Rental Rag December 2002

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

First I want to wish all rental and associate members a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! This year has been challenging for many of us and it is amazing to me that the year is almost behind us. I just got used to writing "2002"!
I also want to thank our board and other members through whose efforts we have been able to put on some interesting, and in some cases, entertaining programs. If you were unable to participate, I hope that you can do so next year. You can start with the upcoming social event on January 19, being organized by Murray Vale: Tony And Tina's Wedding! Call Murray for details: (201-727-8987).
Our last meeting was well attended and with an interesting program put together by Vern Mott, Jeff Sheats, and Steve Kohn. Special thanks are due here. Special thanks are also due Joe Mihalko and Paul Neuwirth, who camped out in Trenton to stay on top of the new inflatable regulations. Joe's next challenge is to chair the RenTech Lawn & Garden Program in March for Region 2. Whoever rents Lawn and Garden equipment should take advantage of the program - if you would like to influence what is put into the program, call Joe and help develop it.
If there is anything that you feel we should be doing as an association, please let me, or any board member know - and if you would like to help, do call!

Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR and FANTASTIC 2003!

....................................................... Howard Heller
 

"So Much for Common Sense"

Providing proper and thorough instructions on equipment is extremely important to our business. But how far do you go? I recently rented a 17" Power Flight floor polisher to a customer with all of the essentials (wax, stripper, and pads) and went through the whole demonstration. He assured me that he knew what he was doing. Within an hour, I received a phone call that the machine was not working properly. He brought it back and we exchanged it for a second machine. Approximately one hour later, he brought the machine back, very irate, and exclaimed that it was a piece of garbage, and wanted a full refund. I took the machine into the warehouse and plugged it in. It started to spin normally. Giving him an annoyed look, I asked him what seemed to be the problem. He stated that when his helper sits on the front of the motor to apply more pressure to the pad, it stops spinning. After 13 years in the rental business, I did not have a response and I did not give a refund.
...................... Judy Boelhouwer - Friendly Rental Center

SALES & MARKETING: UP-SELLING

While I am not on the NJ ARA Board, my wife, Megan Jones, is. As the significant other, I often get drafted for duty. This column, however, cannot be blamed on her. Over the years, Steve Kohn and I have become very good friends, and he's the one I blame for this. If you know Steve, you know that he can be persistant, and persuasive - because of this, I've written this article.

The topic assigned to me is "Sales & Marketing." Having spent time in the tool/construction rental side of the business, adding a few years as a manufacturers' representative, and now twelve years in the special events rental side of the business, I will look for universal topics relating to the above.

As I look back over my career in the "rental" industry, I think of Sales and Marketing and have come up with one of my favorite topics, "Up-Selling." Within that topic, I love to consider the use of a "Damage Waiver" as the ultimate in up selling, and one of the most beneficial up sells you can provide for yourself, and your customer. It does , however, require salesmanship.

It is my opinion that Damage Waiver offers the rental operator the opportunity to increase their overall income by whatever percentage they would choose to charge. Many rental operators who have used it for years, find that they can not only fund their entire loss replacement from DW income, but also fund alot of their equipment replacement as well. As a company, we review our losses every year and review our damage waiver income and percentage to insure that we are in fact covering our losses, as well as making money.

As far back as 1970's, my family's business charged a damage waiver. They considered it to be beneficial to the client or customer, in that they would not see those pesky post-rental invoices for misc. damage or losses. In the events business, the last thing you want to do, after everything else has gone perfectly on an event, is have to go back to the customer with a bill for loss and breakage. Why not leave that great taste in their mouths, and make some money as well? Even back in
the 70's, it took some salesmanship; however, it proved over the years to benefit the customer as well as our relationship with that customer.

The hardest sell we have found, was the sell to our catering customer. The general public, or our corporate accounts, seemed to have much less trouble understanding the benefits. The catering customer, must be sold the benefits, and must in turn "SELL" their client. As they work to sell their own products, they do not always relish the ideas of another item to have to sell or defend prior to getting the job. However, the waiver also helps them not have to go back to their client, or absorb a loss, should damage or loss occur.

Lets remember that the waiver covers only misc. loss and damage. It does not cover excessive damage or malicious damage. My advice to all rental operators, make the damage waiver universal within the industry, as it is a good solid business practice, and if done correctly, the majority of the income will go directly to your bottom line. If we all utilize it, We all benefit. GO FOR IT! BE A TREND SETTER!

Thanks for reading, and have a great Holiday Season..

