subject: Considerations On Mall Wheelchair Rental [print this page] The field of mall wheelchair rental is still somewhat in its infancy. Granted, some form of free or rentable transport has been available for some time, but there continue to be severe limitations in both form and number. Some of this is likely due to arguments over who bears responsibility for facilitating the movement of those with mobility issues, but more likely it is due to the substantial cost of such equipment as well as what is surely a high replacement rate due to factors such as vandalism and theft, as well as general wear and tear.
Fortunately, there is a way to overcome all of these problems, although it has yet to be instituted in most locations. When one considers the savings in areas from electricity use to replacement cost and the improvements to customer satisfaction - anyone in retail knows that customer satisfaction equals repeat business, and customer dissatisfaction equals lost business, and the loss of business from all the friends they tell not to shop there either. This is somewhat surprising.
Most malls and other shopping venues that provide wheelchair rental for their customers follow the trend of offering the motorized chairs the occupant sits in and drives around like a golf cart. While these have the advantage of being easily propelled by the occupant - setting aside the question of whether there are some people out there who should not be allowed to drive anything - these are expensive to buy and maintain and must be constantly recharged. Thus, they are not cost effective and also risk not being available for the next customer.
Another problem with such vehicles is that they have a limited space for carrying items to purchase, which either confines the shopper to a minimal number of purchases or requires the attempt to steer a shopping cart while steering the chair. If the shopper is attended, as most people with mobility issues are, this problem is mitigated, but then you have issues of lanes being blocked while the pair decides which of six styles of pink blouse is the best.
While this type of chair should not necessarily be entirely eliminated, there is an alternative chair for retail use that can increase the options open to both the facility and the customer while reducing overall costs. This is a type of transport chair that, while necessitating an attendant, can be accessorized for oxygen tanks and other accoutrements, has space for quite a few purchases, and which will allow the occupant to push the cart, while the attendant moves them.
Due to their form, these chairs are hard to steal - the occupant cannot move them independently, nor can they be folded up and carted off - which reduces replacement costs. They are sturdily built, have few moving parts and do not requiring recharging, which limits both vandalism and operating expenses.
Beyond this, they can be nested just like shopping carts and rented through a coin return mechanism. This feature not only encourages return, thus further reducing theft, but allows for more units to be stored in a single area, making for increased customer convenience, but alleviates the need for dedicated personnel to attend to the chairs and providing for even greater monetary savings on the part of the facility.
