How to Manage Rental Equipment
Your rental equipment is a significant investment and an essential part of your business. You want to ensure your rental equipment can perform as it's supposed to on your job, so taking the proper steps to manage your machinery is essential.
Customers expect rental companies to assist them with the management process by providing innovative solutions, such as a customer portal, so equipment management is easy, seamless and convenient. Learn more about how customer portals help fulfill customers' expectations from rental companies and how you can use these portals to get the most out of your rental equipment.
Jump to a section:
- What Do Customers Expect From Rental Companies?
- What Is an Equipment Rental Portal?
- What Information Can You Find in a Rental Portal?
- Benefits of the Rental Customer Portal
- Other Tips to Help You Get the Most out of Your Rental Equipment
What Do Customers Expect From Rental Companies?
The equipment rental market has been competitive, and many companies must address different challenges and opportunities to give themselves an edge against the competition. One expectation that customers have of rental companies is the ability to track, book and manage their rental equipment independently from anywhere using specific software. There are many good reasons for companies to do this and benefits for customers, including:
- Optimizing costs: Giving customers the ability to track and manage their rental equipment helps optimize a company's expenses. Customers can also optimize their costs with this same software. For example, a customer can cancel or alter their rental terms when they're no longer using their equipment and it's reached the end of its useful life for the specific customer.
- Sustainability, transparency and rental control: Customers can access their rental information at any time and gain critical insights into their rental equipment. Customers can also use the software to maximize their profitability and monitor the return date to avoid unnecessary costs.
- Uncomplicated and automated approach: Rental portals allow for the automated sharing of information related to rental equipment, which is easier and more efficient than traditional communication methods. The automated system and unique features enable customers to easily check their payments, keep up with maintenance and reduce their overall paper trail, making it easier for customers to make the most of their interaction with rental companies.
If you're looking to rent equipment, you'll want to find a rental company that gives you access to a rental equipment customer portal that allows you to book, track and manage your machinery. Some equipment portals will offer additional benefits for your convenience.
What Is an Equipment Rental Portal?
An equipment rental portal is an online location where customers can log in to their accounts and find information about their rental equipment. Rental portals eliminate the need for customers to wait on their operating instructions since this information is included in the rental portal, making it easier to start using machinery as soon as possible. Equipment rental portals are more convenient for customers and rental companies, automating many processes that would otherwise take manual labor to complete.
Equipment rental portals can help meet customers' needs by offering customer support that's easy to access and utilize without the need to contact the rental equipment company's support team. For example, imagine you're having trouble operating rental equipment. You can head to the rental portal to help find information about how to operate your rental equipment and tips to care for the machinery when you're not using it. You can often download the safety instructions and equipment documentation straight from the portal.
You can use the rental portal as a user manual on top of other functions, including updating location information, looking for safety information, sharing vital information across your team, and making the overall process easier for you as the customer and the rental company you're working with.
What Information Can You Find in a Rental Portal?
Generally, rental portals offer much of the same information, but some rental companies go above and beyond to make their rental portal as helpful as possible for their customers. The Cat® Rental Store offers a customer rental portal with numerous features, including the ability to:
- Gain 24/7 access to information and tools on desktop or mobile
- Transfer rental equipment between job sites
- View the equipment you're renting and the rental terms
- View invoices and contracts
- Locate a branch near you
- Request service on-site, including maintenance
- Search for equipment to add to your rental contract
- View rental rates
- Extend end of rental terms
- Request a quote for new rental equipment
- View location, fuel levels, telematics and hours
Rental portals are an easy and convenient way to keep an open line of communication between the rental company and your business. The Cat Rental Store's rental portal offers numerous features to help customers maximize their rented equipment.
Benefits of the Rental Customer Portal
The rental customer portal has many features, as we mentioned above. Each option offers unique benefits to your business and streamlines the process of renting heavy equipment for your applications. Some of the most notable benefits of using the rental customer portal include:
Management of Rentals
Using the app, you'll have access to various rental information, including current contracts, quotes and invoices. You can view this information whenever you need to at any time of the day.
