Do you own a car rental company? If yes, you must be aware as to how challenging it is to run the business. Right from filling out each rental order that you receive on a daily basis to collecting the payment you have to manage everything so as not to allow multiple bookings for the same car and ensure that the best service is available to all your customers.
Many car rental services continue to make use of outdated tools such as telephones, e-mails, Word, and Excel macros, among others, both for communication purposes and managing their business. These tools have been very helpful in the past, but they are very slow and are less effective compared to the modern solutions that are available in the market today.
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A car rental software solution that has been developed keeping in mind the needs of modern-day customers is more efficient and is, therefore, beneficial in many ways. Before looking at the benefits of using car rental software they offer, it is important that you have a clear understanding of the main features that car rental solutions come with.
Car Rental Software – Features
The rental order management module allows you to track the availability of cars in your fleet and set rental periods using the calendar option and extend them automatically as per requirement.
The collaboration feature enables your employees to communicate from one platform for handling rental orders.
The inventory management module helps you to monitor the availability of your assets, their movement, and spare parts needed for maintenance.
The Quotation feature allows you to create quotes as well as invoices in just a few clicks.
CRM and External Communication capability of the software helps you to easily interact not only with customers but also with other rental companies.
The Notification feature is very helpful in intimating your customers about the status of their order and reminding them as to when the rental period is scheduled to expire.
Cloud-based software allows access to information on the go and it is not limited to just a single device.
Centralized Data Storage facility ensures that all the information remains in one place and eliminates the need to use several different storage media.
Benefits of Using Car Rental Software
Now that you know the key features of a good car rental solution, it may not be very difficult for you to guess as to how beneficial it could be when implemented for your business.
As you can see, it helps you save time, communicate more easily and efficiently, and more than anything monitors the cars you rent out to your customers. However, some of the main benefits of using car rental software are listed below for your ready reference and to help you make an informed decision.
Quotes and invoices can be generated faster
Car rental software helps you to quickly generate quotes as well as invoices. Preparing a quote or an invoice manually is a challenging task as you will have to make several calculations. Using a template created in Excel or Word will make it a little convenient but will not be able to eliminate the monotony associated with the task.
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A car rental management solution, on the other hand, will make both quote and invoice generation easier and faster. You just have to key in a few data into the system. The software program will capture the required information from the database you have created for your business.
In the bargain, you will be able to save a lot of time and you can send the quote or invoice to your customer directly from the same platform.
Car availability can be determined quickly
Whenever you receive a rental order, it is a challenging task to find out as to which car is available for servicing the order. If you are not able to act fast, you may lose the order.
A failure in fulfilling a customer’s order can adversely affect your business in the long run. The right rental software solution enables tracking of cars available in your asset inventory database.
Further, you will also be able to view the timeline of the cars in your fleet. This means that you do not have to settle for any guesswork.
Facilitates all communications from one platform
Typically, the employees of a car rental service spend a lot of time communicating with customers during the rental period. They make telephone calls and send emails or short messages. However, the problem is that the required information may not be readily available to respond quickly.
The advantage of using can rental software is that it automatically schedules assignments to employees and task updates can be carried out immediately as they would be able to see the details in front of them in the system. This makes it easy for them to quickly service their customers.
Detection of damage or loss of items is easy
Often you may notice damages caused to the rented car or the loss of a device when customers return the vehicle to you. Rental software is designed to capture and record such information. This makes it easy for you to claim damages from the person who rented your car.
Well-designed car rental programs can even generate a bill automatically. This module can be used for managing the preventive maintenance function as well. The rental solution will notify you when it is time to carry out a maintenance job such as changing engine oil, tires, and fuel and air filter, etc.
Access to information on the go
If you are operating a car rental business in the traditional manner, you will be dependent on the efficiency of your employees.
Cloud-based car rental software solutions help you access information on the go and this contributes a great deal towards the improvement of operational efficiencies and employee productivity. The flexibility and access to data in real-time go a long way in making your service highly efficient and competitive.
Cost savings
The improvement in operational efficiencies and employee productivity leads to cost savings. There is no cost involved in the implementation of car rental software. Further, it provides you with accessibility to performance data almost immediately.
These aspects contribute to reducing your operational costs. The fleet management module which tracks scheduled vehicle maintenance contributes to reducing vehicle breakdowns and increases vehicle utilization.
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Moreover, well-designed car rental solutions come with simple and easy to use screens and staff members can be trained quickly to adapt to the system. This means that you don’t have to allocate large amounts for staff training purposes.
Security
The best car rental software solutions available in the market ensure the utmost security to both customer data and your company’s financial data. Most of them implement a two-factor authentication system to ensure a high level of security.
Choosing the right solution is important
Now that you have some information about the benefits of using car rental software for your taxi operation business, you must be wondering as to what aspects you should look into to choose the right solution.
First of all, you must ensure that the vehicle rental software you are planning to buy is compatible with the ERP system you are currently using. Further, it should be flexible so that you can make the modifications required to cater to your specific needs. Finally, the software should ensure a high level of security.
Final Thoughts
You should do thorough research and buy the car rental software that allows you to provide the best-renting experience to your customers. Ultimately, it is customer satisfaction that drives your business and helps you stay ahead of your competitors. This is because satisfied customers will recommend your car rental business to others.
