeah. See, Kyle's one of them. Yeah. So... But no, it was, that that was fun. And then in 17, I got an opportunity to take this role.
00:14:08
Speaker
So I moved into the strategic, strategic accounts manager role and did that up until February of 2020. And,
00:14:20
Speaker
decided that I was, I needed to check the box and manage folks, manage some people, you know, and, um, which we didn't know February of 2020, what was coming. Yep. But I opened a brand new store for us and it was actually ah ah a blue line rental location that we kind of shut down for a couple months and then we knew we needed the growth space. So we're like, let's open that back up. So here I am.
00:14:45
Speaker
And then, you know, 30 days later, the world's ending, right? Yeah. So it was it was a fun time to to go in a branch management role.
00:14:55
Speaker
And so I did that for just a couple months from February to July. And then in July, they were like, hey, we're going make you a metro.
00:15:05
Speaker
And they joined another store with my store. So I was over two stores, had 25, 26 employees. And quite a bit of fleet. And, uh, I did that until we had actually had a friend of mine, uh, pass away.
00:15:20
Speaker
That was on my team in this, on the Sam team, the strategic account manager team. And, uh, they came to me and said, Hey, would you like to get back? And ah du the timing was just perfect. Perfect. Because yeah, I was having my third child. That was, uh, uh,
00:15:37
Speaker
a surprise, ah a blessed surprise, but a surprise. um So it was just, it was just timing was perfect on it. So I came back into this role like 22, March of 22. So I've been back in it for a couple years now.
00:15:56
Speaker
And I got some of my old customers back and I got some new ones. So it's a, it's a, it's a great company work for, a great job. um There's a lot of, there's a lot of noise that doesn't happen, you know, cause I have like professional clients now.
00:16:13
Speaker
Um, so you're not ever like doing all the home DIY stuff. And yeah, man, you don't, you're not messing with that. But like when there's issues with these big accounts, somebody's going to let you know, they're, they're big. yeah Yeah. There's nothing small, right? You know someone rolled over a forklift. That's $130,000 forklift type stuff. That's the big issues now. Yeah.
00:16:35
Speaker
Um, But it's it's a great company and and Nate knows this, but I've been lucky enough and blessed enough to work with some of my best friends here and a lot of them still work here to this day. Nate deals with one of them frequently. yeah So there's there's a lot of my childhood friends that that work here still.
00:16:56
Speaker
So it's it's been great to to my family and to my friend's family too. As a customer, what's the best ah benefit of having a strategic account manager over your account versus just calling ah your local branch or just going online and ordering the equipment?
Role of Strategic Account Manager
00:17:12
Speaker
Well, the scary part of it is we're a big company. company Right. So we've got all these different divisions. We got fluid solutions, power, ah trench, r ROS, which is reliable on site services, which is our restroom and fencing.
00:17:30
Speaker
We've got a matting division now. We're the largest matting provider in the country. So we've got we've got tools. We got we've got all this stuff. Right. So. the The thought process is, is we we went to a bunch of our customers, our larger customers and said, how can we make it easier to do business with United Realms?
00:17:48
Speaker
Like what's what's the easy button for y'all? and And one of the things that came back is like, man, when I'm looking for a store in Nashville because I need a forklift or I need a generator.
00:18:01
Speaker
I've called four and i'm I'm not getting the right one. Right. So so we try to hit that easy button for our customers to they can come to me and either I do know what you need and I just handle it or I get the local expert on the power side and and then they jump in and handle it.
00:18:20
Speaker
So that's that's what the single point of contact is just to make everyone's life easier. So you were young when this whole acquisition and merger came about, you right? You were still 20 years old, 21?
00:18:33
Speaker
No, when the acquisition, i was... No, I was like 26 or something. 26. Math is hard. Yeah, tell me about it. I do it every day and I still don't know how.
00:18:44
Speaker
um yeah So 26 years old, you love United now, we know that. and But what was that feeling like going from this mom and pop shop and this in this smaller company and you were doing rentals to now, hey, now I'm going to the big corporate guy at the age of 26 and do i want to go this way? Do I need to start something new? Am I am i safe? where like How did that feeling feel? And I'm asking that because I think Kyle, you know, and we talk about all the time, there's a lot of this happening right now. Currently it's making its way.
00:19:11
Speaker
The shift has came back again. And I mean, you know it too, Joe, but just how does that, how did that feel for you? And what, what made you feel like you were, you were still going to be in a good spot? Well, so it was it was scary because at the time, my wife was on in in the hospital on bed rest with our first child. Okay, so you want to talk about that? That's where all this gray this beautiful gray came from.
00:19:37
Speaker
least she got there. she spent Yeah, no doubt. So she spent six weeks um in in bed rest at the hospital, right? During this whole transition. It was it was really high stressful times.
00:19:49
Speaker
But, you know, United's like... professional like the the company's made up of over 250 acquisitions they know what they're doing right and so um i remember what that felt like so every time we do one i'm all the time talking to the to the new employees that we're that we're gathering and i'm all the time telling them like hey man don't jump ship everything's fine uh we need you we're we're literally buying your company for you we're like we can go cut pos tomorrow and buy all this equipment yeah like
00:20:23
Speaker
need We need the employees. We need, that's what, that's what, that's only reason we're doing it. Right. structure And so, um, but you know, talk is cheap, right? So people, people don't know me from Adam, but I always make sure that if I see a driver or a mechanic or anybody, that's like what I'm talking to them about. Like, Hey, I've, I've been in your shoes.
