Store manager Sara Hankins likes to keep her work environment fun โ for customers as well as employees. So when a customer asked Hankins to be in a TikTok video with her, Hankins said yes. Now, Hankins โ who manages Full-O-Pep Appliances Inc., dba American Rentalโs store #5, located in Seymour, Indiana โ incorporates TikTok videos into her storeโs social media efforts.
โThe first [TikTok video] we did was a viral dance challenge,โ Hankins remembers. โThis customer was just wanting to do something fun, and I said Sure, letโs do it. We donโt use TikTok every day; we donโt even have a dedicated TikTok page for the store. But weโre like a family here at American Rental, so we try to create a positive and caring atmosphere for our customers.โ
TikTok is a social media app that lets users watch, create, and share super-short videos. Videos may be a maximum of 15 seconds, with the option to combine videos into a 60-second compilation. The app is known for its charming, sometimes challenge-oriented, and often hilarious content featuring real people and their real smartphone-shot videos.
Hankinsโ store is extremely active on social media via Facebook Live videos โ typically focused on sales and specials โ which are also shared through its Instagram account. Hankins shares TikTok videos made with customers or employees over on the storeโs Facebook and Instagram pages, too โ and team members tend to share them on their own personal social media pages, as well.
โWe donโt get any big following from it per se,โ Hankins notes. โBut it opens up a space for us to connect with our community. It lets them know that weโre real people and that they can be themselves around us. We like to joke around and try to get to know people on a personal level, so that whenever they do have something come up in their lives, they can feel like they can talk to us about it.โ
Other activities 26-year-old Hankins does to help create a fun and familiar environment in her store include karaoke sessions (with rentable karaoke systems, of course), store-window painting for the holidays, and line-dancing socials.
โWe want to have really great relationships with all of our customers,โ concludes Hankins. โSo weโre always searching for new ways to help them feel at-home, like theyโre hanging out with friends whenever theyโre here. Itโs just more inviting when you can have fun and let loose a little; it makes people want to come back and stick around โ and the longer they hang out, the more products they see. So it works out well for everyone!โ
American Rentals store #5 can be found on Facebook here and on Instagram here.
