10.05.2007

Ainscough listens and reacts

Martin Ainscough, managing director of One Stop Hire, the recently established on-line rental auction site, says that he has listened to criticism and “done a U-Turn” in terms of how the auction works..

The company was criticised for promoting a ‘Dutch auction’ driving prices down and down to the lowest common denominator.

Although he says new hire concept has got off to a flying start with over 1,000 registered suppliers and in excess of 800 customers using the system successfully, changes have now been made that he claims will streamline the hiring process further and help avoid a negative rental rate auction.

Ainscough said: “Previously when a customer placed a hire enquiry on the system, the suppliers were invited to bid as many times as they wished until the best price was achieved, creating a time delay in between the enquiry and order stages”.

“Now that we have altered the system the supplier will have one opportunity to offer their best price making the system simpler and efficient for both customer and supplier. I believe that OneStopHire can benefit anybody who hires anything by saving valuable time on the phone, the system not only ascertains the best price but it also locates and checks availability in one simple process”.

“We have many suppliers who are keen to publicise that they have won orders for work where they would not otherwise have even received the enquiries for and customers who have stated that the facility has saved them time and money, whilst not affecting existing customer/supplier relationships and national deals”.