00:20:42
Speaker
I know what this is like. It's not this big, scary monster. And, uh, just, just hold on and we'll, we'll, we'll, hold on to you and and keep you and you'll have a job and everything will be fine.
00:20:53
Speaker
Um, so I've been a part of, i mean, there's, there's almost one every, you know, year. Yeah. It's sometimes there's three or four in a year, but, um, so it gets, it gets wild, but you know, it's, it's, it's very, it's very exciting and refreshing to work for a place that, you know, we've got a leadership team that is always looking for the next thing.
00:21:16
Speaker
Like I rely on those guys. Um, to make smart decision decisions to get us taken care of so we can get our customers taken care of. So it's it's it's very cool.
00:21:28
Speaker
Even as stressful as it can be, it's very awesome to be part of something like that. I totally forgot that you split up tents. So now I know who to call if I need an extra guy when somebody calls out on the weekend. he Sounds like he's got the perfect back for it. Yeah.
00:21:41
Speaker
You and me both. That's why I was in PT the other day. um and so in your experience, Joe, what, what do you think kind of separates, um, you know, United's the construction industrial side versus like the tent and event space, which is what we're doing. I mean, now that you've been in it, what, what separates all that?
00:22:01
Speaker
Well, really nothing. we try I don't think we try to separate it, right? like we don't We don't want you to feel some kind of way when you're renting something. we We want to be able to provide for every single customer. So we don't like, yeah i don't want i don't I don't know how to work, I guess segregate what what y'all do versus what some pipe fitter does in a factory, right? Like they need reach forklifts, they need scissor lifts, boom lifts, whatever.
00:22:30
Speaker
And so we don't really, or at least I don't look at it that way. I just, you need to reach forklift. You need a 10K. You need to set up that ah structure and those arches, you know, yeah like that's, same Same customer.
00:22:42
Speaker
The biggest thing with me that sometimes I'm envious of equipment rental companies. Kyle is a big equipment geek in case you didn't know. I am, yeah. Oh, are you? Your deadlines are not deadlines in your world. like You're like, oh I just got to drop the forklift off and get there when it gets there.
00:22:57
Speaker
and so Oh, nate's Nate's staring a hole in me right now. yeah that's not we We have deadlines, trust me. We have deadlines. yeah so I feel like equipment, this is not a united, ah I'm not attacking any company, but it seems like we could tell you to deliver it by 10 a.m.
00:23:13
Speaker
and 90% of the time you will, but 10% of the time you're like, oh, it didn't happen. I'm like, what's the big deal, Kyle? yeah It depends it's if it's the day of, though. That's the thing. like for And ill I'll back Joe on this one because he has just he's bailed us out of a lot of shit this past couple weeks.
00:23:30
Speaker
um We're almost to the end, by the way. um So I would say that, yes, I agree with that, Kyle, but also what with the way that we've been doing it with Joe is we get this stuff delivered on a Friday like a Friday evening or a Friday afternoon for a Sunday or Monday setup.
00:23:48
Speaker
So the equipment's usually on site ahead of time. So we, he doesn't necessarily have to hit those deadlines. Now it could hit to where like this week I'm on my way home at six 30 at night and I need another 10 K after I've already got one on site and I have to call Joe and say, Hey Joe, I need a 10 K. When do you need it? I need it by like seven 30, eight o'clock tomorrow. And so in our world,
00:24:07
Speaker
That's acceptable, and the customer expects it there at 8 o'clock, and we'll get it done because we have it in-house, and we have multiple different parts and pieces to make up that tent. Where I feel like, and Joe step in, but I feel like in Joe's world over here, he's saying, well, I've got five tank days, and that's all I got.
00:24:23
Speaker
And they're all out on rental right now, and one's coming in, and it'll come in tomorrow, but I can't promise you that it'll be here at this time. And then we'll get it to you sometime by 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock. Yeah. And by the way, I've got to find a semi-driver to haul that damn thing.
00:24:36
Speaker
Yep. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, there's there's some there's some, like, we're really big, right? We've got a lot of trucks, especially in in in Nashville and Middle Tennessee, so we can make a lot of things happen.
00:24:49
Speaker
um and the And the crazy thing about us is we have so much, like he just said 510Ks, which, yeah you know, that's ah I know he was just using Chattanooga math, but we've got a lot, right? So, like, if they came off, like, every second we've got stuff coming off rent.
00:25:07
Speaker
So just like when that happened the other day, Nate, I mean, from that 6.30 at night phone call to the next morning, we had some come off rent, check it out, get ah get a unit out there and get them taken care of.
00:25:21
Speaker
And he had it there before noon. So I will give him his i' give miss flowers. yeah Well, they told me noon, so I told you one. No, I know. It's the only thing I lie about, Kyle. I know how rental math works.
00:25:33
Speaker
Yeah, I always –
00:25:37
Speaker
under promise and over deliver is the way to do it. Don't lie to me. I like it. Yeah. Yeah. And I never tell you what you want to hear. Nate can tell you that. Like I, I'm straight up the whole time, which I'd rather that happen.
00:25:51
Speaker
I'd rather that happen than the alternative. But, I mean, there's been some times where Joe and I are good friends, but I've had some very heated conversations with Joe. And Joe is always calm, cool, and collected. Nate's up here at a level 20. Joe's down here at a minus one.
00:26:04
Speaker
but Well, we're we're kind of the same personality, Kyle. So, like, always know, like... when he's When he's high, I got to be even kill. And then when I'm high, he's usually even kill. So we mesh really well.
