Renting/loaning of easels!

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Tommy P

Tommy P

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Nov 16, 2003
Posts
870
Loc
Mid North Indiana
For those of you that have them.............do you loan out or rent easels to customers for their special events? What are your policies?

We seem to get various requests for the use of (especially floor type) easels. These are easels we have for sale. They are used on our floor, of course, to display framed artwork for sale or showing customers completed projects. But they are for sale.

We hate to say no to those that ask to borrow. Especially since some are good paying customers. Others are charity or fundraising events. But eventually the easels will be nicked up and not saleable.

Should we charge say $5 a day to rent or what? Or just let it go as good customer relations? Does any one else have this problem? How do you handle it? I'd like to have a policy that is fair to all................

Geez, life is complicated at times!
 
My easels are nothing fancy, just plain wood ones. I rent them out at $5.00 a day with usually no takers. For charities, I just let them use them at no charge, with the organization responsible for pick/return. I have the org sign for them, stating pick up and return times and that they are responsible, at a stated price for any that are damaged or not returned. So far all but one easel has come back.
 
mik said:
So far all but one easel has come back.
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Were you able to collect for the value of that easel?


I would suggest that if any decide to go into the easel renting business that you take a look at how "tool rental" places do it. Usually they put a hold on your credit card for the stated value and will charge the card if item is not returned / undamaged by the due date.
 
I have about 1/2 dozen nice floor easels that we let customers use for wedding portraits and such. I have 2 different styles to choose from.
Free of charge if I frame the portrait. $10.00 per couple of days just to rent out.
I use them in my shop to display when they are not loaned out.
Randy
 
Seems as though I can't find the balance either, I have loaned out easels several times to organizations, without fail I must call after a few days of my easel not being returned or worse yet go and retreive it. I swore I would not loan them out after one organization returned my easles after a week only to have one of them busted beyond use, they just slipped it in the door laid it on the floor and left while I was at the design counter not a word spoken. But just a few weeks ago I loaned one out for a grand opening, after they spent 600.00 to frame the piece I kinda felt obligated, three days later had to go get my easel! What do you do?
 
I think the notion of taking a credit card number as security is the way to go, even with a good paying customer. Agree upon a date when the easel is due back, and who should be responsible for its return (you or them). Tell them there is an $X.xx charge for every day after that (because you need it for the store or for another customer), and if it hasn't been returned by a certain day, they will be charged for the retail value of the easel. And if it's returned damaged, they will be charged for the retail value of the easel.

If anyone protests at those terms, that should tell you something about their intentions and sense of responsibility.
 
Good ideas! I think $5 a day is fair........and taking a credit card # makes sense.

I can't imagine anyone balking at that policy. Especially if we post a little sign or two.
 
I think that loaning out inventory that you have displayed on the retail floor for sale is bad business, period. I would love to have the BMW or the Masarati dealers follow that policy when I want to take a friend to dinner on Saturday evening!

"Yeah, thanks alot, I'll have it back to ya first thing Monday morning."

Unless you have visual proof ie., photos of all sides of each easel and some method of identifying each of them to show the condition when loaning them out, who is responsible for any "damage" that is evident on them when returned?? Little knicks don't mean alot to those people who are doing the borrowing but your paying customers probably will pass on a knicked up easel for full retail.
 
I use all of my easels in my shop and none are for sale, all of them are well built iron easels that can withstand wear and tear and are in beautiful antique colors like silver, bronze & white. If someone wants to rent one, then I charge $20.00 per day deposit and if they bring it back on time with no damage then they get half of the deposit back. I make sure to get the money up front and I only take cash. I have found that people tend to have things back on time and in good shape if they will get cash back.
 
Tom Reigle said:
I think that loaning out inventory that you have displayed on the retail floor for sale is bad business, period. I would love to have the BMW or the Masarati dealers follow that policy when I want to take a friend to dinner on Saturday evening!

"Yeah, thanks alot, I'll have it back to ya first thing Monday morning."

