Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1276154
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION AUGUST 5, 2020 Page 3 Tips for Making Money…continued from page 1 Continued on page 14 Selling and Customer Service Tips 1. Get payment up front. In the not-too-distant past, portable restroom operators were often reluctant to ask for payment in advance. Nowadays it is becoming standard operating procedure, and it is a great way to improve the chances the rental experience will be a success for everyone. Try renting a car or getting a seat on an airplane without paying first! In most cases people are more invested in good communication with your firm when they already have money on the line. They will be more likely to tell you what they need and if their needs have changed. Once you have the contract and the customer's money, be sure you have a refund policy that compensates you for tying up your equipment for the customer who cancels. You should not be taking all the risk in the case of reductions or withdrawals of business. Again, consider the change fees charged by airlines — there is business precedent for recouping your lost business costs. If you are bidding on a large event, you may be willing to take a deposit at the time the agreement is signed that is less than the full contract amount. If you do, be sure to get at least 75% of the rental fees by the time you deliver. All of these policies should be communicated with your bid and in your contract language. In any case, don't finance for your customers any more than you can afford to lose if they don't pay you. Your bottom line will improve if you can eliminate non-payment situations. How could it be easier to do that than to get paid first? 2. Add something "free." Everyone loves to get something for nothing. You can do this without harming – and maybe helping – your bottom line. Customers will often try to get you to reduce your prices. This just drives the market down and adds a low-value message to the negotiation. Instead, offer to throw in something extra you hope they will buy in the future. This is how some companies successfully introduce their existing customers to new products and services too. 3. Offer extra consumables. Everyone has run into the problem of toilet paper disappearing or hand sanitizer running low. Consider writing your contracts so that X amount of tissue or sanitizer is provided with a weekly rental and additional rolls of toilet paper/sanitizer can be purchased from your company. Then deliver a sealed package or carton to the site supervisor with a note that explains how much the customer will be charged for breaking the seal and using the product. This provides a revenue stream for you, gives the customer a way to deal with shortages of consumable products, and gives the site supervisor better eyes on what is happening in the units. 4. Anticipate your customers' needs and suggestive sell. Anyone who has ever been asked, "You want fries with that?" knows about this tactic. Keep a list of things that are typically rented in various scenarios such as work sites, weddings, marathons, and so on. Then be sure to suggest them to customers as you are discussing their needs and contract. 5. If you don't have it, find it. If you don't have what your customer is looking for, take the time to find someone who does. Whether you rent it from someone else and then re-rent it to the customer or simply point the customer in the direction of someone who can meet their needs, you're keeping your customer happy and investing in future business.