iMessage for equipment and tool rental

Rental is a business of clocks and conditions. Every item has a return time and a state it left in, and almost every dispute is about one of those two things. Both are solved by photographs with timestamps in a thread the customer also has.

Photograph on the way out, not just on the way back

export const hire = {
  out: (c: Ctx) =>
    `${c.depot}: ${c.item} out to you — condition photos attached, ` +
    `${c.fuelOrCharge}. Due back ${c.dueDate} by ${c.dueTime}. ` +
    `Late fee after that is ${c.lateFee}/day.`,
 
  // The reminder that prevents most late returns.
  dueTomorrow: (c: Ctx) =>
    `${c.depot}: ${c.item} is due back tomorrow by ${c.dueTime}. ` +
    `Need it longer? Reply EXTEND and I'll quote you — cheaper than ` +
    `the late fee.`,
 
  overdue: (c: Ctx) =>
    `${c.depot}: ${c.item} was due ${c.dueDate}. ` +
    `${c.daysLate} days at ${c.lateFee} is ${c.owed} so far. ` +
    `When can we expect it?`,
};

Damage disputes end at the condition photos

Without an out-photo, every damage claim becomes your word against theirs, and you usually lose because pursuing it costs more than the repair. With a timestamped photo the customer already received, the conversation is short.

1. 01Photograph at handover, with the customer present, and send it to them there and then.
2. 02Note fuel, charge or consumables in the same message.
3. 03Photograph on return, before the item goes back into stock.
4. 04Raise any damage immediately, with both photos attached, and offer a repair figure rather than a deposit forfeit.

Trade customers are a different relationship

A builder who hires weekly does not want condition photos and reminders in the same tone as a homeowner with a carpet cleaner. Give trade accounts a standing thread, faster answers, and 'have you got a X free Thursday' as the normal mode of ordering. That convenience is what keeps them off a competitor's account.