reverse osmosis


Voice  602-432-5402

 

reverse osmosis
reverse osmosis
reverse osmosis
reverse osmosis
Reverse Osmosis Systems
reverse osmosis
Reverse Osmosis Connector Systems
Reverse Osmosis Connector Systems
reverse osmosis

reverse osmosis

So You Want To Be In The R/O Rental Business?

By David F. Walling

Get your checkbook you will need it.  The idea of getting rich quick had better not be on your mind.  But if your looking for a long-term investment that will pay you back many times over once established, then you have come to the right place.

Referrals Will Keep You Going

How will you get your accounts?  You will first need a plan that fits your situation.  If you grow to fast things can get out of hand.  There is also a large initial investment in equipment so you will need to find creative ways to finance your inventory.  Advertising is expensive but very necessary.  I have seen this done with television and it was very successful but you will need to remember that the caliber of the people you are trying to reach is very important.  You will lose some of those customers that you start with and in order to maintain your customer base you will need to replace accounts as you lose them.   How do you figure the cost of replacement of that customer that you lose? I believe that for every advertising dollar that you think you are spending to get that customer, double that cost and you will probably be closer to the actual value.   Consider that some of the customers that you lose may come back to you in the future.  Referrals will replace the customers that you loose after you get to the 1000 customer mark but you will probably grow very slowly.  Research the area that you live in.  Is it an area with typically bad tasting water? Do you hear from most people that the water tastes bad?  Are there allot of bottled water companies in your area? If the answer is yes to all of these questions then chances are good that you will be successful.  If the answer is no than maybe you should consider moving into an area that does have all of these problems.  If your business is in a location that handles winter visitors like in Arizona or Florida than you should deal with the winter visitors differently because they are only around for 6 months a year.  We charge for the season up front so all we have to do is pick up their system when they leave.  And reinstall it when they arrive the next season.  This way the water system doesn’t sit unused for the other 6 months of the year. Those units are dismantled sanitized and stored for the next season.  Winter visitors provide the means to do improvements to your equipment or add systems to your inventory.   Those extra systems can also act as your safety net for times when you might need allot of systems in a short amount of time. 

Renting vs. Selling

First I would start by telling people about the money they will save over using bottled water.  Next you can tell them about the convenience of having bottled quality water dispensed right in their kitchen.  Hear are some arguments on renting vs. selling, How will you know the system you purchased is installed correctly?  How will you know the system is working properly?  How will you know when the system needs to be serviced?  How much will it cost to service the system?  How long will the system last?  Who is responsible for damage if the system develops a leak?  Rental is the only way that I have found to give the customer total satisfaction.   When you show up to service the rental customers system you will be able to just replace the entire system and go on to the next call.   We cover the entire Phoenix valley including Tucson 120 miles to the south a service man can do 12 calls a day, by just replacing the system you can bring those systems back and rebuild them in your shop.  Tying someone up for more than 10 minutes at a service call is borderline inconvenience for the customer.  People just don’t have that much time anymore.  Get in and get out but if they want to be reassured the system is doing what it is suppose to show them.  Demonstrate how an R/O system works some people really appreciate and welcome your spending the extra time with them.  Learn to recognize these people they are usually the people that are looking over your shoulder as you work, they are curious and its a great time to ask for a referral and a little PR never hurts.  I have found this is the kind of service the customer wants and they will be customers as long as you can offer the highest level of service.  Service is really the only thing you have to sell and who doesn’t want good service?         

The Right Equipment

This is the one thing that can make or break you, mistakes made here come directly from your wallet.   Do your homework on choosing your equipment remember you are renting and not selling.  You need the best equipment you can find.  Settling for the less expensive check valve may not be a good idea, usually you get what you pay for and something as simple as a check valve that can kill your expensive membranes, this is not something to just settle for.  I would spend a little more and get the best check valve that suits your system.  I like to use a check valve in a union rather than a fitting in the permeate port of the membrane vessel because it is very easy to troubleshoot and find defective check valves.  Always write the date of a new check valve on it, and keep track of how long they last in your equipment.   Your automatic shut off valve is another very important item to consider some of these things actually restrict flow from the storage tank and I have seen many of them leak in various places.  Test your equipment in your shop before you install it in a customers home you would be amazed at how many problems you will catch on your test bench saving your service man an embarrassing trip back out those extra trips hurt your bottom line.  I will not install a unit in anyone’s house or office unless it makes good water and stays shut down for at least 24 hours on my specially designed stainless steel test benches that allow us to instantly hook up and disconnect the system.  It is also a good idea to make your installations with the same rapid serviceability in mind.   A manifold connector system located under the sink to the front of the cabinet will speed up your serviceman’s ability to exchange or service the reverse osmosis system.  It also gives the customer a place to shut off the system if there is ever any trouble.  Talk to other rental companies find out what they are using.  You might want to hire a consultant to help you make wise choices on what products have stood the test of time.  You are liable for the equipment that you put into a customer’s home or business.  Your installations may need to last for around 7 years or longer.  The customer may move and you will have to relocate the unit for them.  I do not charge the customer to move a system this shows the customer that you are committed to them and will work extra hard to keep their business.  The customer should be able to turn off the system in time of trouble with very little effort, this is very important if you make it easy for the customer to deal with their own plumbing failures than they are less likely to call you when trouble arises.  Whenever hooking up icemakers be sure to include a shut off valve after the tee so the customer will be able to shut off the icemaker in time of trouble.  This will by pass the icemaker so the customer will be able to get water from their system if the icemaker malfunctions.  Use a good quality shut off valve preferably ball type for both the feed line and icemaker line.  I would recommend a manifold connector system for any installation that includes an icemaker.  

