Charity effort
 

Has anyone (probably a dealer or tour operator) tried to create a self sustaining charity movement around segways? I'm well aware of DRAFT, but that depends on contributions.

I'm thinking more along the lines of someone giving reduced rates in off-peak hours when segways sit idle. For example, let's say a tour/rental operation had a fleet of 8 segways of which 3 or 4 were the older i167 and i170 models that rent for ~$30/hour. Realisticly, these models are rented only after all the newer models go out and sit idle in the store from 10AM through 3PM during the week.

What if the tour/rental operation rented them for half price during these hours and donated $10/hour towards getting a local retirement home a used segway? After 250 hours (or about 8 weeks by my estimations), there'd be enough money to get a single used segway for anyone and everyone in the retirement home to use. (I picked a retirement home, since I figure a certain portion of their population could really use the segway. Some, of course, wouldn't be capable of it or might be fearful of using it.)

I would add the stipulation that the segway at the retirement home should have an odometer placed on it. If the odometer shows that the segway isn't being used (say less than 10 miles per months), then it goes back into the rental fleet so that it can generate more charity donations. This would make the effort self sustaining.

I should add that having Segways available to rent at half price during certain hours makes the customers happy since they have options. It allows more individuals to easily transition beyond the usual "training" making them more likely to actually buy a segway later. Finally, it helps the reputation of the rental/tour operation because they are consistently giving to charity in very visible ways. (I'm well aware of the issue of this charity effort cannabalizing a rental/tour operations customer base, so I think it'd be very important how this program is integrated with normal business.)

ps - I'll also point out that anyone with $7K seed money might be able to do the same thing in cooperation with an existing rental/tour operation.

This is really about renting Segways - and variations thereof, so I'm going to move it into the rental forum.

Pam

Plomoh,

I appreciate your 'Mother Teresa' attitude towards charity, but there is a tremendeous amount to running a tour business that you obviously do not understand.

Tour operators are working their asses off seven days a week just to make a reasonable living, with little time to operate a spin-off charity. What I do and I'm sure many others, is to donate lots of gift certificate to worthy non-profit organizations for their fund raising efforts. They really appreciate this.

I'll bet more is done in the way of chairities by tour operators than Segway Corp. Hey, why don't you propose your program to them? They have deeper pockets then we have...

Personal Charity
 

I was asked if I do Bennifits with the Segways. My reply was, "every weekend". To which the person said "really, for whom"? "Me" was my reply. So yea I agree with you. If I do any give aways, it is with repeat customers in the form of reduced rates. I know that may sound cold to other people but you have to scratch out every dollar you can to make it. It's a business and like any other revenue drives the engine.
Jay "2 wheels Guillot