While many people enjoy the occasional use of public transportation for cost savings and to reduce their carbon footprint, at times, the convenience of having personal transportation when in a new location is essential. On such occasions, car rental companies provide a car for a reasonable cost over a short time. As with numerous other rental facilities and services, car rental companies need a high degree of trust in their customers before they can hire out the cars to them. Therefore, car rental companies should use the following six useful gadgets to ensure that the cars they hire return in one piece.
1. Car GPS Trackers
Anytime a car rental company rents out a car to a customer, they incur a lot of risk about whether the vehicle will be returned. Sure, they can take identification documents which might help them trace the customer in case they fail to return the car in the stipulated period. However, if they want to guarantee that the vehicle will be returned after the period elapses, they need to use a company car tracker like RAM tracking equipped with GPS and geofencing to monitor the vehicle’s location at all times. Car GPS trackers can provide the live location of the vehicle and can also help car rental companies to limit where the vehicle can go to a certain jurisdiction, such as state lines, to enhance security.
2. GPS Navigation Systems
Many people who use the services of car rental companies are often strangers looking to find a way of navigating a new city. For that reason, car rental companies need to make their customers’ work easier when navigating around. One of the best tools they can use is GPS navigation systems. GPS navigation systems can save customers time and effort when renting cars in a new location. It can also help customers take better care of their vehicles and avoid accidents when checking their phones to get location information from mobile apps.
3. Dash Cams
If you work in a car rental company, you have probably been in a situation where you conflict with a customer over the specifics of certain events around the car. This can be something as minor as a scratch on the body or an accident. Having a dashcam can help provide evidence of what transpired in different incidents. This can be important in case any disputes arise and help protect the company from losses arising from customer negligence. However, it would not be appropriate for you to constantly monitor the dash cams as it might breach your customers’ privacy. Only use the information on the feed in case the need arises.
4. Portable Jump Starters
Nothing is as uncomfortable and disappointing as being stranded in the middle of nowhere with a rental car due to a dead battery. While car rental companies are responsible for constantly evaluating their cars to avoid incidences such as dead batteries, it is important for car rental companies to anticipate such issues as they are common in many cars. Providing your cars with portable jump starters will help your customers have a comfortable experience with the car, even in incidences of dead batteries.
5. Phone Mounts
Distracted driving is a significant cause of car accidents in the United States. According to statistics, texting or using a cell phone for communication was a key cause of 12% of all car accidents in 2022. This figure has been rising steadily over the years. If you want to keep your customers safe and avoid losing your cars to car accidents, you must set up phone mounts for all your customers. The phone mounts help customers steer clear away of their phones and avoid distractions when driving. You never know; the phone mounts you put in place might save multiple lives.
6. Car Self Diagnostics Kits
As a car rental company, your responsibility is to provide a service that customers can rely on. In doing so, you also need to ensure that your customers have all the support they need when using the cars. One of the best ways to facilitate customer support is using cost self-diagnostic kits such as OBD2 scanners. Car self-diagnostic kits are essential for car owners and car rental companies in helping them diagnose their car issues. Gone are the days when one would have to take a car to a mechanic when the check engine light flickers. With the self-diagnostic kits, you can evaluate the cause of any faults and make repairs as quickly as possible to allow your customers to continue their day-to-day tasks. In the long run, you will notice higher customer retention due to how quickly and efficiently you respond to emerging issues as they arise.
Wrapping Up
The main business of car hire companies is based on trust and how easily they can monitor the vehicles when they are hired while increasing their support and service delivery to their customers. The six useful gadgets above can help car rental companies achieve this easily. Devices such as GPS trackers and navigation systems help track the vehicle in case of any event and help customers navigate new locations easily. It would help if you also had a dashcam to provide you with video evidence for any emerging situation. Furnish your cars with portable jump starters and self-diagnostic kits to help in response times in case the cars have any faults. Finally, having phone mounts can help reduce driver distraction and can also reduce the occurrence of accidents.