Don’t Over Build Your Rental System

It is better to upgrade later then start out with more than you need.  You will need to find out what kind of TDS (total dissolved solids) your area has.  pH, chlorine, pressure, temperature, and hardness all will play a role in deciding what equipment to use.   Consider how an equipment rental company runs they must rent the best industrial equipment not the stuff found at home centers.   Should you use TFC membranes or CTA? One thing that I have discovered is that CTA membranes are better for rentals because when it’s time to service the system you can just dispose of the old membrane and start off with a new one.  TFC’s must be sterilized and you must be careful to make sure that the membrane is dated so you know when it was placed into service.  If you run any membrane until its dead than the customer is drinking tap water.  It’s better to replace with new on your schedule than replace with new on the customer’s demand.  Membrane failures are inevitable don’t blame the manufacturer tell the customer that the tap water is responsible for these problems and they will understand.  CTA’s don’t reject salts as well as TFC’s but you don’t have to worry as much about contamination post of the membrane.  The city of Phoenix maintains 2-PPM minimum free chlorine testable at any location.  In the summer the temperature of the water in the main lines buried in the ground can reach 85 degrees and my experience has shown that 2-PPM minimum chlorine can really mean much higher levels in other locations further down stream.  CTA membranes take high chlorine levels in stride if they can survive the high pH, which in some parts of the valley is higher than 8.5 pH.  So we must use TFC’s in those areas where the pH is too high for CTA’s.   When you find these areas that are different map then out on a grid and keep track of them.  You will find this map very useful in the years to come.  When you have an installation in an area that typically has high pH then I would recommend a TFC type membrane.  Remember you will have to make more trips out for the TFC system for service, but those calls will be at your convenience not after a CTA has failed under high pH conditions.  I like the idea of using UV post of the storage tank but it is not necessary to use with CTA systems on chlorinated water with all carbon post of the storage tank.  You may also consider charging more for problem areas because your costs will be different from those areas that have better tap water.

 Conclusion

 There are many things to consider when starting a rental program.  I believe that this business can be very successful when you apply ideas such as the ones that I have brought forward.  System rental puts the customer in control of their R/O systems service because if they don’t like the water coming out of it they may not want to pay your rental fee.  If you do have disputes with water quality give them a month free and try to take care of the problem, technology is on your side.  Just like a bad restaurant it doesn’t take to many dissatisfied customers to close your doors.  I have seen so many R/O systems that have never been serviced from new 7 to 10 years before.   The water treatment industry has a gray cloud over its head from controversy and unsatisfied customers.  People just forget that the systems are even there, and continue to use the water no mater how bad tasting it gets.  They just get comfortable to the water as its quality diminishes and some never notice a taste difference.   Then when someone shows up to service the system after the customer finally realizes they’re neglect.  They hear the bad news from the service man “this unit is dead” you have been drinking tap water for the last 5 years.  This is why rental program benefits the customer they get what they want, good safe water and no maintenance hassles.  Regularly serviced systems that get upgraded if needed and totally replaced when it’s time to be serviced.  The rental company gets in return a fair profit, and happy customers that will use your business until the cows come home or when you retire which ever comes first.          

David F. Walling the inventor of R/O CONN a patented reverse osmosis connector system.  He has 13 years experience in the reverse osmosis rental business.     

For more information, please contact R/O CONN at (602) 432-5402 or fax (602) 942-1451. Or you can E-mail us at roinfo@roconn.com.

 

Back to Article & Press Release Index


Copyright © 1998 R/O CONN. All Rights Reserved
U.S. Patent # 5,660,720