We’ll be honest. The most exasperating part of being in the equipment rental business is having missing equipment at the end of the event. We would love for all of our clients to be present at the pick-up so that we could count-in the items together, but unfortunately, it rarely happens. Generally, we have left to count-in the items ourselves, and we find shortages. When this happens, both sides are left to question what happened to the equipment, for which we bill retail replacement cost.
It is rare for us to have a miscount, as we double-check our counts in the warehouse and field, and the equipment is checked-in by the client at delivery. However, there is always a small chance, so if you have any doubts, we can complete an inventory count to check our numbers.
One rule-of-thumb provided by a caterer is to plan for a missing quantity of up to 3% as normal. Many people handle the equipment before, during, and after an event. The catering staff can misplace items during the event, or things are taken to the caterer’s kitchen. Or it can be a clean-up crew that mistakenly throws items away. It can be any vendor or even a guest who helped with the clean-up or strike. We strongly recommend that you do not put linen or other items in trash bags that could be mistaken for garbage and accidentally tossed out. The possibilities are pretty wide open. So, as a rental company, we can only work by the count-ins at delivery and pick-up. The rest is beyond our ability to control.
Unattended Equipment
For certain venues, or to save expensive late-night pick-up fees, we sometimes have a period of a day or two from the end of the event until pick-up. This is another potential area of concern where theft and vandalism can occur. Sometimes, the pick-up fee is worth the price, however, it’s up to the client to determine what risk they want to undertake.
Late Equipment Return
We charge additional rental fees if the equipment is not returned on the scheduled date. Sometimes, we get the bulk of the order, but a few items are returned by the client later. If this situation arises, make sure that you provide your name or the name that the order was placed under if you are returning for someone else.
Restricted Access
Prices are based on having complete access to our equipment so that we can have an efficient removal. The client is subject to additional charges for delays attributed to clearing the tent of non-Special Event Rentals items left in a tent or for waiting for access to the property.
Asphalt patching
When tents are staked into asphalt, they leave a one-inch diameter hole. Special Event Rentals fill these holes with asphalt upon tent take-down. Although there may be a slight difference in color, this process repairs the asphalt to a similar condition that would be completed by any asphalt company.