Referrals Will Keep You Going How will you get your accounts?
You will first need a plan that fits your situation. If you grow to fast things can get out of hand. There is also a large initial investment in equipment so you will need to find creative ways to finance your inventory. Advertising is expensive but very necessary. I have seen this done with television and it was very successful but you will need to remember that the caliber of the people you are trying to reach is very important. You will lose some of those customers that you start with and in order to maintain your customer base you will need to replace accounts as you lose them. How do you figure the cost of replacement of that customer that you lost?

I believe that for every advertising dollar that you think you are spending to get that customer, double that cost and you will probably be closer to the actual value. Consider that some of the customers that you lose may come back to you in the future. Referrals will replace the customers that you loose after you get to the 1000 customer mark but you will probably grow very slowly. Research the area that you live in.
Is it an area with typically bad tasting water?
Do you hear from most people that the water tastes bad?

Are there a lot of bottled water companies in your area?
If the answer is yes to all of these questions then chances are good that you will be successful. If the answer is no than maybe you should consider moving into an area that does have all of these problems. If your business is in a location that handles winter visitors like in Arizona or Florida than you should deal with the winter visitors differently because they are only around for 6 months a year.

We charge for the season up front so all we have to do is pick up their system when they leave. And reinstall it when they arrive the next season. This way the water system doesn't sit unused for the other 6 months of the year. Those units are dismantled sanitized and stored for the next season. Winter visitors provide the means to do improvements to your equipment or add systems to your inventory. Those extra systems can also act as your safety net for times when you might need a lot of systems in a short amount of time.

Renting vs. Selling
First I would start by telling people about the money they will save over using bottled water. Next you can tell them about the convenience of having bottled quality water dispensed right in their kitchen. Here are some arguments on renting vs. selling, How will you know the system you purchased is installed correctly? How will you know the system is working properly?

How will you know when the system needs to be serviced? How much will it cost to service the system? How long will the system last? Who is responsible for damage if the system develops a leak? Rental is the only way that I have found to give the customer total satisfaction. When you show up to service the rental customers system you will be able to just replace the entire system and go on to the next call. We cover the entire Phoenix Valley, including Tucson 120 miles to the south. A service man can do 12 calls a day. By just replacing the system you can bring those systems back and rebuild them in your shop.

Tying someone up for more than 10 minutes at a service call is borderline inconvenience for the customer. People just don't have that much time anymore. Get in and get out but if they want to be reassured the system is doing what it is suppose to show them. Demonstrate how an R/O system works. Some people really appreciate and welcome your spending the extra time with them.

Learn to recognize these people. They are usually the people that are looking over your shoulder as you work, they are curious and its a great time to ask for a referral and a little PR never hurts. I have found this is the kind of service the customer wants and they will be customers as long as you can offer the highest level of service. Service is really the only thing you have to sell and who doesn't want good service?

The Right Equipment
This is the one thing that can make or break you. Mistakes made here come directly from your wallet. Do your homework on choosing your equipment. Remember you are renting and not selling. You need the best equipment you can find. Settling for the less expensive check valve may not be a good idea. Usually you get what you pay for and something as simple as a check valve, that can kill your expensive membranes is not something to just settle for. I would spend a little more and get the best check valve that suits your system.

I like to use a check valve in a union rather than a fitting in the permeate port of the membrane vessel because it is very easy to troubleshoot and find defective check valves. Always write the date of a new check valve on it, and keep track of how long they last in your equipment. Your automatic shut off valve is another very important item to consider. Some of these things actually restrict flow from the storage tank and I have seen many of them leak in various places.

Test your equipment in your shop before you install it in a customers home. You would be amazed at how many problems you will catch on your test bench saving your service man an embarrassing trip back out. Those extra trips hurt your bottom line. I will not install a unit in anyone's house or office unless it makes good water and stays shut down for at least 24 hours on my specially designed stainless steel test benches that allow us to instantly hook up and disconnect the system.

It is also a good idea to make your installations with the same rapid serviceability in mind. A manifold connector system located under the sink to the front of the cabinet will speed up your serviceman's ability to exchange or service the reverse osmosis system. It also gives the customer a place to shut off the system if there is ever any trouble. Talk to other rental companies. Find out what they are using. You might want to hire a consultant to help you make wise choices on what products have stood the test of time. You are liable for the equipment that you put into a customer's home or business. Your installations may need to last for around 7 years or longer.

The customer may move and you will have to relocate the unit for them. I do not charge the customer to move a system this shows the customer that you are committed to them and will work extra hard to keep their business. The customer should be able to turn off the system in time of trouble with very little effort. This is very important. If you make it easy for the customer to deal with their own plumbing failures than they are less likely to call you when trouble arises. Whenever hooking up icemakers be sure to include a shut off valve after the tee so the customer will be able to shut off the icemaker in time of trouble.