You have just had your latest acquisition liveried and ready for hire when the phone call you have been waiting for comes in... Its a regular customer looking for the use of your shiny new Leo 18GT plus.
The hire desk does its bit and the machine, shiny and looking smart, is duly despatched and delivered by one of the regular drivers to a the customers job in York. The lads on site are delighted to see its condition and comment to the driver how good it is to get a brand new machine.... it should really impress their client. The handover goes well and the machine is left allowing the job to begin. the driver is careful to point out how important it is that the lads on site return the machine to us in good condition.
Off hired ten days later we collect the machine to find it covered in dust, debris (not a problem) but worst of all covered in red oxide paint and what looks like mastic sealant. in fact the basket and controls are so bad decals are illegible... the driver notes the condition and is rebuked by the customers operative who says that its a piece of plant and that this sort of thing should be accepted by us.
On return we notify the client of the damage and the associated costs of repair (knowing full well that the machine will never be 'new' again no matter what repairs are carried out) and we are advised that they refuse to pay the charges, saying that the 'damage' is wear and tear, that they will not use us again if we impose the charges. They throw in for good measure that the machine was in that condition when delivered, was late, that the driver never mentioned looking after it, even stating that the dent in the cage was done when the collection driver was removing it from site!
Result, we enforce the costs for the damage having done everything right and nothing at all wrong, then we fight for the money and last but not least we lose a customer who has been a good payer in the past and always looked after the machines...
Who'd be in the hire business?
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