On Sept. 21, ARA members gathered in Columbia, S.C., to learn from the experts about how to avoid falling victim to costly equipment rental thefts.
The “Strategies to Prevent Rental Theft” event was held at The Millstone at Adams Pond in Columbia and featured guest speaker — and ARA Insurance/National Equipment Register (NER) Outstanding Service Award winner — Detective Sgt. James Dietz of the Michigan State Police, Special Investigations Division, who detailed:
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| Detective Sergeant James Dietz of the Michigan State Police, Special Investigations Division (left) and Michael St. Hill of the National Equipment Register (NER). |
- Best practices to keep track of and qualify customers before they rent
- Red flags to be on the lookout for
- Handling refusal to rent situations
- Identification type you can and should collect from customers
- Identifying fraudulent state identification and credit cards
- Methods to properly document rental transactions
- Building relationships with other rental businesses and law enforcement
In addition to Detective Sgt. Dietz’s presentation, Jamie Cox, claims/risk manager, ARA Insurance, reviewed risk management practices and policies promoting loss prevention, and Michael St. Hill, director, sales and insurance services, NER, discussed how to protect your equipment using the National Equipment Registry.
The event also included lunch and plenty of opportunities for attendees to network, ask questions and share ideas.
The invitation to attend the meeting was extended to, and accepted by, members in neighboring North Carolina.
Mark Whitesell, CERP, president, True Value, Greensboro, N.C., traveled to the meeting and was glad he made the trip.
“I wanted to talk with other rental companies in the area and see what ARA is offering to help keep us from getting equipment stolen,” Whitesell says. “Detective Dietz was very knowledgeable and helpful in what I needed to teach my counter staff to look out for when dealing 
with new customers. He was well spoken and entertaining.”
Whitesell says he took a lot of useful information away from the presentation, such as: “Make sure staff looks driver’s licenses over very well for fakes and ask the customer some questions to verify the ID; ask for two different forms of identification; get the location that the equipment will be going to; each brand of credit card starts with its own unique digits; build relationships with your local law enforcement agencies; and that wire fraud is becoming a big way of getting scammed,” he says.