The onus for issues such as health and safety or maintenance is shifted to the rental provider and it can be an ideal way to source a vehicle for temporary staff or if businesses are affected by a seasonal influx of employees.
But how do fleet operators ensure that the rental provider they have is doing the best possible job? The answer is simple – ensure that a thorough evaluation of several providers is completed prior to agreeing a contract.
This evaluation should cover more than just the monetary rate being offered – follow our 10-step guide to the key questions you should ask.
ACCESSIBILITY
Ask if the company can provide a car to anywhere in the UK. Nearly every rental company will say they do, but is it true?
BOOKING
CONTROL
DELIVERIES
Does the company deliver on time? Ask to see information on late deliveries and service statistics. If rentals go wrong or arrive late, it becomes a nightmare for the fleet manager and makes the rental company look bad and the service poor
EXTENSION
TERMINATIONS
If a vehicle is no longer needed, how easy it is to cancel the contract? And are there any charges?
DAMAGE
This is a headache for companies using rental. Fleets need to ensure they are only charged for the damage which has actually occurred. Most fleets have unattended collections which is where most disputes happen. Make sure the rental company has a system for damage and understand how the procedures work.
Ask for testimonials from another customer of how the damage system works and ask providers for statistics on damage claims by customers as a percentage of hires
COLLECTION
Is the supplier good a picking up cars? Can they prove it? Prompt collection is a key indicator of performance
BILLING
Make sure the rental provider sticks to the time schedules agreed and billing is accurate. If billing is inaccurate it causes disputes and credit control issues. Get them to tell you what policies they have in place for this
RATES
There needs to be a degree of competition on rates but the average fleet manager also wants the car delivered, clean, on time, billed properly and with no problems
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