Now is a good time to review your rental fleet to make certain you have the type of products that will continue to bring in revenue regardless of what the economic situation is.
Drain- and sewer-cleaning equipment is a perfect example of such a product. Drain-cleaning equipment is non-seasonal; the weather outside has no real effect on its movement. This is a year-round rental item that will continually generate revenue for your store and keep customers coming through your door.
When a customer does come through your door, it is important you have the right mix of machines to secure his or her business. A basic drain-cleaning package should consist of the following:
- Closet auger: Used only for toilets.
- Handheld manual unit: This is used for small inside lines and is a 1/4-inch by 25-foot cable.
- Handheld drill unit: A 3/8-inch by 25-foot cable, this unit is used for 1 1/4-inch to 2-inch inside drain lines.
- Half-inch by 50-foot electric machine: Used for longer distance work on 1 ¼-inch to 3-inch lines.
- 100-foot electric machine, sectional or continuous cable: Used on main sewer lines, from the house to the street.
Unless you want to rent both types of main sewer machines, you will need to decide if you want to carry the sectional-cable versus the continuous-cable unit.
Advantages of the sectional machine include more cleaning power for longer, tougher blockages; ease of transport; and easier cable maintenance and inspection. Another important advantage is that the user never has to handle the cable while it is rotating.
On the other hand, the continuous-cable machine is preferred in some cases because of its compact size. There are also fewer loose pieces to keep track of with a continuous cable machine.
In addition to these basic items, you may also want to consider a high-pressure water jetter. An electric jetter, for example, can be an excellent rental item and works well on a variety of blockages such as grease, sand, soap, and sludge. Every restaurant and fast food outlet will have a grease blockage sooner or later.
One other thing, don't miss rentals because you only have one of a particular machine. It is very common to have several of the more popular rental machines such as the Ω-inch-by-50-foot electric unit.
Once you have the right mix and quantity of machines, you need to focus on all the potential customers that will have a need for these products. The list is broad, here are several ideas:
- Homeowners
- Contractors/plumbers
- Restaurants
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Maintenance personnel
- Municipalities
- Mobile home parks
The list goes on and on. The point is there is a tremendous potential to rent drain-cleaning equipment that will increase your cash flow.
Help yourself by promoting the products you have in your rental fleet. In-store display centers, window posters, counter cards, and the like will tell a customer as soon as he walks through your door they've come to the right place. If you have outside salesmen, make sure they are promoting your drain cleaning equipment to area schools, restaurants and other businesses. And as with all rental products, be sure you are buying the best quality available. This is a sure way to add to the bottom line.
Mark Speranza is vice president of sales for Electric Eel Manufacturing, Springfield, Ohio.
