A little dust, dirt or surge can take your computer down!

As we rely more and more on those electronic elves we call computers, the more important their hygiene becomes. A little dirt here, a little dust there and a big surge anywhere can be a big problem - especially with the less-than-perfectly-clean environments of many rental yards. We all know that! Do we do anything about it?

Other than general dust and vacuuming maintenance, here is a short list that may pay you big dividends:

1. Use only "original" ribbons in those dot-matrix printers that pump out all those rental contracts. Why, you say? Because the paper that is used for the rental contracts is probably not the best quality and the original ribbons generally have more lubricant in the ink than the generic type; thus, your printers should operate better and have a longer head life.

2. Set a regular schedule for changing the ribbons (they don't last forever) - say, once a month - and especially before you run bills or other important reports. The receiver then has a nice, crisp image to read.

3. Also set a cleaning schedule for those backup devices, such as tape and floppy disk drives. You will need to experience a system down with a bad backup only once to appreciate the importance of that!

4. With some PCs, it is important to perform a "disk scan" weekly and a "defrag" monthly.

5. If you have long cables and/or are in an area that gets lightning storms, you may need to have uninterruptible power supplies for each work station and a program or power supply that will take your system down according to the proper sequence and bring it back up again. More important, you need a way to shed those line surges and lightning strikes in your area via protective line devices (for phone-type cabling: APC Protect Net, part No. PETL2).

6. Get keyboard skins to protect keyboards in the shop and other not-so-clean areas. Remember, keyboards don't like to drink coffee or soda, either.

7. Store program and data disks (floppy types) in a clean environment away from electrical appliances or wires. Store all backup disks or tapes off site (you can replace computer hardware probably a lot quicker than you can rebuild your database and programs).

8. Before you install a new program or an update via a floppy disk, CD or tape drive, clean the port or drive with a puff from a can of clean air. If it is really dusty, run a cleaning disk or tape before the installation.

Tell your customers where to go - really

The other day I was looking over some slides that Rafael Garzarelli of Howe Rental & Sales, Salt Lake City, sent to me with ideas he presented at a rental meeting several years ago. It was interesting to see the photos of various items and equipment and imagining the many ideas that were generated when they were shown.

One idea that really caught my eye was a revolving holder of business cards. This was not the usual type that just holds one card of each and you turn it with your wrist. This one was a square carousel-type with maybe four cards across and five cards down - about 20 spaces per side and a total of 80 card pockets facing out. Now here's the unique part: at the top of each column of cards, the store manager had placed a header, like plumber, electrician, painter, landscaper, etc. - you get the idea. Also, each place held enough business cards, so there were plenty for customers to take.

This is a great way to say to your special customers that you recommend these companies and you appreciate their business. It is also a way to promote services of others and makes you an important piece of the puzzle of providing solutions for your customers!

Note: I do not know where to purchase this type of card rack, so if you do, let me know and I will pass it on.

If it ain't broke - improve it

Here's a personal point of view: the statement, "If it ain't broke, it don't need fix'n," is behind the times. It has been replaced by, "If it ain't broke - improve it!" If you don't, you may be headed for a fall. In our business, when something breaks, many things could happen: the loss of current and some near-future rental fees; the loss of customer confidence and all the friends the customer may tell; the labor and parts costs of the expediting the item back on line; and other incidentals. If this continues to happen - guess what? Your competition (the turtle) just passed you (the rabbit) by! In areas where only a single rental store exists, a potential customer could buy, not rent or do without - not a good scenario for a rental store. Good luck in your "improving"!