Your portal will also show you where your rental equipment is currently located if you're working across different job sites, allowing you to easily manage your equipment rentals without tracking down where each piece of equipment is located. The app also allows you to transfer rentals to different locations as needed, enabling you to get your equipment to the right job site efficiently.
Information Alerts
The rental customer portal can send you alerts about your rental equipment, such as when your rental contract is about to end, helping you stay informed so you can better manage your business and rental costs. These notifications or alerts allow you to act on this information sooner, ensuring you can end or extend your rental contract as needed and get what you need from your rental equipment for your job.
Service Requests
Many people who use rental equipment are busy and don't want to waste time hauling their equipment off to get serviced. The rental customer portal allows you to request on-site service, reducing overall downtime. The portal also has a place where you can get in contact with one of our team members when you need assistance or want to put in a service request.
Around-The-Clock Support
A rental customer portal makes it easier to access 24/7 support, even if you're not contacting a customer representative. A rental customer portal allows you to access a lot of the information and tasks you need at any time of the day. You can also perform many of these tasks yourself, like extending contracts, so you don't have to wait for someone to reach out to answer your questions.
Improved Equipment Usage and Payment Tracking
An equipment rental portal allows you to address the challenges associated with sophisticated machinery, such as what key performance indicators you need to track and which ones you don't. A rental portal allows you to access tips, a dashboard and other information to help gauge how your equipment works and what you can do to improve it. Rental portals also can assist with billing, payment tracking and payment reminders to help you stay on top of your rental terms.
Simplified Sharing of Vital Information
Rental portals can provide insights into your rental equipment, but they can also make it easier for you to communicate with your rental company. The rental company can guide you through processes to help make the most of your rental equipment and the best practices you can use to keep your machinery in good condition.
Other Tips to Help You Get the Most out of Your Rental Equipment
Apart from using a rental customer portal for your rented equipment, there are other ways you can make the most out of your rental machinery. A customer portal will only go so far in helping you get what you can out of your equipment, so you'll want to take other steps to ensure you have the best rental experience possible. Some different ways to maximize your rental equipment use include:
1. Rent From Trusted Companies
You'll first want to find a rental company you can trust since a reliable company is more likely to have reliable equipment. If you don't know that you can trust the company you're renting from, you could end up with machinery that malfunctions, which could cause you to fall behind schedule or perform work that doesn't meet your quality standards. Malfunctioning equipment can also cause damage to your work site or put your workers at risk.
You can prevent this from happening by finding a company to rent from that you know you can trust. You should do your homework on the company you're considering, including looking at testimonials, reviews and a reliable equipment supply. A company's history with other businesses can say a lot about how trustworthy they are as a heavy equipment rental company.
Additionally, you don't just want to go for the cheapest option. Cheap doesn't often mean high quality, and you could end up costing your business more in the long run if your rented equipment malfunctions and results in downtime or damage to your operations. There's more to a rental company than price, and you'll want to choose a rental company based on its reputation and quality to ensure you get the best rental equipment possible.
The Cat Rental Store is a trusted brand with a history of providing reliable equipment to its customers. Our dealers will support you throughout the rental process, even providing maintenance throughout the rental term. The Cat Rental Store dealers also have a wide selection of equipment from trusted manufacturers, allowing you to choose the right equipment type to meet your applications' needs.
2. Train Operators Who Will Use the Equipment
Another way to make the most of your rental equipment is to train the operators who will be using the machinery. A lot of rental equipment can be complex, especially if your operators don't have much experience working with different types of machines. In most cases, operators must undergo training and practice to work with the rentals correctly.
However, you don't want to waste time training employees when you only have a limited time with your equipment. Rather than training team members while you've already rented the machinery, you should plan to train your employees beforehand so they know how to use the equipment as soon as it arrives.
If you or your workers need a refresher, the rental customer portal can have all the information you need regarding the operation of the rental equipment. You'll also be able to contact a representative through the messaging system to get help with whatever you need.
3. Ensure You Rent the Right Equipment for Your Job
You'll want to ensure you rent the right equipment for your applications. You don't want to receive rental equipment and get ready to use it only to find out it's not the right type for your applications, even though you've already paid.
