Who are your most direct competitors

and what can we do about that?
Mine are Hire for Baby but then again I get a lot of customers who have been to them and either never got a call back, found the manager rude or the product has been badly fitted and I've had to go and fix it.
Their main win is that they rank so high in google so people find them first and you can always find someone local to you.
But I think a drawback of theirs is no prices on the website - does anyone know does each branch have different pricing?
I've emailed them a few times with enquiries, a couple of branches, and never received a response.

The only contact I've had is with the owner who threatened to sue me one morning for breaching copyright, lol.
She's organising a meeting sometime this year she said, with "serious hirers" to try and wipe out the backyard operators who she feels are ruining it for us all. I've got a better plan than that but will share that with you all in due course, once I have the nuts and bolts in place.

So who do you find your most difficult competition and what can we do to overcome that for all of us?

I have had reports of Hire for baby also not returning calls. Once customer even said the seat they hired was so dirty she wont put a dog on it! Another feedback is that they dont have flexible hours.

I don't undertsand why they dont have prices - what is there to hide! - I see this as a benefit to us as people want a quick answer not having to chase or follow up just to get a price.

i have had a look at a few locations and they only put up prices if they have a special so not sure if they are all the same. You can see the prices if you look at their airport locations - you can get a online quote.

So what is she suggesting? are they planning to buy us out???? Sounds like they dont like a bit of competition! We meet with a lady one day to advertise in hospitals and she told us that Hire for Baby said they have no competitors!

I had a missed call one day and when called them back it went startight to voice - guess who - hire for baby! I wonder if they were going to place an order or what. One day we had a strange booking come through (wrong phone number and invalid email) and think it was them checking out our online form, etc.

Anyway there are 7 providers in Melbourne
Hire for Baby
ABC Nursery Hire (Aust wide)
Home & Away Hire (Syd & Melb i think)
3 independents
and us

We are closest to the airport (my sisters house) and I'm 10 mins from the city so we have convenient locations. We deliver to custmers in the terminal where as hire for baby only do into hire cars.

our biggest advantage is our location to the airport

Hire for Baby are probably my main competitor too.

Them and ABC hire are also one, friends who hired there before found them both rude and uncompromising on delivery etc. I love it!

My other competitor is a small local independent - but they stock no brand, old stuff - they do display their prices which are quite low however.

I did my research on Hire for Baby prices by calling them and what friends told me they paid in the past. I can list the prices I have if anyone wants to compare with their local Hire for Baby.

I actually think they dont display prices as each franchise can have different pricing and customers may question why another branch is cheaper.

Hire for Baby seemed to pluck figures out of the air when I enquired about a couple of items.

I dont have any suggestions on overcoming them as competition yet, but so far things have been pretty busy anyway. I suppose as my equipment is more upmarket than what they carry Im trying to appeal to a more discerning client and thats def working for me.

Sorry I dont have any ideas!