by Brian Alm

The most basic question of all: "Why rent?" The next most basic question? Probably this one: "Can I get it for less?" Hector Puig of Puig Rental in Caguas, Puerto Rico, said he still has to explain to people who don't yet fully understand rental why there must be a minimum charge. Somebody comes in and wants the machine for only a few hours. "Why can't I get it for less?" Of course, the most basic answer is that the next person who comes in may want to rent the machine for three days and it won't be available, and the rental operator should be compensated for that risk.
But as we all know, there is a much bigger and even more basic reason that answers both the questions "Why rent?" and "Why charge what you do?" and goes to the heart of customer relations: the real business is not rental; it is helping somebody solve a problem. Because if there was no problem to solve, no work to be done, the customer wouldn't be here standing at your counter; the customer would be out playing golf or something.
So let's play this conversation in our minds: "If I give you junk, you won't get your problem solved. I have to buy the best equipment - real quality, heavy-duty stuff that you would never buy on your own - and I have to have the best service technicians, to make sure you can get your problem solved. Otherwise, I can't stand behind the solution I propose. Your problem is my business. That's why you came, and that's why I'm here. Let's work together."
RM columnist Don Taylor talks about achieving a "customer-centered culture." To achieve that, value has to come first - value, not price. This relationship with the customer rests on solving the customer's problem, or meeting the customer's expectations that something will be better or get accomplished as a result of this transaction. When you're meeting the market's expectations, you're competing on value; when you're beating those expectations, you're winning the game.
People come to you to have a valuable experience; they come with a belief that a professional is a person who can guarantee the result and an expectation that their problems will be solved. You trust your car mechanic and your dentist to do the job right - to be pros. Your mechanic doesn't skimp on the brakes and your dentist doesn't use plumber's putty to fill your tooth. Well, you're the pro the rental customer comes to. So why should you have to haggle over price? We've got to get these customers to recognize value. That's why we have to step around the counter and into the customer's shoes, and see the need from the customer's point of view. When we're both seeing the thing from the same vantage point, value will come into focus pretty fast.
Sometimes it's good to stop for a moment, step back from the firing line and ask those really basic questions again, just to keep them fresh in mind.

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