Predictika · Equipment rental quotes: shift multipliers and ancillary charges

An AI sales agent's equipment rental quote, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares a rental quote for a customer: the equipment class, the number of shifts, the one-shift rental charge, whether the Rental Protection Plan and the Environmental Service Charge apply, and the figures it intends to state. Before the quote goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the published rental terms and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.

Scope: Shift multipliers, the Rental Protection Plan fee, the Environmental Service Charge and its cap, and the stated rental charge, fees and total of a rental quote. See everything this validator covers

This validator models the fee terms of a United Rentals rental quote, using the public Rental Service Terms and Rental Protection Program Terms for the US, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Shifts — one, double (1.5 times) and triple (2 times) shift use on power equipment, and a block when more than one shift is requested for another equipment class or when the shift count is not one to three.
  • Rental Protection Plan — the plan fee as a percentage of the rental charge, 15 percent for general equipment and 25 percent for passenger vehicles.
  • Environmental Service Charge — 2 percent of the rental charge, not more than 99 dollars.
  • Stated figures — the rental charge, plan fee, environmental charge and total the agent states are compared with the computed amounts.

Any quote that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: equipment rental rates (customer rates are not public, so the one-shift rental charge is an input of the quote), taxes, delivery and pick-up, refueling and cleaning, damage and other service charges, and rental periods longer than a shift. Two points are modeled by interpretation: the Environmental Service Charge is applied to the rental charge, and the double and triple shift multipliers are stated in the terms for power equipment only.

The AI sales agentBuilds the rental quote from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks every rule at once and returns the verdict, each finding, and the computed figures.

8 scenarios in 4 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch

What the agent proposes

The AI sales agent says

Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.

Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)

Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run

Predictika validator


      

        
        
        
      

      
Waiting for the call.

      
    

  

  
  

    
Where rules-based CPQ gets it wrong
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Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator caughtTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
Shift multipliers that depend on the equipment classOnly with care
The double and triple shift multipliers apply to power equipment only, so the multiplier depends on both the shift count and the class.		Shifts, equipment class and the one-shift charge are in one request; the multiplier and the rental charge are computed on every call.
A plan fee that depends on the vehicle classOnly with care
The Rental Protection Plan is 15 percent for general equipment and 25 percent for passenger vehicles, and the fee is a percentage of the shift-adjusted rental charge.		The percentage and the fee are derived from the class and the computed rental charge, then compared with the figure the agent states.
A percentage charge with a dollar capOnly with workarounds
The Environmental Service Charge is 2 percent of the rental charge but never more than 99 dollars, so the figure needs a capped formula, not a flat rate.		The charge is computed with the cap on every call and compared with the figure the agent states.
Stated figures that do not add upOnly with workarounds
The rental charge, fees and total the agent writes are free-entry figures, so each needs its own comparison rule.		Each stated figure is part of the request and is compared with the computed amount on every call.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the quote is saved or a step is completed, so a rep often fixes one error and meets the next.		All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

  

  

    
What this validator catches: findings from its test cases
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Every rule is checked on every call, in any order the choices arrive; one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
14 shifts are requested; the terms provide for one-shift, double-shift and triple-shift usage.
20 shifts are requested; the terms provide for one-shift, double-shift and triple-shift usage.
32 shifts are requested for equipment other than power equipment; the terms state the double-shift and triple-shift multipliers for power equipment only.
43 shifts are requested for a passenger vehicle; the terms state the double-shift and triple-shift multipliers for power equipment only.
5The quote states a Rental Protection Plan fee of $180.00; the fee for this order is $300.00.
6The quote states a total of $1,404.00; the charges add up to $1,524.00.
7The one-shift rental charge is $0.00; it must be above zero.
8The one-shift rental charge is $-500.00; it must be above zero.
9The quote states a rental charge of $800.00; 2 shift(s) on a one-shift charge of $800.00 comes to $1,200.00.
10The quote states a Rental Protection Plan fee of $120.00; the fee for this order is $180.00.
11The quote states a total of $1,344.00; the charges add up to $1,404.00.
12The quote states an environmental service charge of $12.00; the charge for this order is $24.00.
13The quote states a total of $1,392.00; the charges add up to $1,404.00.
14The quote states a total of $1,500.00; the charges add up to $1,404.00.
15The quote states an environmental service charge of $120.00; the charge for this order is $99.00.
16The quote states a total of $7,020.00; the charges add up to $6,999.00.
17The quote states a Rental Protection Plan fee of $180.00; the fee for this order is $0.00.
18The quote states a total of $1,404.00; the charges add up to $1,224.00.
19The quote states an environmental service charge of $24.00; the charge for this order is $0.00.
20The quote states a total of $1,404.00; the charges add up to $1,380.00.
21The quote states a rental charge of $1,200.00; 2 shift(s) on a one-shift charge of $1,200.00 comes to $1,800.00.
22The quote states a total of $1,506.00; the charges add up to $2,106.00.
23The quote states a rental charge of $1,000.00; 1 shift(s) on a one-shift charge of $1,200.00 comes to $1,200.00.
24The quote states a Rental Protection Plan fee of $100.00; the fee for this order is $180.00.
25The quote states an environmental service charge of $10.00; the charge for this order is $24.00.
26The quote states a total of $1,110.00; the charges add up to $1,404.00.

  

  

    
Scenarios and results
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The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.