00:26:19
Speaker
We do. And so with that, you know, in the partnerships, what kind of separates a strong vendor partnership from a like a week one partnership? And how do you how do you decide for those or do you?
00:26:32
Speaker
and So, you know.
Customer Relationships in Rental Industry
00:26:34
Speaker
Most of my accounts, i I feel like I have a strong relationship with, right? There's there's a couple one-offs because I have less than 30 accounts. There's a couple one-offs that I'm always chasing their business, right?
00:26:49
Speaker
But i have I have a couple that are completely loyal to us and or to me um because it's all it is relationship-based. Like, y'all y'all know that. Yeah. Kyle, you're never the cheapest when you're doing whatever festival, right? But they they know that they can count on Kyle and that he's going to get out there and get the job done.
00:27:08
Speaker
And so that's – I take this job very seriously because I know that when Nate calls me and he needs something, you know, whether there it be a push-around lift that's super cheap or a tin k Like I know that he needs it.
00:27:23
Speaker
So he can get his product delivered to his customer so they can get paid and they can go home safe and and get a paycheck. That's all this is. it's It's just a service. And i was I was telling someone this other day, like, there's only a couple things that United Rentals, like, has a patent on or that um that we own, right?
00:27:41
Speaker
Like, everything else, like... our direct competitors have, right? yeah If it's a JCB forklift, a Genie boom left, a JLG 10 K, whatever it is. Right. So like you, you've got to be very detail oriented and you've got to communicate well. That's, that's the, that's everything to this whole business.
00:28:01
Speaker
Um, so that's, I feel like that's what's probably, you know, made me excel if you will, in this career is like just, being responsive and doing what you say and communicating. You can't over-communicate.
00:28:20
Speaker
cause you know if we If we don't communicate and you just say, I need a skid steer, need some forks and all this stuff in a bucket, we don't talk about smooth or tooth bucket.
00:28:32
Speaker
I mean, that that that delays your whole job because I brought you a smooth and you need a tooth. yep And so, and and like I said, we don't have a product that sets us aside from anybody else.
00:28:44
Speaker
So it's like service, service, service, service communication. you know what So what do you think one of the misconceptions people have about the a equipment rental companies in general?
00:28:54
Speaker
And i you know but some of the younger people that are coming into the industry, you know they they get out of college and they they want this... this ah you know sexy marketing title.
00:29:06
Speaker
oh Well, in all reality, like our sales representatives, that's <unk> what you are. You are marketing, right? We just don't call you a marketing representative. we're You're an nounce outside sales rep or whatever level of sales you're in, right?
00:29:20
Speaker
So I think, I still think there's this stigma like it's just a dirty industry. You know, and like no one's, no one's hopping out with a four year degree going, you know what?
00:29:32
Speaker
I'm going to go rent construction equipment. Like that's not on anyone's top of their list. Just like it's not setting up tents. Trades. You like no one's like, man, I want to go do that, you know?
00:29:44
Speaker
Um, so, but man, this is such a good industry. Um, I've met some of the best people you'll ever meet in your life in this industry.
00:29:55
Speaker
I've got so many customers that are like friends that know my kids' names and stuff like that. It's just, it's it's it's really cool. So I think the misconception is just like, this is not a... Sexy.
00:30:08
Speaker
It's sexy. yeah It's not hip you know at all. But the good thing is you know companies are starting to adapt to their marketing, even their swag, things like that to make it look a little bit better and more appealing. And I feel like that's the way you've got to kind of roll with these this younger generation is to kind of show them the trades are making a comeback. And these – it's not even like – Your industry, I wouldn't consider a United Rentals like ah a trade. I would consider it more of a, just like our industry is a blue collar job, people think.
00:30:41
Speaker
yeah But there's a way to get out of the blue collar part of it. Like even if you started, what, working in the yard and making your way up to a salesperson and even higher than that. there's just, it's no different than what we're trying to show now with our side of the industry and, and, and raise people up through these classes and different tending styles and things like that to, to show them that there is capability of moving forward making this a career. And I think that showing people that it's a career is, is the toughest thing right now.
00:31:08
Speaker
but if we, I think we're making that change to get in front of it a little bit. Yeah. and I mean, our CEO started at the branch level. That's awesome. So like the the sky's the limit, you know i'm saying? And,
00:31:20
Speaker
you know we're a fortune, whatever. I think it's like 200 company now. Um, and so, you know, when you, when you hear stories like that, you're like, okay, this isn't some guy that graduated from Harvard and got his degree. And now he's the CEO of this construction firm that, you know, is in the industry at least.
00:31:41
Speaker
And so, um, but there's a lot, like all of our leaders are, you know, from the bottom up. So it's, it's, it's cool. It's, Well, let me run through a little bit on for us now, now that we've heard a lot about, you know, kind of where you think everything's at there.
00:31:59
Speaker
Where... When I call you, give me the process and run down how this goes. So coming from somewhere like Kyle or I, where we have a control probably over more than more than most on saying, hey, when the customer calls, hey, I need this, hey, I need that.
00:32:14
Speaker
We can go physically put it on a truck. We can go physically drive a truck. We can take it out and do have that ability. With you, I feel like your hands are tied a little bit more and there's more of a process to it, not just because it's a corporate company, but the structure is totally different.
00:32:26
Speaker
Right. So I call Joe Bolts tomorrow. Give me a rundown on if I order something from you tomorrow on how that goes from the time I make the call to the time it gets on site.
00:32:38
Speaker
but So that's that's the interesting part. Right. So you you call me, send me an email, text, smoke signal, whatever to give me the information. And then I take it to the local branch, the local team.
