Customer Service Pundit Advocates Improvement for Car Rentals
Ways a car rental company can boost its client satisfaction
One observation that can be made of late is that with an increasing level of competition and an injection of new technology in the car rental industry, customer service has improved. One solid anecdotal piece of that proof was in a recent J.D. Power survey that indicated client satisfaction among car rental companies was at an all-time high for the second year in a row.
Still, much more needs to be done, according to Dan Gingiss of the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) Network in an editorial submission to Forbes. A major advocate on how customer service can make the transaction experience a much more pleasant undertaking, no matter how many bells and whistles companies have at their disposal, Gingiss outlines five ways that the industry could improve its interaction with its clients.
Simplifying Rental Contracts
One sore point with the writer was the overwhelming complexity of the rental car contract that has an almost infinite number of spots requiring a customer signature. Many clients do experience frustration over the intimidating nature of such a document as well as inadequate staff training on the subject is a major issue. Insurance forms also produce the same trepidation, with unwary customers often paying for a policy twice the cost of what they’d normally need.
Gingiss also examined paying extra fuel payments for a newly-booked vehicle already filled by the rental car company or being saddled with a higher fee when the same company fills the tank upon the vehicle’s return. Ditto for toll charges via the E-Z toll pass provided by the company, which charges users daily even if the device isn’t being used. Reasonable costs for both types of charges, Gingiss argues, could easily be implemented.
Finally, Gingiss also suggests additional perks being added into the vehicles themselves, from mints to bottled water as a gesture of gratitude to the customer.
Better Front Desk Tools
No doubt, better training at the front desk could go a long way to solving a number of these aired grievances. The latest car rental software, if flexible enough to allow for shifts in the way a company does business can also be a boon to accommodate those changes. Bluebird’s software suite that includes platforms like RentWorks, RentWorks Mobile, Erez, LoanerTrack and a number of add-on modules has been proven effective in streamlining and speeding up the workflow in a car rental company using that technology.
Fortunately, there’s also a great deal of options to help customize an operation, such as simplifying contracts and insurance forms and even making it available on the Bluebird app to cut down on the intimidation and confusion. Other elements in the transaction process, have already been shown to be effective in processing credit cards and loaner applications as well as keeping clients current on changes in company operations. Other aspects like fuel, toll charges and any other costs involving the booking and driving of a car could easily be added to the software to help make a rental car company stand out in an increasingly competitive and tech-savvy industry.
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