    
1. Shifts and equipment class: A double shift requested on equipment other than power equipment

    
The agent's request. Please quote other equipment for 2 shifts at a one-shift rental charge of $1,500.00. Include the Rental Protection Plan and the Environmental Service Charge. The quote states a rental charge of $2,250.00, a plan fee of $337.50, an environmental charge of $45.00 and a total of $2,632.50. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Extra shifts only stated for power equipment. 2 shifts are requested for equipment other than power equipment; the terms state the double-shift and triple-shift multipliers for power equipment only.
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2. Shifts and equipment class: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote other equipment for 1 shift at a one-shift rental charge of $1,500.00. Include the Rental Protection Plan and the Environmental Service Charge. The quote states a rental charge of $1,500.00, a plan fee of $225.00, an environmental charge of $30.00 and a total of $1,755.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Quote summary. Rental charge $1,500.00, Rental Protection Plan fee $225.00 (15 percent), environmental service charge $30.00; total $1,755.00 before taxes and other service charges.
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3. Stated rental charge: A double-shift quote that still states the one-shift rental charge

    
The agent's request. Please quote power equipment for 2 shifts at a one-shift rental charge of $2,400.00. Include the Rental Protection Plan and the Environmental Service Charge. The quote states a rental charge of $2,400.00, a plan fee of $540.00, an environmental charge of $72.00 and a total of $3,012.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Stated rental charge does not match. The quote states a rental charge of $2,400.00; 2 shift(s) on a one-shift charge of $2,400.00 comes to $3,600.00.
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  • Stated total does not match. The quote states a total of $3,012.00; the charges add up to $4,212.00.
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4. Stated rental charge: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote power equipment for 2 shifts at a one-shift rental charge of $2,400.00. Include the Rental Protection Plan and the Environmental Service Charge. The quote states a rental charge of $3,600.00, a plan fee of $540.00, an environmental charge of $72.00 and a total of $4,212.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Quote summary. Rental charge $3,600.00, Rental Protection Plan fee $540.00 (15 percent), environmental service charge $72.00; total $4,212.00 before taxes and other service charges.
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5. Plan fee on a passenger vehicle: A passenger vehicle quote that states the 15 percent plan fee

    
The agent's request. Please quote a passenger vehicle for 1 shift at a one-shift rental charge of $3,200.00. Include the Rental Protection Plan and no Environmental Service Charge. The quote states a rental charge of $3,200.00, a plan fee of $480.00, an environmental charge of $0.00 and a total of $3,680.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Stated Rental Protection Plan fee does not match. The quote states a Rental Protection Plan fee of $480.00; the fee for this order is $800.00.
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  • Stated total does not match. The quote states a total of $3,680.00; the charges add up to $4,000.00.
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6. Plan fee on a passenger vehicle: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a passenger vehicle for 1 shift at a one-shift rental charge of $3,200.00. Include the Rental Protection Plan and no Environmental Service Charge. The quote states a rental charge of $3,200.00, a plan fee of $800.00, an environmental charge of $0.00 and a total of $4,000.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Quote summary. Rental charge $3,200.00, Rental Protection Plan fee $800.00 (25 percent); total $4,000.00 before taxes and other service charges.
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7. Environmental charge cap: A triple-shift quote that states the environmental charge above the 99 dollar cap

    
The agent's request. Please quote power equipment for 3 shifts at a one-shift rental charge of $5,000.00. Include the Rental Protection Plan and the Environmental Service Charge. The quote states a rental charge of $10,000.00, a plan fee of $1,500.00, an environmental charge of $200.00 and a total of $11,700.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Stated environmental service charge does not match. The quote states an environmental service charge of $200.00; the charge for this order is $99.00.
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  • Stated total does not match. The quote states a total of $11,700.00; the charges add up to $11,599.00.
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8. Environmental charge cap: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote power equipment for 3 shifts at a one-shift rental charge of $5,000.00. Include the Rental Protection Plan and the Environmental Service Charge. The quote states a rental charge of $10,000.00, a plan fee of $1,500.00, an environmental charge of $99.00 and a total of $11,599.00. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Quote summary. Rental charge $10,000.00, Rental Protection Plan fee $1,500.00 (15 percent), environmental service charge $99.00; total $11,599.00 before taxes and other service charges.
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Narration transcript
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The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.

    
    
      
  1. Welcome to a demo of Predictika's Validator. An AI sales agent prepares a rental quote for a customer: the equipment class, the number of shifts, the one-shift rental charge, and more. Before the quote goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the published rental terms and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.
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  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
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  3. The agent says. Please quote power equipment for 2 shifts at a one-shift rental charge of $2,400.00. Include the Rental Protection Plan and the Environmental Service Charge. The rest of the request is on screen. The quote states a rental charge of $2,400.00, a plan fee of $540.00, an environmental charge of $72.00 and a total of $3,012.00.
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  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
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  5. Blocked, with two findings, all in one answer. The quote states a rental charge of $2,400.00; 2 shift(s) on a one-shift charge of $2,400.00 comes to $3,600.00. The quote states a total of $3,012.00; the charges add up to $4,212.00.
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  6. The validator returned two blocking findings in one answer. A check that reads one field at a time would pass most of this; it shows only when the choices in the quote are checked against each other and against the stated total.
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  7. What this shows: for a percentage charge with a dollar cap, a rules-based CPQ can do this only with workarounds.
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  8. Now the agent resubmits.
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  9. The corrected request. It changes the stated rental charge as to $3,600.00 and the stated total as to $4,212.00.
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  10. It calls the validator again.
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  11. This time the validator clears it.
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  12. Both earlier findings are cleared, and the validator's total, $4,212.00, matches the quote.
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  13. Two problems caught in one call, fixed in one pass, and a clean $4,212.00 quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
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