00:32:51
Speaker
We look at availability, when we can do it, and then that's basically we put a bow around it and I come back to you and say, hey, we can have it out at nine o'clock in the morning, right? But in that process, every single time there's like a group of people that are involved, right? It's not just like I'm loading the truck, I'm checking the piece of equipment out and all that good stuff. There's We've got a lot of employees and a lot of moving pieces.
00:33:17
Speaker
So that's that's ah it's as simple as that, really. so your put But if you put the order in the system, does that go to somebody does that go to a specific branch? do you have to call the branch? Do you have an assistant that helps you put that stuff in? Does that person call the branch?
00:33:32
Speaker
do. I do have an assistant. okay so she's yeah I wouldn't work here if she did. All right, give her a shout-out. Go ahead. Yeah, Ashley ashley saves me. All day, every day.
00:33:44
Speaker
You've dealt with her directly. She's wonderful. Yeah, so sometimes you know a lot of people aren't blessed enough to get to meet her because she's kind of behind the scenes. But, I mean, I have...
00:33:56
Speaker
probably just about all my customers when they shoot me an email, she's always copied. Uh, that way if I'm doing a lunch with a customer or I'm at a golf event or doing whatever, or I'm on a podcast with two celebrities like today, then she handles the business behind the scenes.
00:34:14
Speaker
So yeah, she's, she's a, she's a bulldog. She gets it done. so does she go to, does she go then to, so it goes from you to her, her to, she finds a store.
00:34:27
Speaker
So if I'm not finding the store, then she is. Okay. So you guys have to physically find the store and in in the area and then call the store to say, Hey, can we get this? And then that's how it gets out from there because, ye and I'm just basically running down the strategic account manager position. Basically instead of somebody. and So somebody knows that isn't calling the store, I guess.
00:34:49
Speaker
Well, like our, so our field level reps, they would do the same thing, right? They would get with the nearest branch and get it all lined up, put the reservation in the system and go from there. And then that's when the local team, the dispatch team, all of them get involved. Yes, we can get this there at nine o'clock.
00:35:06
Speaker
You know, sometimes they'll even come back with like, Hey, is this a good site contact? Is this, uh, is this accessible? Can we even get on this job? Um, All kinds of details, you know.
00:35:19
Speaker
Can we drive a lift down the driveway? oh yeah. I heard about that one. But somehow it came down the driveway. It was when Nate was here and Joe was here, by the way.
00:35:29
Speaker
I was. All right, Joe. so got the equipment there, figured that all out. Let's talk a little bit about the pricing aspect of it. you don't We don't have to go into numbers or anything in detail on that kind of stuff. But when somebody like us is pricing things out, obviously we're putting 20%, 30%, whatever that looks like for somebody based on what your equipment pricing is.
00:35:50
Speaker
How... How do we go about knowing the pricing from you guys? I mean, I know that there are several different. If you get a quote from United, there's several different prices, right? There's, I think, three or four. And and what are those? Is it week?
00:36:06
Speaker
Is it week, month, or week? day Day, week, and four weeks. Day, week, and four weeks. So typically, you know that my installs are usually a week before, come down a week after, the week after.
00:36:18
Speaker
How typically is the best, what's the best way to look at that pricing from our aspect? And is it better to try and leave that lift on site price-wise or is it better for you to pick it up, drop back off? How does that look?
00:36:31
Speaker
So a lot of different circumstances there, right? But like, Some of your jobs, Nate, when they're like, hey, we need this for seven days, the events for three days, and then we're taken down. It just makes more sense for you to keep it because if we pick it up, that's a pickup fee.
00:36:50
Speaker
We bring it back out, that's a delivery fee and then another pickup fee, right? So you're you're already getting some freight in there. Right. But the way that the pricing works, like day, week, and four-week, your week price is, say it's $1,000, and your month price is $2,200.
00:37:07
Speaker
Well, if you're going to keep it a week here and a week here, Might as well keep it for the month cost, even though you're not going to have it technically for a month because you're going to save on that freight. I work with your office a lot on on, hey, what does this look like? Help me do the math.
00:37:24
Speaker
Yeah. but And that's kind of what I was thinking just for everybody. So do you, for this industry, would it be... How do you go about getting a strategic account manager and not say – So everyone can get one? Well, that's kind of thing is can anybody get one or is it – you have to be at a certain level to be able to call somebody like that?
00:37:46
Speaker
Because, I mean, how convenient is it that I can call you at 6, 630 at night, unfortunately, sometimes? And I can have you help me out there where I remember when I was at a different company that I would have to call like a local branch and, you know, and then I'm not getting anybody, which I mean, that's the benefits of it. I get it. But how do you get to that point? And is there a certain structure before you can get there?
00:38:10
Speaker
Yeah, so there's there's definitely a certain structure. I don't want to like shy people away from us, right? But like, yeah, so your your account does a certain dollar volume and then that's when they deem it necessary for a single point of contact.
00:38:23
Speaker
Got it. But like our field level reps have offices in their territory, right? They're they're territory based where I'm account based. So they will do the same thing that I do.
00:38:35
Speaker
It's just at a different level. You know what I'm saying? like Right. More localized, regional. Say they've got seven zip codes they're responsible for. That office, you know, if Chattanooga 10 is one of their offices, then that person would be still your single point of contact. It's just...
00:38:51
Speaker
It's the same exact thing. It's just all my accounts are certain thresholds. Got it. and then we have but We have a level above us that are called national account managers that that handle...
