City Hire
About City Hire
City Hire is an independent tool and plant hire company supplying the construction industry since 1989. With a focus on high-quality equipment, reliable service and industry-leading technology, City Hire have seen their capabilities grow and they now operate from six large distribution centres. They supply a wide range of equipment, including Plant, Powered Access, Tools and Non-Mechanical equipment to customers in the North West, Midlands, London and the South East.
Objectives
City Hire has a relentless focus on achieving world-class efficiency to enable a frictionless experience that puts customers in control of their hire.
Challenge
With thousands of incoming calls, WhatsApp’s, live chat and emails per day, the volume of enquiries to triage was overwhelming, orders were being missed and the business was not meeting key performance indicators.
With 4 separate comms platforms including a stand-alone telephone system, webchat and WhatsApp (operated from a single mobile phone) and with 10 customer experience coordinators working in different locations, there was a lack of effective work allocation, sharing of information and streamlining to support the business’ requirement to provide outstanding customer service.
The Espria Solution
Following consultation with the client, Espria offered a holistic solution to the problems City Hire were facing which included staff training and support. After the successful demonstration of the Five 9 contact centre solution, Espria were able to automate much of the triage process for incoming emails and webchat, easing the burden on the IT Manager.
The Five9 contact centre brought together email, calls, webchat and WhatsApp for Business communications with all channels reporting directly into a single application, available to all the customer service agents, wherever their location.
With a single monthly charge, City Hire are better able to budget and don’t lose any calls. The platform supports unified reporting of calls, emails, web chat and WhatsApp interactions, enabling the monitoring of agent performance whilst ensuring core SLAs are met. Fundamentally, all customer experience coordinators are now able to service customers from across all communications channels, from a single interface. The solution gives a 360-degree view of the entire teams’ activity and improves resource management, whilst providing a considerably enhanced and consistent customer experience.
Stuart Arrand, Snr IT Coordinator commented, “During our project to enhance the digital experience for our customers, we sought a user-friendly platform that would streamline communication for our customer experience coordinators.
Our focus was on implementing an Omni-Channel feature to consolidate all communications onto a single platform, ensuring fast and frictionless interactions. After evaluating various company platforms, Espria stood out due to their meticulous attention to our needs and the rigorous communication demands within our organisation. The implementation of the Espria solution proceeded smoothly and according to plan. I am confident that it will provide centralised automation and offer a comprehensive overview, empowering our agents to uphold our service promise.”
You may be interested in
Outgrowing your MSP; businesses need a provider that scales with their growth
To stay competitive, business leaders must align with MSPs that deliver strategic value, drive innovation, and support to scale. Now firmly into 2025, it’s becoming clear what the year has in store for the IT landscape. For SMBs, the message is clear: business growth must be matched with smarter, more scalable managed services. The demand for cyber-resilient, cloud-first and AI-integrated solutions is no longer a forecast – it’s a reality already shaping business priorities. According to leading global technology market analyst firm Canalys’ MSP Trends 2025 report, the MSP model is transforming under growing pressure…
End of windows 10 support signal urgent action needed from UK organisations as cyberattacks continue to rise
Recent breaches at major UK retailers, combined with the approaching end of life of Windows 10, highlights a critical moment for IT resilience planning The recent wave of cyberattacks targeting major UK retailers has highlighted the growing security risks associated with organisations running outdated systems and applications and maintaining weak identity verification protocols. These incidents—particularly those involving Marks & Spencer and the Co-Op—have starkly exposed how vulnerable legacy infrastructure and insufficient access controls can be. In both cases, attackers successfully posed as legitimate employees and manipulated IT help desks into resetting internal passwords, ultimately gaining…
UK SMEs must fortify their cybersecurity against geopolitical risks, says Espria
A recent Sky News investigation highlighted an uptick in cyberattacks tied to the Iran conflict that are targeting businesses across multiple sectors. Speaking at the NATO Summit, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged UK businesses, regardless of size or sector, to prioritise cybersecurity and ‘take immediate steps to review and strengthen their defences.’ While the warning is timely in tone, businesses are already becoming targets of politically motivated cyberattacks, emphasising the need for heightened vigilance. “As tensions spread globally, threat actors will continue to exploit digital vulnerabilities, and neutral businesses may be caught in the…
End of windows 10 support signal urgent action needed from UK organisations as cyberattacks continue to rise
End of windows 10 support signal urgent action needed from UK organisations as cyberattacks continue to rise
Why Businesses Should Invest in ESG: Lessons learned by Espria
In today’s competitive landscape, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance is no longer just a “nice to have”—it is a critical business imperative. Companies that prioritise ESG are better positioned for long-term success, risk mitigation, and reputation enhancement. Today’s world demands more from companies than just financial performance. Customers want transparency. Employees want purpose. Investors want resilience. ESG helps businesses manage risk, seize new opportunities and build trust with the people who matter most. It is how you can stay competitive, stay responsible and stay relevant in a fast-changing world. A powerful case study of…
The Importance of Compliance and Security: Complementary Forces in Today’s Business World
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, compliance and security have become paramount. These two elements, often perceived as hurdles, are in fact complementary forces that drive business success and sustainability. Understanding their importance and how they work together can transform them from perceived blockers into enablers of growth and innovation. The Role of Compliance Compliance refers to adhering to laws, regulations, standards and ethical practices relevant to an industry. It ensures that a company operates within the legal framework and maintains its reputation. Compliance is not just about avoiding fines and legal issues; it is…