[Steven Butler]

Has anybody ever done this? Just thinking as I do lose some jobs as I don't reduce my prices just because someone says they have had a cheaper quote, I stick to what I'm worth and want. Got me thinking though about buying a push along machine to offer as an alternative..... also every time I go into the supermarket someone is walking out with a rug doctor, obviously the results won't touch mine/ours but there is definately a market for it...
What's your thoughts??

[tim handley]

totally different market to ours but ive said before we may be missing a trick here. There is obviously a demand for it whether we like it or not so why not run a rental service alongside your own " proper"  carpet cleaning service?
The only reason these machines are in every supermarket and b and q etc is due to demand. If they werent making a packet from it they would soon kick them out of the foyer.  Way back in the day when i had an imo car wash and a valeting company we used to hire a few puzzis out, not in a big way but i guess it was beer money. whatever, we even had regular repeat customers!!!

[Marius Alexandru]

There is a website where you can advertise your equipment, can't remember it now but I saw it in my facebook ads.

You put the value in and it calculates the rental price, for my jaguar cub it was about £100 per day or something like that.

[Steven Butler]

I wouldn't hire out one of my professional extractors with hoses wand etc..... I'm on about buying a push along machine similar but better than a rug doctor

[Derek Corbrick]

I hire out my sebo duo with 5 ltrs of ready mixed encap  at £65 per day. Works nicely

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Whenever I've occasionally been asked this question my usual (tongue in cheek) reply was.....
 
Yes we hire out a machine...and it comes with a free machine operator as well.   

Strangely enough I never got any takers.

Rog

[neil 47]

It would only work if it was them  picking up and dropping of  off .

 Do you want strangers coming to your house ? ,then having to wait in for them  .

good idea but keep trying

[Steven Butler]

I'd rather drop it off Neil, 2 reasons
1/I know where they live!
2/gives me a chance to show my proper professional set up

I've bought a machine to give it a go, nothing to lose

[tim handley]

I used to always drop mine off for obvious reasons...

[tim handley]

I hire out my sebo duo with 5 ltrs of ready mixed encap  at £65 per day. Works nicely

Does it go out very often mate?
Thats not a bad idea.... do a better job than a slug doctor....

[neil 47]

Steven how much is it for a taxi into Sheffield
Then there is your time there and back x 2 that's £50 just delivering it with out the hire cost

And when they are hiring a rd they haven't got any money .

I've seen loads try it but soon stopped .
I think rd have it sussed and make as much if not more upselling Chems

[Steven Butler]

Taxi?
Are u in Benidorm again???

[from edge2edge]

I used to hire out 3 numatic ctd902 units which could do a half good job and provided enough vacuum power to get the carpets dry(with some excellent instructions like vac three times for every spray)Quite robust piece of kit as customers dont treat kit well and the puzzi machines we tried were prone to little accidents(customer breakages)..................Alan(swindon).......picked up a few REAL jobs from my hire customers too and recommendations

[Carpet Dawg]

To me it sounds like a right ball ache. Lets be honest, there are easier ways of acquiring customers than relying on them getting fed up of trying to do it themselves.

Plus, you will potentially lose out on £100 , £200, £300+ jobs when the customers lands on your site/see's you advert and see that you offer a rental at a fraction of the cost. Some will be cheapskates but there could be a lot of customers who may have been easily converted in to spending a bit more.

And lastly, I personally don't think it builds a good professional image if you also rent out a machine. Your basically saying anyone can do it. OR your going to do a bad job and possibly ruin your carpets but i'm still going to squeeze a bit out money out of you anyway. 

p.s. delivery a machine back n forth to customers. Carrying this extra gear in your van while your doing proper jobs, then taking it out at the end of the day, then putting it all back in the next time a cheapskates fancies having a go... all for 50 quid....   

[Kev Martin]

Hire for us works well but we have a collection and delivery point.  I don't think you are far off with the idea but it may pay you to make friends with a local shop or similar.

[DB]

Hiring....what are the responsibilities under the current Health & Safety regulations?

I tried this thirty years ago.... a pain in the backside....

I delivered, checked what they wanted to clean and gave advice accordingly....I left instruction leaflets and still one guy overwet big time and ruined his carpet. He then proceeded to tell me that 'I shouldn't hire out these machines to people like him'

I gave up at that point

[Kev Martin]

Hiring....what are the responsibilities under the current Health & Safety regulations?

I tried this thirty years ago.... a pain in the backside....

I delivered, checked what they wanted to clean and gave advice accordingly....I left instruction leaflets and still one guy overwet big time and ruined his carpet. He then proceeded to tell me that 'I shouldn't hire out these machines to people like him'

I gave up at that point

All this is covered in the terms and conditions of hire.  It is a bit like hiring a car, having an accident and blaming the hirer

[Steven Butler]

Cheers for the opinions and ideas.
I've just bought a machine, similar to rug doctor as in push along but better.
Nothing to lose, if it's not worth it I will just sell machine, I know for a fact 2 price shoppers over the weekend would have snapped my hand off.
Now I just need to decide which chemical to leave them and also need to get a disclaimer knocked up...

[Derek Corbrick]

I hire out my sebo duo with 5 ltrs of ready mixed encap  at £65 per day. Works nicely

Does it go out very often mate?
Thats not a bad idea.... do a better job than a slug doctor....

Works really well, been out 73 times in about 10 months. I drop it off and pick it up had a contract made and checked over by cps lawyer I used to work with.

[Kev Martin]

If anyone is interested The Rug Doctor is currently on sale new at £349 inc VAT