We all know the benefit of getting multiple quotes when our business needs to rent a laptop. But overpaying for laptop rentals for business is only one of the mistakes to watch out for. This blog post will help you understand many of the possible mistakes that you can easily avoid when you work with the right partner. We believe that Hartford Technology Rentals has everything you need to make your laptop rental the best experience possible.
The most common mistakes when renting laptops:
Overpaying for laptop rentals
When you are looking for the best price for laptop rentals, HTR has exactly what you need. From the most basic low-end laptop rental to the highest end gaming laptop rental we not only deliver the highest quality devices, but we do it at the best prices in the industry. If you ever get a quote from someone and the price is lower than ours, just let us know and we will meet or beat your lowest cost. Guaranteed.
Getting laptops that are outdated or beat up
Perhaps the easiest trick to help ensure that you are getting the best laptop possible is to ignore the processor speeds of i3, i5, i7 or i9 and instead ask your rental company what is the processor generation. Later in 2021 Intel will be releasing the latest 11th generation CPU. This means you should ask your rental company what gen processor your laptops will come with. There is absolutely nothing wrong with an earlier generation processor, but your laptop should be discounted in pricing based on the age of that CPU.
Physically, your laptop should also be in good shape. Typically laptops are graded from A (new or like new to F, which means only useful for salvage). You certainly don’t need to demand only Grade A laptops. But you should carefully note any scratches or dings on the case or screen as soon as you receive your laptop rentals and immediately report them back to your rental partner (even with pictures if possible) so you will not be penalized later.
Wrong screen size/resolution for business needs
A key factor in determining which laptop rental is right for you is screen resolution. If you are just doing basic computing functions like internet surfing or document creation then a low end laptop without regard to screen resolution will be perfect and very cost effective. However, if you are involved in gaming or CAD creation then you will need a powerful laptop with a dedicated video card to provide you with maximum screen resolution. This very specific option will increase the cost of your rental and provide you with a much more robust experience.
Hartford is in the process of transitioning our entire laptop fleet to 15” displays at the minimum. For gaming and workstation uses, most of our laptops now come with 17” displays.
Laptop is not powerful enough (or too powerful)
In order to get the right laptop at the right price it is very important for you to talk to your Hartford sales rep about what you will be using your laptop for. Things like extra memory can bump up the horsepower and make your weekly laptop rental process a larger spreadsheet much more efficiently. Or maybe you need a hybrid laptop that can convert in to a tablet. At Hartford Technology Rentals, we want to make sure that you get exactly the laptop rental you need at the price that meets your budget.
Software installed doesn’t match your business requirements
Nearly every laptop configured in one of our four nationwide rental labs comes with a custom software image. Whether you are renting for a trade show or convention, laptop training course or even summer camp, Hartford will work with your technical team to create your custom laptop image and then put your specific software load on each one of your rental laptops prior to deployment. In other words, you will get the software you need (even Microsoft Office) because we will create your image just for you.
Not receiving your laptop on a timely basis
Most laptop rentals for business are extremely time sensitive. An important question to ask your rental company is what will they do to guarantee on time arrival. At Hartford Technology Rentals, we keep a close eye on things like weather reports or holidays that might cause shipping delays. We also allow for an additional day or two of shipping time just in case there are problems in transit. Building in extra transit time allows us options to make sure that you get your laptop rental exactly when you need it.
The laptop hasn’t been properly serviced between rentals
At Hartford Technology Rentals our tagline is “Not Just Equipment.” We consider ourselves to be a service company first and foremost. That means that each technician in each of our four distribution centers is highly trained on the technology and also on our commitment to service. Each laptop that is returned from a rental is visually inspected upon arrival. Once the visual inspection is completed, the asset is benched, powered on and every key, port and feature is checked thoroughly before it is cleaned and disinfected. Once this process is complete a fresh version of the Operating System is installed with all factory updates.
Too few laptops in inventory – Check for bulk quantity
Many corporate or special events warrant the rental of large numbers of the same model of laptop. You can always count on Hartford to have plenty of exactly what you need from low end Windows based laptops to high end Macbooks and even Chromebooks. When you call be sure to ask about our bulk laptop discounts! And while you’re at it, make sure that your rental partner has all of the accessories that you might need like carrying cases or cable locks.
Ensure the laptop meets your data security requirements
These days one of the most important things to think about for your laptop rentals is data security. Every laptop that comes in to our distribution centers is scanned for viruses. And every rental laptop that leaves our labs has Microsoft Defender preinstalled to help make your experience safer. In addition, every laptop has its hard drive wiped and a fresh, completely updated operating system is installed to make sure that you have all of the available patches for your rental laptop.
Make sure you have flexible terms in case you need to extend the rental
The devil is always in the details when it comes to renting a laptop. At Hartford Technology Rentals, flexibility is the foundation of all that we do. We do not have a minimum term so you can do daily laptop rentals, weekly laptop rentals or even monthly laptop rentals. After the first month we will prorate your rental if you decide to return the device in the middle of the rental period. In other words, maximum flexibility at the best possible price with top shelf service.
Understand all of the fees (insurance, deposit, late fees, tax, shipping)
At Hartford our terms and conditions are simple and easy to understand. If you want insurance on your laptop rental it is available at an additional cost which is spelled out right on your contract. If a deposit is required you will be informed before you sign the contract so you know exactly what to expect financially. Late fees are prorated by the day after your first month’s rental. And additional fees like tax and shipping are clearly spelled out right on the first page of our rental agreement. No hidden fees, no games, just everything you need to know spelled out clearly and concisely.
Why Businesses Choose HTR for Laptop Rentals
For nearly 30 years Hartford Technology Rentals has been a trusted supplier of laptop rentals across the country. You don’t last 30 years in this business if you don’t provide top notch service at excellent prices. And at Hartford our reputation precedes us. Most of the laptop rentals we provide are to repeat customers, which tells you everything that you need to know about our company. If folks trust us enough to come back for their next project we must be doing something right!
To get started on your laptop rental give us a call at 888-520-5667.