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F.A.Q.
- Why use CHOICES HIRE for my equipment hire?
- CHOICES HIRE has been trading for over 30 years and has consistently provided high levels of service for good value to large and small venues alike. Our commitment to providing the highest quality is underpinned by the award of ISO 9001 certification that is currently, we believe, unique within the industry and sets the standard for others to follow.
- Is the price quoted on the website what I will pay?
- Yes. Unlike many of our competitors we quote our prices “up front” The only addition to the quoted prices is the addition of VAT at the prevailing rate and any delivery charge which will be provided on request. A full quotation for your order can be provided so that you can alter anything to meet your particular requirement or budget. Losses and breakages to equipment are charged on return of products and replacement costs can be provided on request.
- How long is a “hire period” and how is it priced?
- Brochure and website prices are for ONE hire period which is usually a weekend/two days. This normally means a Friday delivery followed by a Monday collection. Seven day hire is priced as 1+1/2 .Fourteen days hire is priced as 3x hire etc.
- Do I have to place a deposit to secure my order?
- No. We do not normally ask for deposits. Payment is required, in full, on delivery/ collection of your order unless other arrangements have been made. A charge of 5 percent per day, is charged on outstanding amounts. Payments can be made by cash, Paypal, cheque or BACS. Please see our Terms & Conditions for full details.
- How late can I make changes to my order?
- Making changes to orders is normal and you should always ask to make the amendments that suit you. The general rule is that the more notice you give us the more able we will be to fulfil all your requirements. Some items are subject to seasonal fluctuations in popularity and these should be booked ASAP. Linen, disposable products and some items of furniture need to be booked well in advance.
- How are my items packed for delivery & collection?
- Our standard items are packed in “types” in plastic containers in convenient amounts for safe handling. After use items should be returned to the boxes in the same manner for collection by our staff. Time spent on site repacking badly packed items or clearing of a site is chargeable at £20.00 per hour (or part thereof) per member of staff. A charge will also be made for any packing crates not returned .All we ask from customers is that they do their best to return items in the manner in which they were delivered. Linen has separate requirements , please ask for further details.
- I want to return my items” dirty”?
- We provide a return dirty service for customers convenience. Any items being returned “clean” must have been cleaned via a dishwasher and not hand washed. This is to provide a hygienic result. Customers returning items dirty have an additional 30 per cent of their total hire charge added to their invoice. Some items are excluded from this service as the expectation is that they will be returned dirty e.g. linen. To use this service we ask customers to remove all food debris from plates etc and empty all glassware and return it in the boxes provided. The boxes are all cleaned and sanitised before reuse and plastic boxes are processed via our industrial dishwashers for hygiene compliance. We do not routinely use wooden or absorbent materials when delivering or storing products and strongly advise that you avoid any supplier who does so.
- Do you provide a setting up and clearing away service?
- Our usual hours of operating are 9-5 Monday-Friday inclusive. Evening and weekend deliveries/collections can be made by arrangement and there may sometimes be a charge for this. Please ask for details as we will always try and remain flexible to suit our customer’s needs. We are unable to guarantee delivery or collections times, often due to circumstances beyond our control such as traffic etc but we are usually able to give you advance notice of a morning or afternoon delivery. If you want to ensure a delivery or collection is made at a particular time, we can arrange this for an extra charge as it is likely to mean bringing in a dedicated driver and van to ensure your specific needs are met. However, We find this arrangement is not usually necessary.
- Can I avoid a delivery/collection charge?
- Yes you can. Collections and returns can be made at our warehouse, Unit 4, Eastover Farm. See our website for full directions. You must make arrangements so that we can assure a member of staff is available to assist you and help you with loading.
- I have a cheaper quote, will you match it?
- Yes, however it is unusual for our own products and services not to be the most competitive on the market and we operate a like-for-like price match. You should carefully compare the products you are looking at to see that you are not being offered inferior products or service. See our separate Price promise information for full details.
- How can I be sure that your equipment is safe?
