HSS Hire

HSS is a leading supplier of tool and equipment hire in the UK with over 200 locations. The company is a one-stop-shop for equipment hire through a combination of complementary rental and service businesses. While most of this business is delivered directly to site, the company also offers click and collect services.

The tool hire industry is more complex than traditional retail as goods and staff are constantly on the move. As equipment becomes increasingly commoditised, customer service is key to maintaining repeat business.

HSS had historically been a paper-based business with no real-time oversight.

The HSS team was looking for a solution that would digitise the total operational experience. The solution needed to solve these key challenges:

• Customers demanded the ability to track their orders in real-time.
• Drivers and transport managers needed better ways to communicate with customers.
• Drivers needed better navigation tools, and were frustrated by excess paperwork.

The Localz solution stood out because of the team’s willingness to build a relationship and go the extra mile. Through Localz, HSS Hire has implemented real-time driver tracking, customer notifications, digital proof of delivery, and job-based feedback. Localz technology has also been integral to the company’s new click-and-collect offering.

“It was a big foray into digital for our operations,” says Michael Alldridge, HSS Hire’s Operations Director, South West and Wales, “but Localz made it easy.”

Localz integrates with HSS Hire’s driver and customer apps to speed up access during collections and deliveries.

Within HSS Hire’s technician app, drivers can access vehicle safety checks and job information, as well as routing and navigation. They can also power automated customer notifications.

When the driver is ready to go to their next appointment, they simply click the “On My Way” button within the app. This triggers a message to customers including a fifteen-minute ETA window, either through the customer app, or via SMS.

The “On My Way” message links to a live map, where customers can track the driver’s ETA based on current traffic. They also have the option to send a message to their HSS operative. Customers can share important information such as access codes, or where to park.

Customers receive another notification when their driver is five minutes away, so they can prepare to provide access.

Since digitising the driver experience, HSS Hire has seen driver retention improve by 45%. By streamlining route planning and increasing first-time access, the technology also contributes to fuel savings, a key part of HSS Hire’s sustainability agenda.

Localz powers digital proof of delivery to build trust with customers and avoid disputes.

On arrival, drivers can capture time-stamped, geo-coded proof of delivery (POD) photos within the app. These prove when and where the item was dropped off, the condition of the equipment, and how much fuel or battery was remaining.

The photo capture feature helps to cement customers’ trust in the HSS brand. It also helps to minimise disputes for damaged, or undelivered goods.

“Photo capture gives our customers more trust that we’re doing what we have promised to do,” says Alldridge.

With the operational dashboard, transport managers can ensure that jobs are running efficiently.

The management dashboard provides transport managers with live visibility of jobs and drivers in the field.

Managers can easily search for an individual job or driver details, or view drivers’ locations on the live tracking map.

With job-based feedback, HSS Hire can quickly identify unsatisfied customers and resolve issues.

Once a delivery or collection job is completed, the customer receives an SMS with a link to a simple feedback form. The customer can rate their experience and provide free-text feedback.

Users of the operational dashboard can view feedback for individual jobs and drivers. In addition, real-time alerts for negative feedback allow staff to identify unhappy customers and resolve issues quickly.

HSS Hire can now provide a convenient click and collect service to meet customers’ needs.

With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless click and collect became a business priority. HSS Hire was able to quickly deploy Localz out-of-the-box order collection solution to adapt to changing customer behaviour.

When an order is ready for collection, customers receive an SMS with a link to the Collect My Goods web portal. Within the portal, customers can confirm when they are on their way to the store. An audible alarm alerts staff to acknowledge and prepare the order.

The portal allows customers to check in when they arrive at the builder’s merchant, where the Manage My Orders app prompts staff to bring the order to the customer’s vehicle.