Rent-to-own News - Arkansas team wins Rent One's first (DT) rodeo

Rent One VP Sales and Marketing Mark Williams, DT Rodeo winners Wade Clonigner and Jacob Palmer, Rent One President Trent Agin, VP of Operations Murray Beck.

This may not be Rent One's first rodeo.

But is WAS the company's first "Delivery Technician Rodeo."

In a friendly intra-company competition Rent One owner Larry Carrico hopes will catch on industry wide, some 150 delivery technicians from 51 stores and five states matched skills in local and regional tournaments over the past three months.

The team-building competition -- which consisted of seven events including range cord hook-up, removal and reinstall of fridge freezer door, computer memory install, TV hook-up wit blu-ray DVD player, dollying and lifting techniques and vehicle backing -- narrowed last week in a grand finale grudge match last week where the team of Jacob Palmer and Wade Cloninger of Trumann, Arkansas store #48 proved victorious.

"It's awesome and the guys were very excited. They're good at what they do and they're highly competitive," said Trumann Store Manager Shannon Proctor. "We may not be the biggest store in the company, but we try to be the best. These guys are the last people the customer sees and if they don't get it right; we don't get it right."

Proctor also credited weekly DT training as part of the duo's success strategy.

Palmer and Cloninger took 1st Place in Rent One's First Annual DT Rodeo Grand Finals, narrowly squeezing by the combination Blytheville/Dyersburg Team of Alonzo Hicks and Scotty Reeves, followed closely by the third place Olney Team of Donny Wilson and Josh Kilgore.
The winners received trophies and "Bravo Bucks" which allow they to purchase merchandise in Rent One stores.

Carrico sees it as part of a potential industry-wide competition/training opportunity rent to own companies can use to further enhance customer service within the industry.

"These guys are the ones who are on the front lines today," Carrico said. "They're kind of the champions of our industry. In our recent potential customer focus groups, we didn't hear anyone complain about service issues. This is one way we are going to stay on top of that. This is kind of the best place to begin when you're talking about improving the image of rent to own and it could be cool to get companies to compete across the country. How else will we know who is truly the best?"

The Rent One leadership is currently working on a "Account Representative Olympics" for the later October, early November.

Friend APRO on Facebook and tell us if an industry-wide "Delivery Technician Rodeo" is something you would like to see.