The best way to prevent this problem is to do your research beforehand so you know exactly what type of equipment you need to complete your tasks. This consideration may look like knowing what size aerial lift or heater to get or knowing whether you need a backhoe or a wheel loader for your job site.
You can also contact the rental company, who should be able to guide you in the right direction. Once you describe the job to them, they should be able to tell you what kind of equipment they would recommend. The customer rental portal will also allow you to search for equipment to find exactly what you need for your business. These processes can help ensure you get the right equipment the first time, helping you maximize your rental equipment.
4. Get Your Equipment Delivered Before You Need It and Return It When You're Finished
Another way to get the most out of your equipment is to have it delivered before the day you actually need it. For example, if you plan to start work on a Tuesday, you'll want to have it delivered and ready to start work by at least the Monday before. Once you show up to work on Tuesday, you won't have to worry about spending time waiting for the equipment to show up or to set it up.
While the minor delays involved in the delivery and setup don't seem like much, they can quickly add up, especially if you're regularly renting your equipment. These delays can make a difference in you finishing your project on schedule and falling behind, impacting your business's reputation. You can save time and money by having your equipment delivered a day or two before you start.
On top of having your equipment delivered early, you'll also want to return your rented equipment as soon as you're finished using it, especially if you're renting daily. You can reduce your costs by returning your equipment as soon as possible, preventing you from paying for more days or extra fees if you keep the equipment a day or more over the predetermined schedule.
A customer rental portal is helpful for returning your equipment quickly. You can access your portal as soon as you complete your work and end your rental term, allowing you to return your equipment fast and save on costs.
5. Treat Your Rental Equipment With Care
Even though you're renting, you still want to treat your equipment with care. You'll want to treat the equipment as your own, meaning that your operators should be as careful as possible and do everything they can to prevent the machinery from malfunctioning or breaking. In many cases, rental companies will have you sign contracts or documents saying that you're responsible for damages that occur to the equipment while it is in your care.
Ease rental stresses and lessen costs by ensuring you and your operators treat machinery as carefully as possible, including only using the equipment for its intended purpose.
6. Communicate With Your Chosen Rental Company
Even if you have access to a rental customer portal, there may be times when you'll need to communicate with the rental company. Quality rental companies provide their clients with the tools necessary to complete their tasks, including reliable rental equipment, maintenance and other assistance.
You should always communicate with your rental company, especially when you have questions or want to look for new equipment to add to your rental contract. If you aren't sure how to operate your machinery and can't find relevant information in your rental portal, a team member will be willing to help you so you can make the most of your rental equipment.
7. Consider Insurance
Sometimes, your equipment rental company may ask you if you want to add insurance to your rental contract for an additional fee. While it can be tempting to say no to save a few dollars or because you don't think you'll need it, it's usually best to opt into the insurance.
Even though everyone hopes they never have to use their insurance, it's always better to have it and not need it instead of not having it and needing it. Add insurance to your rental contract or contact your nearest dealer via your customer portal for insurance information.
8. Schedule Service When You Need It
If you're renting equipment for long periods or using it a lot at the job site, you'll want to have it serviced for routine maintenance to ensure it's working correctly.
You'll also want to schedule service if something happens to your rental equipment on the job. You don't want to try to fix the equipment yourself, especially when many rental companies include this service in their rental terms. Instead, you can use the customer rental portal to schedule the service you need to keep your equipment running and help reduce your downtime, allowing you to stay on schedule.
Trust The Cat® Rental Store As Your Rental Equipment Provider
If you're looking for a reliable supplier of rental equipment, The Cat Rental Store dealers can help. Our dealers offer a wide range of equipment to help meet the needs of your applications, whether you're working in construction, agriculture, waste management or another industry. Once you rent equipment, you can manage your rentals from the convenient customer rental portal, allowing you to complete various tasks and access vital information anytime.
Our dealers offer flexible lease agreements on reliable equipment that you can trust to help you complete various essential tasks. The Cat Rental Store dealers also provide equipment maintenance with all rental contracts, so you can rest assured that our equipment will continue to serve you for as long as you need. Contact us today for a quick quote, or find a rental store near you.