............. Matthew Holt - Celebration Party Rental, Inc

WAR STORIES

While at a convention several years ago a fellow renter recounted a "war story." Although I can't recall his company nor which convention, I will never forget the"look-
before-you-leap" scenario.
It seems the tent renter had a job for a 60x120 tent at a location of public access. The site selected was "snug but adequate" for the tent. As the crew was finishing the last of the staking they noticed there was a large bin that interfered a little with the stake-line.
A resourceful crewmember took matters into his own hands. So as to not have to either, move the obstacle, nor spend the time to drive yet more stakes, he noted the device was heavily filled and would support safe expected wind loads. He then tied ropes neatly and securely to some wheels on the bottom back of the bin. The crew finished the last of the delivery, checked to make sure all counts were correct and that nothing else was left behind. Job done, they left.
A few hours later a truck came to the site for it's regular stop. It hooked up to the front of the dumpster to pick up the garbage. It wasn't until he looked in his rear view mirror that he realized he was somehow attached to that big tent that was falling down!
...................................... Dave Hinck - A Party Center

How Do You Get Information to Your Customer?

"I need it now, not tomorrow, NOW! Here’s my Fedex No., next day – do it! I have to have those photos today, I can’t wait until tomorrow."

Do these lines sound familiar?

Does this sound like one of your clients? If so, read on.

Unfortunately we live in a society and economic era that demands things right away. Tomorrow is not good enough and in many cases it’s too late.

Fortunately we have new technologies to deliver information quickly, efficiently and cost effectively. When the fax machine first found its roots in the rental industry we all thought it was a godsend, wow, we really had the ability to send B/W documents to clients instantly. It didn’t take us long to realize that even though this got the documents delivered quickly, it had some major flaws. First, it wasn’t professional. Second, forget about sending color images. Third, we assumed that once we sent a fax it made it to the desk of the person it was intended for. Fourth, what happened when a person needed information before the office opened or after it closed. Fifth, my favorite – no guarantee the fax machine on the receiving end had paper in it!

Well, in the process of evolution, along comes E-Mail. A whole new world opens up. Now we can send just about anything to anyone. Sounds like the ideal solution right? Well, not exactly. Here are the problems: First, not everyone checks their email on a regular basis. Second, many are not email savvy, they have difficulty opening attachments and photos. Third, many people don’t know how to retrieve their email away from home or office. Fourth, because of the various internet providers (such as AOL and MSN) many times an intended message is not received the way it was sent. Fifth, for some strange reason many people are still reluctant to have email – ask my ex-accountant.

So, now what, Steve? Well, here is the answer. WEB BASED INFORMATION. I am extremely confident that 99.99% of you now have a corporate presence on a website, if not I would suggest you have it in the works. I’m not going to preach the benefits of a website in this article and what it can do for your bottom line, but what I am going to do it share with you a trade tip on how to use your website to deliver quotes, proposals, contract changes, delivery information an anything your clients want, right now, this second, no questions asked.

Some advantages of delivering information via a website; First, Most people, even those not e-mail savvy know how to get to a web address. We all have been www.trained by now. Second, information becomes available anywhere there is internet access. Third, information can be updated, modified and added and deleted instantly. Fourth, information can be shared with people whether they have e-mail or not. Fifth, the information stays there until you delete it, it’s available 24/7 and no need to worry about paper in the fax machine?

Anything you can print, draw, sketch or dream of can be put on a secure website. Did you catch that word secure? That’s the big key here. By using the web to deliver the information you have the ability through ‘simple-to-learn’ scripting, to password protect anything on the web. I’m sure you have all seen this when you log on to your bank site or online stores, the first thing they ask for is your email address user- name or password. This links you to pages specifically set up for you.

Think of the possibilities. Rather than directing your rental contracts to printers or fax machines, have them directed to a private webpage set up for your client. You notify your client via phone, mail or in person of their unique web page that is secure where they can view their pending orders, proposals, floor plans, instructions or even final receipts of payments.

This is just step one. In future articles I will discuss the possibilities of making that webpage inter- active. Imagine having your customer being able to be directly involved in the order process.

To see how this works you can go to this webpage I have set up for a customer. http://www.millersrentals.com/client_page.asp Unfortunately you will need a password. It’s secure, remember!

...................................... Steve Kohn, Miller’s Rentals

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

January 19th - A Social Event!

WORDS OF WISDOM

DIRECTIONS TO TONY & TINA’S WEDDING

A new column to appear in each issue.  Let Murray know what you do after the rental day is over....................

Tom’s Tips

RENT-A-HOLIDAY