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Question:
I do septic and drain cleaning, and have a friend that has an establishment requiring six restroom units. How do any of you charge? Most use is during weekends and holidays for seven months out of the year. These are the only restrooms I want to add to the business.
Answers:
Why don’t you have your friend buy the units and take care of them? You can just come and pump them out. This would save you having to deal with rental fees, repair to the units, buying supplies, hauling enough water to clean and restock them, etc. Your pumping fees should be easy to figure.
***
There is more to taking care of a restroom than pumping it out. For the customer to get what they need, they need a professional service. This ensures that their customers are, in turn, happy also. Eventually the (pump-only) arrangement, more than likely, will not work out and (the customer) will get someone else to do the work. I would not invest my money in this venture.
Are damage waivers worthwhile?
Question:
We are thinking of charging customers a monthly damage waiver fee for portables if they don't sign and return the customer service agreements. Have any of you ever done this? Do you have any suggestions?
Answer:
I looked into customer agreements and service charges a while back and determined that the expense of the paperwork versus the actual amount of damage we receive in a year did not make it worth it for me.
Another thing I noticed was the better service I provided and the cleaner I kept the restrooms the less damage I got.
At the end of the day, it is better to have the customer than lose them over an extra charge. But go with your gut, and if you think they will damage your restroom no matter what, maybe it isn't worth your time.
Come Join Us Online
The PRO Online Discussion Forum is found at www.promonthly.com. The forum is conveniently split into several topic areas: General Discussion, Business, Chemicals & Deodorizers, Parts & Accessories, Portable Restrooms, Portable Restroom Trailers, Portable Restroom Service and Trucks. Simply register with a user name and password and join the discussion! Information and advice in PRO Forum Chatter is offered in good faith by industry professionals. Readers should consult in depth with appropriate industry sources before applying the advice they read here to a specific business situation.
