Portland, OR, March 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recently celebrating its 50-year anniversary with customer appreciation day events at both Houston-area locations, Aztec Rental is a true example of the dedication and hard work that it takes to run a successful family business. Gary Sorsby, Eric Nedd, and Brian Nedd, all three managers at the store and grandsons of the original owner, Lester Sorsby, are proud to be part of the eleven total family members who help run the dealership.
“We started out as a mom and pop, and in some ways, we still are,” says Sorsby, who’s grandmother still works at the store six days a week. In fact, many of Aztec Rental’s employees have been there for thirty to forty years.
The dealership opened in Houston in 1966, and it was originally intended to be a sideline business. Three years later, in 1969, Lester Sorsby turned it into a rental company that rented everything from medical equipment to construction tools, adapting with the changing rental business, and even opening a second location in Sugar Land to focus on construction equipment. It is now one of largest equipment rental operations in the greater Houston area.
The key to success? “Great customer service. That’s what my grandfather strived for from early on and has implemented that into everybody else. We always put the customer first. It’s the backbone of our business,” says Sorsby. Today, the dealership rents and sells everything from small tools to bulldozers.
Over the years, the dealership’s most effective advertising strategies have evolved. “For a long time, years ago, it was the yellow pages,” Sorsby says. “We’re no longer in the yellow pages, for obvious reasons.”
Beyond word of mouth, as a local business that’s been around for over fifty years, Sorsby says that his family business’ best advertising methods are moving more and more towards digital advertising and the website every day. He mentions email marketing and the lead pop feature on the Aztec Rental site as major players aside from the website itself.
Sorsby says that he’s noticed other dealers in the heavy equipment industry are beginning to make digital marketing a bigger priority, like he does. “A lot of people have been late to catch on,” he says. “In the rental industry, there are a lot of family owned operations, with older generations. The smaller companies have been the last to come around.”
Aztec Rental previously worked with a different web provider for several years, but Sorsby and another manager and family member at Aztec Rental, Eric Nedd, became unsatisfied with the site. “Our old provider seemed to be on par with the competition back when we signed on with them, but that changed,” Sorsby explains.
One of the main issues the dealership faced was that there was no mobile version of the website available. “Guys out in the field are in the middle of a job, and they don’t have a desktop computer in front of them,” Sorsby says of his customers. “They’re using their phones.” Without a responsive site, or even a mobile version of his website, the team was concerned that their dealership was losing business.
Sorsby and Nedd began looking into new options for a web provider. The two of them found a Dealer Spike Heavy Equipment website and liked the way that it looked. After researching Dealer Spike a bit more, the Aztec Rental team reached out to make initial contact.
Sorsby says that his dealership has seen a “substantial increase” in leads and sales after switching to the Dealer Spike website, and he credits that due to several factors. “Overall, the design of the site is cleaner and easier to navigate. The functionality is way more user-friendly,” Sorsby says. “We’ve also seen an increase in results from our website’s SEO [search engine optimization].”
He estimates that there has been a 400-500% increase in leads compared to the previous website. Sorsby says he is confident in that estimate without even knowing what the leads were on the old site, as they were not tracked by the previous provider.
“In a lot of cases, people are renting equipment for the first time. They know what job they need to get done, but they don’t know how to do it,” Sorsby explains. “The website gives them a chance to look at our equipment, watch demos, and shop around to see what they need before they come in.” The customer gets a basic level of education about the equipment, and this results in a faster turnaround with purchases. Sorsby says that he and the rest of the team get a lot of positive feedback from customers about the website. They say they are happy to be able to sit at home and shop through Aztec Rental’s inventory before coming into the store.
“We’re honored to partner in digital marketing with the Aztec Rental team,” says Jay Mason, CEO of Dealer Spike. “As both a hugely successful name and a reputable business in the equipment industry, we are flattered to have been chosen for the job.”
Aztec Rental rang in their 50 th anniversary with a huge celebration – events at both locations with food, drinks, and giveaways and prizes for attendees. In the last fifty-plus years, the business has focused on customers as their most valuable asset. Because of that dedication, Aztec Rental is now one of the most successful businesses of its kind in Houston, Texas. Sorsby, Nedd, and the rest of the team show passion for their industry and are committed to providing the best for the customers they serve.
About Aztec Rental
Located in the Greater Houston area, Aztec Rental is the one-stop shop for equipment rental needs. With over five decades of knowledge and experience in the heavy equipment industry, this family-run business is the superior choice to help customers get the job done.
http://www.aztecrentalcenters.com/
About Dealer Spike Heavy Equipment
Dealer Spike is a world-wide digital advertising company focused on helping dealers increase sales and service profitability through online digital advertising and training. We provide innovative, powerful, distinctive web solutions and tools to thousands of dealers worldwide. Our expertise comes from real-world dealership experience and a passion for listening and responding to our dealers' needs in the marketplace.
www.dealerspikeheavyequipment.com
press@dealerspike.com 800.288.5917 x410