00:39:02
Speaker
but Even bigger accounts. Much larger things, yeah. Yeah. Large construction. um And then also with that, um you know, I went to a United conference, I think it was last year, in Atlanta.
00:39:13
Speaker
Learned a lot about the United app. Yeah. If you could talk about that app a little bit for people that may not know about that, that would like to, if they're looking for a quick quote, things like that, um yeah talk a little bit about that for us.
Digital Tools and Industry Impact
00:39:28
Speaker
so So we have an online system called Total Control, and then we also have just an app called un United Rentals, right? Anyone can download it. You've got an account with us. We can get you signed up. It's it's easy.
00:39:39
Speaker
But that the app is is awesome because, you know, I don't i don't know the percentage anymore because of acquisitions always kind of dilute the number. But ah at one point, we had just about everything that was over a certain dollar value that has an engine on it, has a GPS system.
00:39:57
Speaker
So that itself is like the biggest selling point of the app, right? Like you can pull it up. You're on this big mega project and you've got a UTV or a forklift or whatever, right? You know, you and your crew go out for lunch.
00:40:11
Speaker
We all know how sites work. Even Nate, you've had this happen. You get back and your forklifts, God knows where, right? It's on the other side of the field. You don't know. You pull up the app. GPS shows you exactly where it's at.
00:40:24
Speaker
So that's one of the the key pieces that I like to talk about because it just saves multiple phone calls, right? Like, hey, man, I just got back from lunch. I can't find my forklift. Like, it's not a problem anymore. You just pull up that app. You don't have to you'll have to wait on me to answer the phone.
00:40:40
Speaker
don't have to wait on a branch. You don't have to do anything. You just pull it up. Another key feature is that you can input your own service calls. So you've got a boom lift. Excuse me.
00:40:51
Speaker
It has a hydraulic leak. Anything like that. You can put it in there, take pictures of it where it's at. Our field techs actually get that on their phone and in the computer.
00:41:01
Speaker
And so they can, you know, kind of, kind of already be set up for success on where that leak is. So that's just a couple of the things that shows you everything you have on rent, shows you when's the next best time to call it off rent.
00:41:15
Speaker
So we we actually like, believe it or not, try to partner with people and try to save them money than than have them not have transparency to to everything like that. so People love it. well It's been a game changer. It's pretty much dummy proof at this point. i mean Also, i mean I'll elaborate on it since I'm the user, but It has on there the picture of where the GPS location is and where it was like where it was delivered. So if your guys call you, which doesn't ever happen, right? And they say there's no for time red equipment there's no equipment here, right? yeah
00:41:47
Speaker
And you go to the app and you look and it's like, hey, boom, it's next to the tennis court. ah Okay. just had that Just had that happen. Wasn't going to say that. this week um yeah so But also with that, the it show you can even write quotes off it.
00:42:02
Speaker
I mean, you could you might need a freight quote, but you can kind of guesstimate on that based on some prior invoices and things like that. But if I need quick pricing, I can refer to that app and go on there and put it in in the area and the zip code of where I want it to. And it spits me out of price on where everything what that equipment is going to be.
00:42:20
Speaker
And that just saves me from having to call Joe every time and say, Joe, give me a quote for this. Joe, give me a quote for that. um Now, I'll verify the numbers sometimes or I'll add 20% or whatever it is to kind of help you know move that up a little bit just in case it's a little bit higher, a little bit lower. But I can usually guesstimate that my pricing is going to be a little bit lower than what the app is. And so I'm working with some good numbers there.
00:42:40
Speaker
um You can also see on there that it has every every job site. So if you had different job sites, it has a customer's name. like So say I'm doing somebody's job site in Georgia and I'm doing another one here. I can see all the equipment that I have on rent in each job site that it's at and all that kind of stuff. So I've i've found that valuable as well, working with you all on that.
00:43:02
Speaker
You can filter filter it out and especially native, it's something that you don't, you know, it's not one of your projects. Right. Filter to just to where it's yours. Yep. And see every single piece you have. So it's, it's, it's been a game changer. I will say when it first all started happening and they really made the big push on like, get this to your customers, you know, as a long time salesperson, right? Like,
00:43:27
Speaker
one of the things that goes through your head is like, dude, I'm, I'm going to work myself out of a job. I was just thinking the same thing, Joe. Right. Like, you know, these people don't need me anymore. Cause they're going to, they're going use this app. Yeah.
00:43:39
Speaker
But you, you find out that that's not really the case, right? Like if they're putting their service calls in, um that does it, that just frees up some capacity for you to spend more time with them, go see them more, go play golf, do whatever you want to do. Right. There's,
00:43:55
Speaker
So it's... Go play golf. Jesus. but well it it took a little It took a little mind switch because everyone everyone was freaking out about that. Like, no, the customer needs me, you know? And it's it's really...
00:44:08
Speaker
just like Papa John's, man. When you get on there and order your pizza, you know like you just want a pizza. and and The service call is you just want the service call taken care of. You don't have to tell your rep about it until it's not like maybe properly handled. and Then that's when I get involved and stuff like that. but I still have plenty of people that call me. Don't get it wrong. but There is a lot of people that are, especially this newer group,
00:44:32
Speaker
they're They're being very self-sufficient. but because they don't want to This new age group doesn't want to talk to anybody. That's a freaking problem. They just want to type. They want to look at the app. And I love it. But to an extent where you've got to remember that a handshake and a drink or a dinner or a lunch goes a long freaking way still. And you've still got to have that face-to-face interaction. Not all the time.