Unless you have visual proof ie., photos of all sides of each easel and some method of identifying each of them to show the condition when loaning them out, who is responsible for any "damage" that is evident on them when returned?? Little knicks don't mean alot to those people who are doing the borrowing but your paying customers probably will pass on a knicked up easel for full retail.
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Tom, since you mentioned cars being loaned out. What do car rental places do? Do you think they take pictures of the cars each time? No. They hand you a carbon piece of paper, and tell you to mark down any damage. They get a copy and the renter gets a copy. KISS.

It doesn't have to be that hard. Plus I think you'll more than make up your money from renting the darn things that if you do run into a pain in the arse customer, then you can just write it off.

dave.
 
Yeah, well, I should have expected someone to take my suggestion and example literally and specifically and not as simply my opinion and general suggestion to what had already been said. :shrug:

"But eventually the easels will be nicked up and not saleable."

That, as I read the original post, was TommyP's main stated concern. I was merely responding to that concern with an opinion I had from many years of trying to please everyone who wandered into my shop and wanted something for nothing. Call it a loan, a freebie, favor, or simply a gift or donation, whatever the case may be, I am really pleased and satisfied that, after all these years, I can truthfully state what I really think about pleasing people who don't always buy or become a good customer unless you have something they need for "loan".

It is a very cathartic exercise for me and I thank all of you who do understand for letting me vent in my own way.

Rather than "preach another sermon" as I was accused of doing in another thread, I'll leave it at that.
 
If it happened here, I probably wouldn't loan my 'good ones'. If they're a cheap square, basic artist easel then maybe.

If you do a lot of it, then consider buying cheapies for loaners or renting.

I don't think it should cause any hard feelings with anyone who asks you to loan it to request a rental fee. Damage is always possible..and likely..the more it goes out.

A rental fee would certainly cover your risk..and the credit card thing is really a good idea. If its not returned on time, charge the whole thing off to it. Works at Blockbuster.


If you really just don't want to, then say "I used to, until....". They'll appreciate your honesty.
 
no charge to really good customers, to the others we just don't offer it at all...never had a return problem or any damage in 10 years, but only have to do the loan thing about 3-4 times a year.
 
Were you able to collect for the value of that easel?

Yes, I did get paid for it from the person who borrowed it for their charity. And then they became a rather good customer. They had no problem with the $30 I charged them and I made two easels to replace the one I lost with the money I was paid. And they have borrowed them several times and all were returned.:)
 
Tom, no offense toward you. I wasn't critiquing your viewpoint, I was just offering another angle to it. That's all. Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

I view renting the easels....(NOT LOANING), as another revenue stream for a business that can afford to capture as much revenue as possible during these tough and not so tough times. Who knows, you could draw in customers who are just looking to rent easels, who could end up turning into solid customers.

dave.
 
I run an ad in our local paper everyday. A page wide by three inches. Just got a new ad idea......

"We rent easels of all sizes for all occasions!"

The Grumble turned on a light bulb!

Thanks gang!
 
DLB said:
Tom, no offense toward you. I wasn't critiquing your viewpoint, I was just offering another angle to it.
Click to expand...

I didn't take any particular offense at your statement, I was just thinking about the time that I loaned out an easel and the group who had the special event "lost" it. I wasn't involved in this event so I didn't find out until later that they had offered space to one of my competitors to display their art and framing while coming to me to "borrow" an extra easel because the competitor didn't have enough!! To top things off, the competitor took my easel back to her gallery by mistake and nobody could find it for quite some time. It was about 3 weeks later that I heard through the grapevine that this had all occured and I suggested to the borrower that he visit the competitor and see if she didn't have the easel.

She did.

That was the last time I loaned an easel out.

Renting or taking a healthy deposit is a whole 'nother tater to mash and has positive possibilities in my opinion!
 
I have them write a check for the price of the easel (retail). I hold the check till they bring it back, or I deposit it if not returned 3 days after the due back date. I do the same thing with frame samples, if they want to take a sample home to see if it matches their home, write me a check for 20.00 that I will hold for 10 days then deposit if the sample is not back.
 
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