Of Hitches and Trailers

When Logan and I bought our first pop-up camper, we realized we had to get one of our cars properly equipped to pull it. I wasn’t sure where that was even done. Did I need to call a dealership? A mechanic?

After some Googling, I found a decent-priced hitch installation package from the moving company Uhaul.

I remember the confusion at that moment. I wasn’t even aware that Uhaul had an onsight technician. In my experience, they only had one or two people in the office building designated to fill out paperwork or hand out keys.

And then it hit me - didn’t this seem like a conflicting business for Uhaul?

If they equipped more cars to pull equipment, what would stop customers from ditching the hitching company and purchasing their own trailers?

I’d be willing to wager this is true for a few customers. But I’d be equally willing to wager that there are far more whose hitch installation brings them back for repeat business to rent trailers directly from the company.

For Uhaul, there is a dance between trailers to rent and hitches to pull. The more cars equipped with the capability, the bigger the pool of potential customers to rent their product.

This is diversification. Knowing the offered product and then asking how to make that product more desirable.

What product are you offering? Ask yourself how you can equip and empower people to use it better - not how you can coerce or force people into using it.

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June 26th, 2022