00:44:52
Speaker
Still got to have it, though. yeah Let's talk about service calls. I don't want to act like the event industry is more important than construction. Kyle's hammering you. I love it. but yeah But this is what happens. It's inevitable. Equipment does break. I will agree.
00:45:06
Speaker
Yeah. yeah How does that process look in your company in terms of getting techs out there? Because usually with us, if a 10K goes down or a boom lift goes down, that might be crippling to our production schedule and things like that.
00:45:20
Speaker
Very. Very. Yeah. So, so that's what I was kind of touching on earlier. Like I take this very seriously because I understand you've got seven guys over here trying to set up a structure.
00:45:32
Speaker
to get your $500,000 wedding tent put up or whatever it is. right So I understand how like busy or how important that is and how busy y'all need to be. So, i mean, we've got all kinds of metrics that we track.
00:45:49
Speaker
Our service dispatch team has got people dedicated just to dispatch service techs all around the country. So our our normal time is less than two hours. Okay. So with all our locations, like we have over 1,500 locations across the U.S. So like just about any time you're, you know, in an emergency pinch trying to set this tent, like we should have someone pretty close to come by and get you taken care of.
00:46:15
Speaker
So that's basically how it works. Are your techs 24-7-365?
00:46:22
Speaker
That sucks. Yeah. Yeah. So, so what a lot of markets will do is like a, like either a one week or two week rotation. Um, and those, those guys get compensated. know It doesn't work weekends, but the mechanics do.
00:46:37
Speaker
Who doesn't? United doesn't work weekends, but the mechanics do. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, I mean, yeah and and Nate's being some kind of way right now, but we do, we make some deliveries on the weekends. They call outside haulers to help out and facilitate that. yeah Yep, yep, yep. It's just like, you know, when y'all use a crew, a hired gun crew to set up them. Exactly. That's what we do.
00:47:00
Speaker
So we can still make stuff happen on the weekends. We do it. all the time, you know, after hours, I, I, before hours Friday, that was yeah. Before hours. Yeah. So, um, I had one last week that was, you know, five 30 on Halloween, you know, Hey, can I get a boom lift tonight? I'm like, dude.
00:47:18
Speaker
And, and I called a branch in Kentucky and they just jumped all over it and, um, had it, had it on site, like an hour and a half. That's, you know, one of the misconceptions is like,
00:47:30
Speaker
to add I do know that there's people out there, and y'all run into this on y'all's side, right? Like you talked about it on like two podcasts ago where someone calls Thursday like, hey, can you get me this 60 meter setup on Saturday?
00:47:44
Speaker
Well, there is still this misconception that like... We have drivers just sitting, waiting, waiting on, waiting on your phone call. Right. And then they're like, can I get, can I get this in an hour? I'm like, dude, that takes 15 minutes for us to load it and chain it down. Like, yeah and it's an hour away. Like you do the math. Can you get that in an hour? No, no.
00:48:03
Speaker
But you know, that's just part of it. That's just people being people. But, and then the other aspect of it is people look at you that you're too big and you don't care and that they go to a smaller place when truly like what you're saying here is you do care. And even when you get to that higher up point, there's people that, I mean, it's their job. It's your job. It's your livelihood. So you're still going to treat it good. But I think there's that misconception too, that you guys are too big and you don't care as much as the local branch or maybe the local branch will do it just to get by and do it quick and shady or however they'll do it, but, you know, not hating on the small guys either, but it's just, there's, there's different variations for different people, I think.
00:48:42
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Now I was going to, wanted to talk about, i know we're kind of jumping all over the place, but I wanted to talk about the first time i met Nate. Nate. Oh, boy. This this is a wild story. I can't remember how or why, but we were downtown.
00:49:01
Speaker
Mm-hmm. You remember this, Nate? Oh, yeah, yeah. I do. Actually, it's right when Emily and I started dating. and um Emily and I started dating. in the Actually, I remember it that we started dating, and she posted it on Facebook that we started dating, and you put something on there about being a rental guy.
00:49:19
Speaker
And then we were downtown for a game or a concert or something and came and met you guys at the bar before. Yeah. Yeah. And so he tells me, I'm like, so what do you do for a living? You know, that's like what old men talk about. Right. And so I was like, what do you do He's like, Oh, you know, rent construction equipment, party rental stuff. And I'm like,
00:49:39
Speaker
then this guy's either pulling my leg or like we're, or, or best friends. One of the two, we might, we might be best friends now. Yeah. And so like, lo and behold, like, cause I don't run into like most of the time when I run into people, they're like, Oh, I've worked for this construction company. We build buildings or build Chick-fil-A's or build whatever. Right. yeah And so when he's like, no, I rent construction equipment. I'm like, bro, are you serious? Like, this is awesome.
00:50:01
Speaker
So it was just, it was funny. Yeah. That was back in 2019. That's when I was still working for Brian's at the time. And before I made the move to Chattanooga, uh, down here with them. Like, but yeah, that is that I remember, I remember that post and remember meeting you downtown. that I was like, there ain't no damn way this guy does what I do.
00:50:19
Speaker
And then boom here we are. And then you fast forward to 2020 and I started working for Chattanooga and we were using the green guys. And, um, yeah. And so we were making all those calls and, uh,
00:50:30
Speaker
So then finally I was like, well, we try United. And Joe's like, I'll be your account manager. And so we had local guys coming in and trying to be our man. They were bringing us breakfast, all this. And I was like, no, just call Joe.