- CHOICES HIRE has achieved ISO 9001 certification across all aspects of our business products and services. This is an internationally recognised standard of excellence that is only obtained after extensive independent audit of all our business activity including product safety and quality. We believe we are unique within the industry in obtaining this award. All of our equipment is cleaned via an industrial process to achieve hygienic results and our gas and electrical equipment is regularly tested and inspected to ensure compliance with all current standards and legislation. We adopt a multi agency approach to maintaining health and safety standards and we liaise with both HSE and our local Environmental Health Dept to ensure continued compliance. We have a dedicated manager to deal with all these issues.
- What is your environmental policy?
- As a responsible business we do everything we can to ensure that our activity has a minimal impact on the environment. All of our vehicles operate on a carbon neutral basis under a scheme that is administered by a global provider. Our washware equipment is compliant with the latest anti pollution standards and we have recently installed an additional drainage protection scheme that ensures no harmful products are released into the drainage system. We operate an ethical waste collection service that is currently licensed via a trusted operator. Energy consumption is constantly monitored and reduced where ever possible. Redundant hire equipment is recycled to local recipients FOC.
- Can I order just one item?
- Yes. We can provide a single item through to full event management services. No order is too small and we have yet to be beaten by an order being too big! We have no minimum spend requirement.
- What happens if equipment fails / broken on delivery?
- We hope you will not encounter problems. All equipment is tested and inspected before delivery and wherever possible is checked again on site for compliance and safety. In the unlikely event that equipment fails after this we will always do our best to repair or replace equipment. Customers should check, and run, any equipment in plenty of time to allow for replacement/repair and out of hours reporting should be via the office telephone answering service and we will do our best for you IF we are given enough notice and if there is replacement equipment available for you.
- Why do I have to pay a separate delivery charge for linen?
- This delivery charge is levied by the linen provider as all our linen is provided from a specialist provider. Over the years we have tried various suppliers for linen and have experienced problems of sustainability or quality. As a result our current provider is the only firm that we can confidently recommend to our customers as providing a level of service that we expect. This service comes at a price premium due to the fact that the supplier uses a courier service for deliveries and collections. This is unavoidable. If you want cheaper linen then a search of the local yellow pages may prove fruitful but BEWARE and ask questions about the quality that can be expected. If you want more advice please ask.
- What are your geographical limitations for delivery?
- There are no limits but delivery costs may become an issue depending on order size. Our products have been used throughout Europe including Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, and France and as far East as Turkey to name but a few.
- I’m a professional caterer and need added assurance.
- As an ISO 9001 certified company you can be assured that our quality standards are of the highest order. CHOICES HIRE SERVICES was created from the expertise and experience of a qualified caterer who had extensive experience of working throughout the private and corporate sector of the market. This experience has meant that the driving ethos of the equipment and services provided are based on the “due diligence “requirement for catering provision. You are welcome to inspect our storage and processing facility to ensure that your expectations are met.
- Is your tableware ready to use?
- If you have to wash any item of equipment before use then we have failed in our provision. You should have regard to the fact that our equipment is “hire equipment” and has seen previous, sometimes extensive, use and this may be reflected in the condition of equipment. We recommend that for a table shine finish, glassware and cutlery is polished before use to remove any residual water marks from the cleaning process.
- Which glassware should I hire for my function?
- If you are going to set glassware on to tables then you should use the tableware range for the best effect. Tableware glasses are of a better quality than the barware and are maintained in a better condition as a result. You are advised to hand polish any table glasses for best effect before use to remove any residual marks from the washing process. Barware glasses are best used when they are going to be offered to guests/customers when pre filled with liquid as they tend to be more heavily used and marked and this is not significantly noticeable. All of our glassware is cleaned to a high standard regardless …next time you visit a pub ask to see the glass before it is filled you will be amazed how “dirty” it appears despite the fact that it may have undergone a washing process.
- I want you to mange the whole process can you do this?
- Yes. We can event mange any function regardless of size and provide an integrated approach to ensure a successful outcome. See our website under “event management” for further details. CALL US NOW FOR FRIENDLY ADVICE OR ARRANGE A VISIT or complete ouron-line enquiry form