Contactless car rentals are becoming the savvy choice for the on-demand generation.
The digital revolution is changing our world.
The meaning of luxury is changing- booking online and getting priority service are more important than ever.
This is especially true for frequent and luxury travellers.
The Problem With Traditional Car Rentals
Millennials and GenZ make up 36% of luxury travellers. It is not surprising that digital services are now at the forefront of demand.
The car rental industry traditionally struggled to define and offer luxury service to customers.
Lengthy pick-up processes and physical premises to keep fleet and welcome customers have been stumbling blocks to providers for years.
Meeting the demands of the modern traveller is difficult when your business is tied to insurance and licensing requirements.
But failure to meet customer demand risks failing to have customers.
Contactless Car Rentals Are The Perfect Solution
Contactless rentals digitalise the pick-up process and give consumers instant access to their rental vehicle.
This enables customers to book, check out, and access their rental vehicle from their mobile phone. This completely eliminates the need to enter a car rental branch.
Priority service is when a customer can walk straight from their flight to their car. They can then unlock and start the car from the comfort of their phone.
Any business owner is familiar with the concept of risk and reward, in car rental this is especially poignant.
Why You Should Consider Contactless Car Rentals
Are you unable to justify the investment into contactless car rentals for your business? Consider this:
- Time Is Key(less)
- Non-stop 24/7 Pick-up & Drop-Off
- Not Just a Single Vehicle Solution
- Vehicle Safety & Utilization
- Driving Behavior
Time is Key(less)
Choosing a contactless car rental over a traditional one can offer significant time savings.
With contactless car rentals, car keys are often directly inside the connected car. This makes them ready to be picked up with just a few clicks from the renter’s phone.
Not only does this eliminate the need to wait at a rental desk, but it also cuts off time to complete paperwork.
In addition, contactless rental can significantly reduce the paperwork altogether. This includes copies of ID, driver’s license, and contract signatures.
With the convenience of technology, renters can save valuable time and streamline their user car rental process. This allows them to get on the road quickly and easily. Naturally, the end result is a significant improvement in customer satisfaction.
The end user will be able to use the GPS location to go to the car or even have it delivered near them.
24/7 Pick-Up And Drop-Off, 365 Days A Year
A major competitive advantage for any car rental company is the ability to provide a 24/7 service. Out-of-hours service is a constant challenge to staff and adds significant operational costs. Keeping the lights on for a customer that may not turn up is not cheap.
Deliveries are a great way to appeal to the luxury and corporate market. However, delivering a car at 5am, or waiting for the customer to hand over the keys puts serious pressure on staffing costs.
A connected vehicle enabled with keyless control means you can leave the vehicle at the desired delivery point whenever you please. Then, customers can be granted access to the vehicle at the start time of the rental.
A connected vehicle can even improve hotel delivery, too. Instead of leaving keys for customers at a hotel desk, leaving your business in their hands, the business owner remains in control of the customer experience ensuring quick and efficient service.
Additionally, the activities of a connected car can be monitored remotely 24/7. The vehicle can be stopped remotely and geo-fenced, meaning the vehicle is secure when left. As a result, deserted office car parks overnight no longer pose the same security issues.
Not just a single vehicle solution
Here is a common misconception about keyless units:
“The hardware is only good for one vehicle make and model. If you de-fleet that vehicle, the hardware becomes obsolete. New units then need to be purchased, increasing costs and time needed to get a replacement vehicle set up.”
This is not the case with all keyless suppliers. Some, such as Movitronic, offer keyless units that can easily adapt to all vehicles. Simply replacing a small component of the unit means the Movitronic hardware can work with all OBD2 vehicles.
This process does not require technical expertise and can be completed in just a few minutes, reducing cost and time to market.
Vehicle Safety and Utilisation
Car rental companies can have a better understanding of the condition and usage of their vehicles than ever before.
Thanks to the use and availability of safety features such as GPS tracking, DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code for car issues identification), service alerts for car maintenance, odometer, and many more.
This can lead to more accurate maintenance and repair schedules. Ultimately, it results in a better car rental experience for the end user, and better utilisation rates for your fleet.
Driving Behaviour and Tracking
This is a common problem shared by all car rental business owners. How can you encourage your customers to drive carefully and treat the vehicle and conditions responsibly?
Many drivers appear to be good drivers based on their license history. However, this doesn’t always mean that they will be so careful in a rental car. The car may be bigger than they are used to, driving on roads they are unfamiliar with, led by unfamiliar signs written in a language they don’t speak.
A connected vehicle can be tracked not only with GPS but also for driver behaviour.
As the rental car owner, you can see how fast they take corners, what kind of average speed the customer maintains, and more.
This can all be viewed from the dashboard in your office.
While this solution in itself cannot prevent mishaps, speeding tickets, or general bad driving, though it can save business owners time when dealing with damage resolution or traffic ticket processing.
Being able to confidently show a customer that their own driving behaviour could easily have caused any disputed damage or prove their speed at the time a traffic ticket was issued gives the business owner a significant advantage in the claim process.
This is especially true where customers are using insurance from a third party.
Additionally, connected vehicles have enhanced vehicle security. If a vehicle is stolen or driven outside of its geographical boundaries, the vehicle can located and stopped remotely. This allows the police to find and return the vehicle quickly.
The choice is easy- Your Rental Car Business Should Go Contactless
As a business owner in an ever increasing competitive environment, having operational cost advantages can bring serious competitive advantages to your business and ultimately financial reward.
A connected fleet can take your business to the next level, bringing efficiency to your operations and advantages for your customers.
Customers who feel their needs are being met are loyal especially when they feel their loyalty is rewarded.
Find out more about Movitronic solutions to transform your rental car business.