00:50:41
Speaker
Just call Joe. And so we've got all that. And it's also funny how all the people, once they find out that you you're loyal to a brand, a color, whether you're Sunbelt, United, whoever it is, it's funny how those people start to come out of the woodwork and immediately start hammering you for all these things. Cause I never saw my United local rep ever or my Sunbelt one.
00:51:02
Speaker
And then all a sudden i started using United and it was like full on. And then all of them came in hot. It was wild. but Well, and and so like another thing with that, I have, i have two customers that are very loyal to me and, um,
00:51:17
Speaker
Not including y'all, Nate, but like two two other ones. And one of the one of the things that really like switched my mindset on it was one of the CFOs told me, he was like, you know what this does for us?
00:51:30
Speaker
I'm like, what, saves you money? I don't, but he's like, no. Like it saves us time, which saves us money. I was like, all right, well, like expand on that. What's that look like? And he was like, we've been using you for years, right?
00:51:43
Speaker
Years. And I'm like, yes, sir. And he was like, Every rental company around knows that we're very loyal to y'all. So it like, I've got a guy that's trying to build this supermarket. Mm hmm.
00:51:56
Speaker
And so they just don't, the the the reps don't stop on the job. Right. They know that they're going to call Joe Balz. And like, so they just, it cuts down on the riffraff coming in the job trailer, holding him up while he's trying to do a concrete pour or whatever, you know?
00:52:12
Speaker
And so I really was like, man, I guess there is like, not only just like a cost savings benefit, but like a time savings, which obviously time is money, uh, benefit in all this as well.
00:52:22
Speaker
Well, I think it's all about relationships at the end of the day. You go back to the shaking hand and and face-to-face interaction versus what it is starting to move away from, which I don't don't think it needs to, to a certain extent. But, I mean, let's be honest. The reason we work with you is because our interaction with you. And, I mean, how many events do we go we all go to that you know Mike or Michael or I or Jonathan or whoever comes to that we all go together? We go You know, to we'll take you on ah on on events or golfing with us. You take us golfing or to events with you. So, I mean, the relationship works both ways.
00:52:57
Speaker
And when you can drink a beer after work with somebody and go talk to them and use them as a vendor resource too, mean, it says a lot. And you know that you trust that person if you want to spend time with them outside of just the work environment.
00:53:10
Speaker
And I think that goes a long way.
Building Relationships through Unique Methods
00:53:12
Speaker
Y'all taking me to countless, what is that? Is that ARA for the Preds? Oh, yeah, yeah. That's a, that's always a good, i look forward to that every year. So I hope the invite keeps coming.
00:53:22
Speaker
Absolutely. And Hey, you know what, Kyle? Uh, he talks about all this to have his assistant, Ashley, because he's actually not golfing all the time. He's actually cooking. Joe is a, he's big into cooking yeah and has a pull behind smoker.
00:53:35
Speaker
And so what they farmed him out to do at the United Rentals over there is to go out to job sites and pull in business by having him smoke meats. They have a dedicated enclosed trailer that is a mobile kitchen with TVs on it.
00:53:47
Speaker
And Joe pulls up with that and a smoker and they, they cook lunch for the whole job site and everybody. And that's another, but that's another, what I'm saying, that's another perk to, this relationship is you got somebody like that, that goes out and does that. He's also your sales guy, but he's cooking you lunch and bringing, and bringing that to everybody and bringing them together. Yeah.
00:54:05
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And that's, ah we started that a couple of years ago, right? And we just went out bought a trailer, got it wrapped, started, you know, we got a warming cabinet. We've got all these, you know, my expense report was looking like I was running a restaurant for the longest time They're like, what the hell are you doing? You know, but but and I'm telling you, we have countless customers and I don't just cook for my customers. I cook for the middle Tennessee area. Right. Right.
00:54:32
Speaker
And so we just, we have like this checklist of like what we need to know to come out to your site. And, and obviously we do, we do it on sites that, that we're controlling on, right? Like we're not going to pull up and that we have two pieces on the site. You know, we're not, we're going spend the time and resources and all that.
00:54:51
Speaker
But so we, we go to these larger projects and, you know, we'll we'll cook for 250, 300 people. We've, we've done it before. I mean, it's a, it's a, um, i'm and I'm getting older, I'm getting fatter but every minute. And so it's like, it's a long day. There's a lot that goes into it. But i have ah yeah i have ah I have a team that helps me out. and we we We thoroughly enjoy it.
00:55:14
Speaker
And the interaction you get with customers at that level, um it's I didn't know we were goingnna talk about that. That's kind the secret, Nate. No one else is doing it. And so it's it's a big deal. Like we we have customers that Every time, say say it's an apartment.
00:55:33
Speaker
you know And they build multiple apartments around Middle Tennessee. like Every time when they get to a certain point, hey, bring the trailer out. Can you cook for us? Absolutely. I thought it was kind of a joke at first.
00:55:43
Speaker
like He was just like, yeah, I'm at a job site cooking. I'm like, there ain't no damn way. And then he's out there with the Weber. Oh, my God. and you see the grill When you see the grill and everything that goes into it, I mean, he's got tri-tips, and he's out there at 5, 6 a.m., and i mean they're bringing it on. So it's great. I mean, it's real good.
00:56:01
Speaker
um So just to finish up here, wrap up a little bit, what's one story or moment on a job site that you know you'll never forget or a moment with a customer that has really made you proud?
00:56:13
Speaker
And so ah I wanted to talk about this. one of the One of the early sales lessons I got from a mentor of mine, Chris Coleman, and we we he would do ride-alongs with me, right?
