Low concentrations and…Time out and…
Low concentrations and…high detergent usage
Our heavy-duty detergents that deliver great results at concentrations of .15% or less are great. But when we operate at those uber low titration levels we’re often skirting on the edge of losing all control over its’ usage.
That’s due to the limited sensitivity of the Wheatstone Bridge system that’s the foundation of most probe / controller dispensers. The inherent conductance of raw water itself, the salt in food soils and the effect of the soil itself can reach a point where measuring the small electrical conductivity of the detergent can be tough for it to sense. Think of it as hearing a whisper in a loud room.
If control is lost even for a few minutes the result is an electrode that develops a thin lime scale film that insulates it. Then the controller thinks the concentration is too low and feeds detergent until the scale is stripped off. Once that happens the system returns to the targeted concentration.
The problem is that during that “recovery period” our .15% concentration might shoot to 1.5%, a ten-fold increase. Let that happen once an hour and the result is the run-away consumption that earns you a trouble call. Of course when you arrive the .15% is right on target.
That can leave you suspicious of some nefarious activity and them questioning your ability. Not a good situation but one we can minimize by being certain we’re operating in a range that the dispenser can consistently manage.
Next up: Managing the on/off range.
Time out and…Come back later
Well it’s seriously the season of the holiday excuse. That goes for both our customers and any prospects we’re working with. Unlike most pretty transparent put-offs, the holiday excuse is both believable and prevalent. Truth is, most of our customers (and us) are all pretty much slammed from now through January first.
So instead of being frustrated by the fact that it’s a busy time for everyone, perhaps it’s best to accept it. In the case of our active prospects, maybe we should anticipate the likely push back and just go with the it and try to try to make it work for us. Chances are fair to good we’d only fail anyway if we persist in fighting it.
In fact it might be a good time to drop by to tell them they can feel to call you if they find themselves in a pinch between now and New Year’s Day. But in the meantime that you’ll be focused on making certain all your current customers are in good shape during the Holiday rush. Oh, and wish them a Merry Christmas!
Truth is that maybe the better course is to spend the next two weeks working hard to service our current customer crop and perhaps sneak in a few new additional products. Temporarily shelving that prospect who isn’t likely to break our way in the next two weeks anyway, is likely pretty wise.