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Everyone offers “easy payments” now, so why do some rent-to-own stores keep growing while others stall out? I sat down with Phil Hamer from Buddy’s Home Furnishings to get real about RTO operations, from the habits that win on the showroom floor to the behind-the-scenes systems that protect collections, staffing, and customer retention.

Phil walks through his 24-year journey from starting on the truck to leading corporate operations, and what he learned along the way about mentors, competitive drive, and developing people who can carry the business forward. We also break down how Gen Z shopping behavior is changing the game: fewer walk-ins, more online and phone orders, and a “subscription” mindset that makes lease-to-own a natural fit if we explain it clearly. That shift impacts everything from product flow to how we train teams to communicate with confidence.

We go deep on recruiting, too, including why evergreen job ads can backfire, how to use tools like Indeed messaging as a two-way CRM, and how simple text reminders can cut interview ghosting. From there, we zoom out to customer acquisition: guerrilla marketing still works, handshake cards still matter, referrals can double a store’s reach, and community events build the kind of trust big-box payment programs can’t match. We close with a practical look at AI in rent-to-own, why reporting dashboards may be the best starting point, and where the human relationship still can’t be replaced.

If you care about rent-to-own leadership, collections, sales training, marketing strategy, and the future of the RTO industry, hit subscribe, share this with a manager on your team, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

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