00:56:25
Speaker
And and he he kind of recruited me to come work for him at one point. And he's in the truck one day and he's like, hey, like,
00:56:36
Speaker
Let's go to the job right there. And I'm like man, we don't have anything over there, you know? And he was like, no, dude, you have zero jobs. zero to lose at this point, right? There's nothing on that job site from us.
00:56:48
Speaker
You have everything to to win. So like, let's go in that job site, talk to them and, and win their business. Like if they're not going to rent from you, they're crazy. And so that's like, I tell some of the newer reps and stuff like that, like have some confidence. Don't be cocky or arrogant, but like have some confidence and, and no, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain absolutely from trying to build a relationship with this person in this job trailer.
00:57:14
Speaker
um Man, I mean, we have some we have some some crazy wins with y'all, Nate, like getting your your customers and getting you taken care of.
00:57:25
Speaker
um You know, this this job has provided a lot of very cool, like events, places, backstage access to to stuff that normal people don't get to see day in and day out.
00:57:43
Speaker
So that's that's kind of the fun part. Like, you know, we've we've been to concerts together, Nate, that you've set up and yeah that we delivered equipment for you to set up. And um I mentioned Bonnaroo earlier. Like, the the downside was you worked 120 hours every week to get it ready.
00:58:02
Speaker
But then when it happened, like, you're on site and you're going to go see – Chris Stapleton and all these folks, you know, and it's just, it's open, it's open really cool doors and experiences you know and that over the years.
00:58:14
Speaker
That story you just told Joe about you have nothing to lose, that translates to our industry as well. Big time. Some customers are just lazy and don't want to switch because they don't have someone's card in front of them or they don't want to take the time to do the research and they're used to working with me, used to working with Nate, not saying anyone should come steal our customers, but yeah You have to call and reach out.
00:58:38
Speaker
And that's the only way or show up at their office and just say, hey, I know you do a large event every year. Would you at least let me take a look at it? Maybe I can offer something better than what you're currently using. Yeah, I actually had.
00:58:52
Speaker
Just about every week, something kind of slaps me in the face. And I had one this week happen, kind of a one-off. But i have you know I have construction companies as well in in my book of business, right?
00:59:04
Speaker
And I have two that do the same thing. And they they they build apartments. and And this one was using us for a solution. And this other one, I've been taking care of them longer, known them for years. I've been on their company, Private Jet.
00:59:21
Speaker
They've taken me events. um And I've never thought to say anything to them, right? Well, it just so happened that I took one of their superintendents to launch this week and i was asking him how the job's progressing and he's telling me. and And so I was like, man, I'm about to really be vulnerable here, but I have a solution for that. that i have We've only built 30 apartment complexes with you across the country.
00:59:48
Speaker
I've never thought to say this to y'all. And so now they've got two different projects in Middle Tennessee that they're about to use our solution on to get taken care of that I was just like, I probably could have told you all that about five years ago.
01:00:03
Speaker
And so now they're, you know, they're they're not upset with me by no means, but they're like, dude, that's great because we use you for everything. Now you can help us. We're 60 days behind on this project, which you know it doesn't matter what my solution costs if you're 60 days behind.
01:00:18
Speaker
right When you're talking about a $45 million dollars apartment complex, the cost doesn't really even matter at that point. know so then that was That was one that just happened this week that was really eye-opening.
01:00:30
Speaker
don't take for granted like what you know, and definitely don't take for granted what the customer knows, what we can provide for them.
01:00:41
Speaker
Cause there's, there's, I mean, there's all kinds of stuff that we can do to excel someone's project along this matting stuff is crazy as well. yeah Like that's, that that that can be a whole nother podcast. Yeah.
01:00:53
Speaker
Oh yeah. That's, that's turning job sites around quick. Well, Kyle, you want to hit Joe with our last question here? ah So Joe, just we can talk rental in general.
Advice for Industry Newcomers
01:01:04
Speaker
What's a big piece of advice you'd give to someone new to the industry?
01:01:10
Speaker
So one of the one of the things is like, you know, I've already talked about it, but it's always doing what you say. Like, and over, over communicate. Even even like I over communicate with my customers and my internal customers, right? The people at United Realms.
01:01:27
Speaker
So like, that's the that's the key thing. It's always in the details. It's always communicate. um And just just hang in there. I mean, the we're so big that there's like levels to it.
01:01:38
Speaker
And so if you're if you're down at the the ground floor level, ah just hang on, do a good job. People in our organization will realize that and you you can move up really quick in this company.
01:01:51
Speaker
So it's just it's just about transparency, communicating and and being honest. I think we could put that on a loop, Kyle. As many podcast recordings as we've we've done so far, that's usually the answer pretty close.
01:02:04
Speaker
um yeah It just goes back to saying a handshake still goes a long way. i feel like that a lot of people don't do that anymore and that people don't really care about it. um You know, and and it it sucks because I feel like the handshake thing is going away and looking somebody in the eyes and doing what you say they're going to do. um But at the end of the day, I feel like that's still that's still the thing. So it's good to hear.
01:02:28
Speaker
Well, Joe, anything else you got for us?
Closing and Gratitude
01:02:31
Speaker
I appreciate this guys. I appreciate y'all's time. Definitely. Well, i appreciate you, uh, you coming on today and I can stroke your ego a little bit more as a friend, but also hear some good stories. So I do appreciate everything, that you do for us and as a friend. Um, so thanks for coming on today and sharing your show sharing, sharing your story on our show.
01:02:51
Speaker
Um, yeah. And this has been another episode of under the vinyl, a rental management media podcast.