RentalMetrics...red meat for heroes that rent iron and move dirt.
RentalMetrics is the "in-sourced" management
consulting firm for the construction equipment rental sector. We're
headquartered in the heartland of America too. Please browse through our site
to gain some insight on how we think, what we do, and what makes us passionate
(some say obsessive) about extracting every last drop of efficiency from your
operations.
« June 2008 | Main | August 2008 »
Hello there. We've just released the first in a series of videos called the RentalMetrics 60 Second Grills. These short videos are designed to get your creative juices flowing. Do you like Red Meat like we do? Well you're about to be served up a bevy of bovine enjoyment. So grab yourself a cup of coffee and share about a minute with us. WARNING: Watch AFTER lunch. The images inside this video will get your mind...and stomach working overtime!
By Paul Gratton, Chief Research Engineer at RentalMetrics
Red eyes. Vapid stare. Listless gait. Moaning yawn.
No, I'm not describing a scene from my favorite zombie movie; this ghoulish scene occurred in my mirror almost every morning in late 2004 as I tried to convince myself to go to work.
This image is burned into my memory - I'm sitting in beige, shoulder-high cubical, my forehead is resting on the computer keyboard. The Muzak speaker is softly playing a MIDI rendition of "Yesterday" by the Beatles. My life slipping away; I can see the sand in the hourglass. I lean up on my elbows and decide recalculate how long it will be before I can retire with a pension. I pull out my calculator and run the numbers...again.
49,674 hours. That's about 22 years. "Thump." My head hit the keyboard again.
For years the Gallup organization has been using the Q12, twelve questions which help assess worker engagement. Gallup's research has found that organizations with motivated, engaged employees consistently outperform those who with employees which resemble disenfranchised zombies. What a surprise!
One company that's taken this philosophy to heart has been the electronics retailer, Best Buy. A few years ago Best Buy realized that the strength of their company lies in the quality of their store employees. They employed Gallup's Q12 at their local stores and saw real, bottom line results.
Are your employees encouraged and energized by their work, or do they resemble zombies?
Check out the Gallup Q12 to learn more about the elements of great managing...and prosper!
RentalMetrics has operated on a quarterly pricing model that includes:
We have had numerous inquiries however from smaller construction companies wanting to streamline operations without having to hire consultants or go with the RentalMetrics full access subscription. Some of these companies are saying, "Just give me access to information for a small monthly investment and if I need more help, I'll upgrade."
We're not ones to argue with that great business logic.
So, we're offering our e-learning environment at $97/mo. No strings attached.
We believe you'll stay around to see the new and exciting business health courses and education offerings we provide. Also, we think you'll love participating in our forums where other industry colleagues will share opinions and tactics to help you move the needle to the positive.
Times are tough. But now is the time to invest in your business's health.
For LESS THAN PRICE OF ONE TANK OF GAS in your company truck...you may just save enough money to buy another truck.
Online Reputation Management may be your company's first foray into social media tools and strategies. There are many free and some pay methods to easily track what's being said about you or your firm in cyberspace. There's a great piece in the Wall Street Journal that provides some ways to get started if you're interested.
If you don't believe this is important, ask a company whose customer service practices have been exposed (or even just discussed) online. The power of social media tools are undeniable. In a day, one man's quest to return a coffee maker to Starbucks a few years ago became a multi-million dollar image/brand/reputation saving exercise. He started a website that told his story and the behavior of company representatives. It wasn't pretty. Ooops. If someone would have only been empowered to take back that $200 item.
The bottom line is that even if you're a small construction company or equipment rental company in Des Moines or New York City...people are talking about you. If you take the attitude that "Those blogger guys are just angry smelly cretins that have nothing better to do than complain"...guess again. Popular bloggers don't get that way by being egregious jerks. They typically provide thoughtful opinion that attracts others to comment both positive and negative.
If you want to begin the process of managing your online reputation you can contact us at RentalMetrics or simply signup for our Interactive Learning Environment for a mere $97/month with no contract or commitment to take classes in the subject on your own time...possibly while working out with your iPod. Just let us know how we can help.
(If you're in the Des Moines metro area, watch for the West Des Moines Community Education catalog. Yours truly will be teaching "Blogging for Business" on Wednesday evenings from 6:30PM-8:30PM at Indian Hills Jr. High School, Sept. 24 - October 15.)
Here's the class teaser:
Blogging is a cost effective and powerful marketing tool for businesses small and large. This class will give you all the tools you need to start reading, subscribing and creating influential blogs…while becoming more findable on the web.
This week I hired and fired Qwest as my Internet Service Provider.
Perhaps it was a poor decision on my part to try Qwest after a previous debacle. Three summers ago they forgot to bury my phone line after a repair. My neighbor repeatedly ran it over with his lawnmower, and it took Qwest two weeks to come and fix it. Of course, they didn't bury the line again, and again, repeating the “mow-then-fix-it” cycle three times during my “phone-free” summer of 2005.
So what possessed me to call them for DSL service? I thought I could just make a simple phone call and they’d come and set me up with DSL. No hassle, no phone tag, no confusion. I just wanted to check my email from the luxury of my own home; is that too much to ask?
After multiple hours on hold and no straight answers about whether they needed to run a new DSL line or if/when the modem would show up I quit. No Internet service is better than the hours and cell phone minutes I wasted. Of course, to cancel my reQwest for service it took yet another phone call and 15 minutes of bouncing around on hold between inept phone reps before a voice came on the line. “We've canceled your order.” Click.
I hope you learn at least two things from this story.
1. No matter what industry you’re in, customer service is really, really important. If you treat your customers like dirt they’ll treat your name like mud. When customers have a “bad” experience they talk, they blog, they rant, and vent. No matter how good and crafty your marketing team is, they won’t be able to defeat the defamation caused by an army of irate former customers.
Consider customer service the new PR.
2. Never, ever, ever use the telecomm company “Qwest.”
Are you ready for the Millennial Generation to take over key leadership roles in your business? While millennials may be a few years out from the corner office, they're the ones you're likely turning to to build your bench.
As to how managers and colleagues can better connect with the Millennial generation, Ann Mack, director of trendspotting for JWT offers some sound advice. "Millennials are outspoken to their detriment, buy you can pick up on their nuggets of knowledge and genius," she says. "Quite frequently they have brilliant ideas that are glossed over by managers who are rolling their eyes. However, if you tap into their opinions at the right time, the innovation will follow."
I'm still tormented by this issue since it's so easy for us to get into the "Good old days" mentality of how things used to be when we were the ones coming up through the ranks. I see greatness coming from millennials...and then I see people in their late 20's and early 30's living in mom and dad's basement since their t-shirt selling start up failed. Dude.
Either way you look at it...these will be your future leaders. Now go send a text message to your favorite millennial or BFF.
