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Avista takes customer support to next level with state-of-the-art text messaging platform 

Avista is always looking for ways to improve on how we support our customers with their AV rentals. As a starting point, we select equipment for rent that is not only high quality and professional-grade, but also simple to operate. However, we know that many customers have never used our audio visual gear like sound systems and projectors before, so we had to provide a number of ways to help them successfully operate their AV rentals, with as little headache and stress as possible.

Since our founding, we provided detailed setup instructions to all our customers picking up their audio visual gear from any of our 4 California-based locations. In most cases, we supported these in-person demonstrations with handy cheat sheets that walked the customer through the setup. Lastly, for years now we've offered free 24/7 phone support. While on average 95% of our customers don't need it, for the 5% that do it's been very well received. While these approaches have all been highly successful, we're always asking ourselves: what more can we do to make the customer use experience an easy, hassle-free one?

Earlier this year, our VP, Production David Flashner checked into a hotel and was texted a message: if at any time during his stay he needed anything, from more pillows to toothpaste to dinner reservations, he had to simply text the hotel and they would deliver the items. He thought, what if Avista could offer this service to our customers who needed help their AV rentals?

Six months later, in July, after reviewing its viability and exhaustively researching all the text messaging services on the market, we had a soft launch of this service to our customers. Now, when a customer receives their sound system rental, or any other AV rental, they get a text message from Avista. If they have a question, than can continue to call us, but they also have the option of texting their question to us. 

While we weren't certain how many customers would take advantage of this service, many have: in a lot of instances, the venue is too loud to converse, and text messaging is the only way to communicate.

Avista will continue to look for innovative ways to meet the needs of our customers, from easy online reservations of equipment, to video tutorials of our equipment. Rest assured that we will always endeavor to make our customer experience second to none in the industry!