The SRL Central Hire Desk (CHD) is dedicated to delivering exceptional service to our valued customers. Having recently celebrated its two-year anniversary, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to get under the skin of operations with our Central Hire Desk Manager, Tracy Sezol.

A Nationwide Service

Located in Leeds, the Central Hire Desk manages administrative tasks for customers offering nationwide services. The CHD acts as a vital link between customers and SRL depots. It serves as a centralised point of contact, streamlining administrative processes that would otherwise be challenging to coordinate across multiple regions.

Fulfilling Customer Needs

The team excels in providing a range of services to customers with diverse requirements. Leveraging their internal relationships and adept stakeholder management, they work with our operations division to deliver the responsive, proactive service we are known for. Their day-to-day responsibilities include arranging transportation for hires, managing logistics and planning, ensuring compliance, handling enquiries, and collaborating with Regional Managers to support depot administrative duties.

The Central Hire Desk is also the hub for emergency helpline queries. They play an integral role in resolution management, providing proactive communications to customers and liaising with the appropriate individuals to promptly identify and resolve issues. In cases where a query or technical concern cannot be diagnosed remotely by our support team, the CHD organises logistics for an on-site inspection and ensures that an SRL operative reaches the location to resolve the issue and minimise disruption, within two hours.

The Central Hire Desk Manager, Tracy Sezol, comments:

“One of the notable advantages of the Central Hire Desk is its support to the depots as well as customers. We act as the first point of contact and actively collaborate to provide logistical support using our relationships with depots, regional managers, administrative assistants, and operatives who’ll then provide the necessary assistance, whether it be repairs, maintenance or simply supporting a customer when putting a job out.”

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Optimising Hire Services

In addition to handling customer enquiries and facilitating seamless service delivery, the CHD team play a crucial role in inventory, compliance, and contract management. They meticulously manage process documentation and arrange inspections when required. They also assist with accident and vandalism response. Whereby damaged equipment is reported by a customer, (because of accidents or vandalism), the CHD promptly coordinates equipment repair and replacement, to reduce downtime and disorder.

The CHD accounts department operates swiftly and efficiently, providing quotes for ad-hoc, contract hires and purchases. This encompasses rental agreements, contracts, terms and conditions, and liability documents, among others. The team also maintains an updated inventory list to assist fleet optimisation and distribution.

Tracy concludes:

“The nature of SRL’s business is incredibly fast-paced and reactive. At the Central Hire Desk, we focus on delivering reliable, consistent service that our key partners can rely on, regardless of lead time and location. We’re proud of the team we’ve built at the CHD over the last two years and are excited to see how we can continue to grow, learn and better serve SRL’s customers.”