Finding equipment is set to get easier with the Trade Plant Hire app. Professional Builder looks at a new service that could streamline the experience for both tradespeople and stockists.
“For tradespeople, finding the right tool for the job for exactly when they need it is not a straightforward proposition, and that’s where Trade Plant Hire comes in,” explains Ivan Yardley, managing director of Trade Plant Hire.
Digital Tool
Trade Plant Hire is effectively a website but, from the point of view of an end user armed with a smart phone, it behaves just like an app, as Ivan reveals: “From an icon on the home screen tradespeople can access an advanced interface where they can search for kit by entering a specific product, the postcode of a job site, as well as the duration of the hire. The app will then generate a list of options based on location and the dates required, including description, price, VAT breakdown, deposit, and insurance. It will then list items that are available from stockists who will deliver to that area within the required timeframe.”
The functionality doesn’t end there, however, because, using the well-known and secure Stripe service as a gateway, it’s also possible to make deposits and payments through the app. Multiple transactions can be made, with delivery on different dates and to specified addresses. Crucially for the plant or tool hirer, the builder is required to accept the rental provider’s terms and conditions prior to the final processing of the sale, which eliminates the need for the stockist to change their established processes in any way. Once checkout is completed a VAT receipt and order notification is emailed to the builder. Not only that but any supplier can create an account and list equipment on the app for free.
Trade Plant Hire is structured to manage the hire experience from end to end. As an illustration, account holders have the facility to administer active, past, and future orders. Contractors are alerted the day before the end of the hire period by email, for instance, and, in the event they would like to extend, a new invoice is then generated. Orders can be cancelled up to 12 hours before, whilst records of all previous transactions include digital copies of VAT receipts, which are then easily retrievable when tax return time arrives.
Former England and Lions rugby union international, Tim Stimpson is part of the consortium behind the app: “A good example of just how effective it can be is when a builder is working away in an area not covered by their established suppliers,” Tim adds. “Finding anything from a cut-off saw to scaffolding or a micro-excavator is then just a few clicks away. Builders are ideally placed to be able to use their phones as aggregators to find the best product at the most competitive price – and that’s what the Trade Plant Hire app can achieve. It automates everything that would have previously taken time-consuming research.”
For further information on the Trade Plant Hire App visit https://tradeplanthire.co.uk/get-the-app/
