Having been in business for 50 years, we’ve been around the block. We’ve experienced the ins and outs of event rentals over the years, and we’ve noticed a few big mistakes that arise again and again that can have a huge impact on you, the customer. When it comes time to place an order for your event, make sure you don’t make these five mistakes:

1. Not comparing colors in person

If you have ever looked up a color online, it should come as no surprise to you that the color we think of when someone says “sage green” or “blush” can vary widely from person to person. This is especially relevant in the context of fabrics, as colors can vary from company to company, and even from dye lot to dye lot. This can get even more confusing when trying to order specific colors online, as the resolution, brightness, and color settings can vary from device to device. What this results in is a bunch of different products labeled and appearing as one color online that may actually be very different shades in person. The best way to combat this is to always compare colors in person. When ordering from an online-only shop, ask for samples or order a small quantity at first to make sure it is the right color before placing a bulk order. Whenever possible, visit a business in person. Here at Mullins, we always advise our customers to visit our showroom and physically put their hands on the items they want to rent. This is the best way to make sure the color, texture, and weight of an item is exactly what you are looking for.

2. Not reserving what you might need

If you purchase a number of items from a retailer and later discover you didn’t buy enough, it is easy to simply return to the store and purchase more items. It is not uncommon, then, to plan on purchasing only what you know you need first, then purchasing more later as needed. However, this “less now, more later” approach is often not beneficial when it comes to rentals. Unlike retailers who are consistently restocking items as they are purchased, rental companies have a limited stock that is subject to availability. This means that items that are available now may not be available later. For this reason, we always suggest you reserve everything that you might need now, then reduce numbers as needed when you get your final count. This ensures that everything you end up needing is already reserved for you, and you never have to scramble at the last minute to find a substitution.

3. Not taking measurements

The last thing you want to happen on the day before (or day of) your event is to spend time picking up your rentals only to find they do not fit in your vehicle or, worse, do not fit in your venue. This may seem like a non-issue, but we cannot tell you the number of times a customer has come to pick up an item only to find it slightly too tall or barely too wide to fit in their trunk. Further, many customers measure the room their event is to take place in but forget to take into account the journey an item must take to get to the room. Many a plan has been foiled by a narrow hallway or a tight stairwell. The best way to avoid this happening to you is to take stock of the route your items must take to get from store to venue and to take careful measurements of any spaces that may prove a tight squeeze. If you are unsure of the size of an item, give us a call! If we don’t already have the measurements on hand, we will be happy to take the measurements for you.

4. Not appointing a single point of contact

Oftentimes, the bigger the event, the more people are involved in getting it off the ground. Having a team you can bounce ideas off of and delegate tasks to can be a great asset, but it can also be a source of confusion if multiple people accidentally end up doing the same job. The biggest culprit we’ve found for major discrepancies in rental orders is multiple customers placing or revising orders for a singular event without the others’ knowledge. This can result in duplicate orders, missing items, and out-of-date quantities and colors. For this reason, we always advise customers to choose a single point of contact to communicate any and all changes to the order. This helps to greatly reduce the chances for miscommunication and to ensure the rental order is always in its most up-to-date form.

5. Not communicating problems and asking questions

As planning and event enthusiasts, the last thing we want to hear upon an item return is that the customer was unable to use it. It breaks our hearts to know your event was tainted by disappointment and it is too late to fix it. Please know that we are not only here to help you on the planning process, but we are also here to support you during your event. If you find that you accidentally ordered the wrong size tablecloth, or if you are unsure how to operate a concession machine, or if we messed up your order and miscounted your spoons, please give us a call. Our team is here for you, whether that means walking you through setting up a popcorn machine over the phone, offering advice and solutions to unforeseen problems, or making an emergency delivery of a singular wine glass. Help us help you by asking us all your questions and letting us know when problems arise so we can work together to find a solution.