Many distributors sell dilution control systems as a value add — just one part of an overall cleaning program. However, that doesn’t mean a system should be installed and forgotten. Distributors can help customers evaluate how well a system is working, and determine whether there are other options that would better serve a facility’s needs.

Benefits Of Each Type
The distributors interviewed for this article sell at least one of the following types of dilution control systems: pre-portioned packages, wall-mount, ready to dispense (RTD) and cartridge-based. Each type has its own advantages.

Scott Durann, vice president of Reliable Floor Supply, Orange, N.J., says he only sells pre-portioned packets which the end user drops into water to dissolve to the appropriate concentration.

Durann feels these packets are a “no-brainer,” but says they never really took off due to customers’ price resistance. He says the pre-portioned packets that users tear open and pour into the water sell better because of their lower price.

“The people who were using the packages you tear open see this as something that saves them 30 or 50 cents,” says Durann. “Anybody who is using a portion control system is really watching every penny.”

At Philip Rosenau Co., Inc., Warminster, Pa., training manager Bill McGarvey says the company sells mainly wall-mounted units, and RTD systems, which use the same product line.

RTD units are popular, McGarvey says, because they are so portable. “You really just need to have a standard garden hose connection, and you can take it pretty much anywhere you need to because you can have it on the cart,” he says. “The water connection is in the closet, they hook it onto the RTD and they’re dispensing the properly diluted disinfectant and taking the guess work out of it.”

The third type of dilution control Philip Rosenau sells are water-soluable packets, though McGarvey says the company only sells them to a few customers. He says it is crucial for distributors to work closely with customers if they purchase water-soluable packets.

“I had one customer who was putting in less water than it called for,” says McGarvey. “On top of that, they were supposed to use one packet and they were putting in three packets. They didn’t understand why they were taking the finish off of their floor. I asked them how many gallons they were putting into the bucket and they looked at me like, ‘Is that important?’”

Andrew Brahms, owner and president of Armchem Intl., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., sells wall mounted systems as well as a “drawer system.”

With the drawer system, Brahms says a user fills a 32-ounce spray bottle with water, and they then insert a cartridge that’s a third of an ounce that fits on the lid of the spray bottle.

“You put the sprayer through the center of this cartridge, you twist and it evacuates the concentrate right into the water,” Brahms explains. “When you run out, you take the cartridge, throw it away, fill the bottle up and put in another one.”

This system doesn’t require a trip to the fill station because users can carry cartridges with, saving them valuable time. Brahms says the drawer system has replaced the on-board proportioning systems.

“Instead of worrying about wheeling something around and going back to your supply closet, you know basically what you are doing for the day and how much product you will need,” says Brahms.

On the other hand, wall-mounted systems are handy because you can install and take down units as needed. “You can add multiple products because it’s just a matter of putting up another unit right next to it,” says Brahms.

A handful of Armchem Intl.’s customers purchase dissolvable packets, but many prefer not to buy them because, “Those little packets have a tendency to grow legs and walk away,” Brahms notes. “The employees that use them have a tendency to put a few in their pocket from time to time,” says Brahms.

Eventual Pay-off
Eliminating the guess work required by the “glug-glug” method — essentially pouring chemicals into water without measurement — provides one of the biggest paybacks to end users. “These systems offer pre-measured product, so you’re taking the human element out of it,” says Brahms. “That’s what a customer wants — for the mistake element to be taken out.”

In addition to savings provided by accurate dosing, proportioners of all types are relatively simple to maintain. Pre-portioned packets are perhaps the easiest. “The manufacturer ships them to me in a plastic container and as long as the customer keeps them closed up, I don’t think they’ll have a problem,” says Durann.

McGarvey cautions customers about the water-soluable packs, however. “Don’t put them in your pocket,” he says. “Sometimes that plastic can dissolve in their pockets or hands.”

Wall-mounted units need occasional maintenance, especially in areas with hard water. However, that solution is generally pretty easy.

“One of the nice things about some of the newer units is because they are a self-contained, recyclable unit, the metering tips really don’t have a chance to go bad on us,” says McGarvey.

Brahms agrees that most proportioners are manufactured well and require little upkeep. However, he says distributor salespeople should be aware of how to address potential problems.

“End users can flush the line, but the truth is, if they are using it correctly, not a lot of maintenance is involved,” Brahms points out. “You have to see an account at least every month, so if there’s a problem it can be addressed at that time, or the customer will call us and we can get it fixed quickly — usually the next day.”

Proportioning systems represent a higher first cost, but pay for themselves in a relatively short period of time because of chemical savings.

“If there are people out there still doing the ‘glug-glug’ method, they really are pouring money down the drain,” McGarvey notes. “They’re not mixing properly, so they’re probably making more work for themselves in the long-run.”

Selling The Systems
There is no such thing as a cookie-cutter approach to selling dispensing systems. All facilities differ, and facility managers have their own preferences and convictions about what system will serve them best.

So what is the best way to approach a customer who is purchasing or updating a proportioning system?

“There are a number of different ways,” McGarvey answers. “What are they trying to achieve? What sort of a product mix do they need or want? We really just try to make sure that we are giving them a good, quality product that will meet their needs for the vast majority of their cleaning.”

Brahms agrees that all customers have different points of view regarding dilution control.

“Every situation calls for something different,” says Brahms. “I can’t really say, ‘If you come to this situation, do this.’ You can probably form some generalizations, but when you get good, you can probably ascertain the answer right there on the spot. Until then, you have to train your salespeople on what to do.”

The methods used to sell proportioners undoubtedly differ, but distributors say the important thing to keep in mind is the function they perform.

“The essence of a proportioner is to save customers money,” says Brahms. “You’re helping them, and you’re getting their business.”




POSTED ON: 5/1/2007