Rent-to-own News - Ohio's Tissot hosts freshman congressman at his rent-to-own store

Mike Tissot of Countryside Rentals, invited freshman Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) to visit one of his stores to continue their discussion on the rent-to-own industry's federal legislation. Space took Tissot’s invite to heart and spent some valuable time at Tissot’s Logan, Ohio, store on August 13 to find out specifically what the rent-to-own business is and what the federal legislation (H.R. 1767) would do if enacted. A first-term congressional representative, Space relayed to Tissot that he was surprised at the professionalism of the store and the industry. And, when prompted by Tissot, Space admitted to having an old rent-to-own image in his mind. Space also indicated that he is inclined to co-sponsor the rent-to-own legislation after visiting Tissot’s store first-hand.

“I was also surprised how easy it was to have a congressman personally visit one of my stores. I just called the district director and the next week the congressman was here,” says Tissot. “I also thought it was much easier to talk about the rent-to-own business in my store. It made it a little more real." Tissot is executing one of the most successful and powerful grassroots advocacy strategies by opening up his store for a hands-on education of the rent-to-own transaction and business. Studies have proven that direct experience and education of rent-to-own, its customers, the legislation and the transaction are the most successful tools to improving the rent-to-own industry’s image and for generating political support.

A congressman’s first term is usually the most difficult. Freshman congressmen are building constituent support as first-year elected officials are the most vulnerable to being replaced. Space’s personal involvement to the rent-to-own issue will serve as one of his first constituent issues and, therefore, should have greater importance. Tissot’s masterful invitation is parallel to his Ohio competitor’s strategy, Gary Ferriman, who began an early relationship with freshman congressman Mike Oxley. Oxley later became chairman of the Financial Services Committee, which helped push rent-to-own legislation through the U.S. House of Representatives.