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How to Eliminate Disputes with Customers over Damaged Rental Equipment

InTempo Software InTempo Software

We’ve all been there. An expensive piece of rental equipment becomes damaged, and you know it happened at the customer's jobsite. The damage wasn't there when you dropped it off - but it's certainly there now, and you know it'll be costly to repair.

Of course, damaged equipment is an unavoidable part of the rental business. (There's normal wear and tear, and for dents, punctured tires, or anything else? That's why damage waivers exist!) But, when you or an employee lets your customer know that they'll need to be responsible for the cost of the repair, it can lead to complicated disputes. "He said, she said" arguments can be massive time-wasters - both at the rental counter and in terms of getting that machine ready to rent back out to another customer.

There's another issue at play, too. Let's face it: it can sometimes be difficult to determine whether a machine was damaged a few jobs ago or during transport. Maybe your guys missed a dent in a side panel when they were loading it onto your truck, and now you’re holding the wrong customer accountable. That’s certainly not the way you want to do business. The good news is with the right rental software system, you don’t have to. 

Capture Condition Photos When You Drop Off or Pick Up Rental Equipment

InTempo's mobile equipment rental app makes it easier to track the status of every machine every time it changes hands. Your team can report on the condition of each machine when they deliver it to a customer's jobsite, then again when they pick it up. With the mobile device that they already have in their hand, they can take comprehensive photos from every angle. (You don't have to worry about them forgetting something or missing a side because they're in a hurry; the app prompts them for required angles as part of the process.) A

RentalMan Mobile Rental Software

Use Time Stamps and Geotags to Remove Any Uncertainty

Each photo is time-, date-, and geo-stamped; you can share them with your customers in real time. This removes any doubt as to the condition of the equipment when you dropped it off and picked it back up. Sharing these photos with your customers provides indisputable evidence that helps smooth out damage disputes.
Was your equipment damaged during delivery or in the yard? Did something happen at the job site while it was still in possession of the customer? You'll know in seconds with InTempo's mobile app.

Share Clear Terms and Conditions at the Time of Delivery

Our mobile app also lets your drivers use a mobile device to deliver an electronic copy of your terms and conditions document at the customer site. From there, they can collect a signature - either right on the spot if the customer is present, or via email if the customer isn't on site to sign right away. This reduces the chance of a damaged equipment dispute even further.

Here’s a tip from Jeff Loomis, InTempo's Director of Business Development. 

"You can make the most of your photos by allowing your device to access your location, then recording the actual geographic coordinates where the image is captured. For even more iron-clad documentation, you could include the jobsite in the background of the images. If a customer isn't present on the jobsite, taking a picture of where the equipment is located - for example, outside of a numbered door - can help them find it quickly and reduce the likelihood of a damaged equipment dispute." 

So: what’s the overall result? Less frustration for you, more accountability for your customers, and a better experience for everyone involved.

To learn more, contact us today or request a demo here.


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