Additional foot traffic often leads to more sales, and Penske rental agents have noticed an increase in customers at their businesses after partnering with Penske. Mitzi Wallace of Wallace Propane and Appliance in Boone, North Carolina, a Penske agent for more than 20 years, believes that her relationship with Penske works well with her primary business.
Wallace also believes that the businesses complement each other well. “The additional income from Penske has helped out,” she said. “But more importantly, Penske traffic has helped grow our propane business too.”
Add to Your Revenue
Add-on sales continue to be one of the biggest benefits experienced by Penske rental agents when partnering with Penske. Steve Grebinar of US Pak & Ship in Boynton Beach, Florida, said with the boost in walk-in traffic from Penske customers, he’s been able to incorporate new products into his store.
“After our third year partnering with Penske, we started bringing in more retail products and it’s really one of the best things we ever did,” Grebinar said. “It’s kind of natural to have these options, but we just never had the vehicle to bring them in. Penske was a good excuse, and our customers — both regular customers and Penske customers — love it.”
Julie Burghardt of Mini U Storage in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, runs a storage facility that has partnered with Penske since 2008. She said that being a Penske rental agent has allowed her to increase the occupancy of her storage units on a regular basis. With many one-way customers renting a unit when they stop in to drop off the rental truck, the company continuously brings in new revenue from the storage unit side.
Attract Different Types of Customers
In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Tammy Cassidy of C & G Auto & Truck, who has been working as an agent for over 20 years, says that she often has Penske customers who stop in to rent or drop off a truck and then come back for their personal auto repair needs, bringing in business customers that never would have found her otherwise.
“When Penske customers come in, we’ll hand them one of our cards and tell them to come back if they ever need service on a vehicle,” she said. “This works out well since nearly everybody has a car. Plus, having Penske trucks in the parking lot is always helpful to get people in the door.”
Build Customer Loyalty for Your Primary Business
Agents agree that the quality trucks and service that Penske offers help to build more successful customer relationships. “When a Penske customer walks into our store, it’s nice and clean and they’re impressed by the way they’re treated,” said Jamie Howrey of JCC Rental in Brighton Beach, Colorado.
“Customer satisfaction and care is something we value greatly, and we don’t want to undermine that. I think our Penske customers see that. We’ve established a good rapport with our customers, and everyone is very, very happy. Both businesses work very well together.”
