The digital present of car rentals

After a tumultuous couple years during the pandemic, the car rental industry is rebuilding. This, coupled with the economic turmoil of the world, means that now more than ever each branch needs to be vigilant in maximising margins, delivering the best possible customer experience and cutting costs wherever possible.

Customers are demanding more flexibility, convenience, and transparency in their car rental experiences. To meet these demands, car rental companies have been leveraging technology in new and innovative ways.

One of the biggest technological advancements in the car rental industry is the widespread adoption of mobile and online platforms. Today, customers can easily book a car rental, choose a pick-up and drop-off location, and select the type of vehicle they want, all from their smartphones or computers. This has dramatically simplified the rental process and allowed car rental companies to reach a wider audience.

For the Icelandic branch of the global rental giants Hertz (link to case), the need to digitalise was clear and very pressing. “Everything is going paperless, digital and into the cloud” says IT Project Manager Fernanda Menezes Caetano “and we at Hertz want to follow this trend.”

When they were looking for solutions, someone recommended Scrive due to a positive past experience and it quickly became clear that Hertz had found a match in Scrive’s eSign solution. Scrive already had a history of helping rental organisations digitalise their processes so they knew what to look out for and how to approach the roll out in the best possible way so Hertz knew they could put their trust in Scrive’s team. When looking at their requirements, Fernanda saw that Scrive’s offering fit them perfectly.

“We chose Scrive because they had everything we needed and anything we wanted to add, they were more than happy to work with us.”

When someone travels to Iceland, they don’t want to stand in line, waiting for their rental car only to then have to go through a thick stack of paperwork before they can get out there and explore the land of ice and fire. They want to go from signing to driving as fast as possible!

The implementation of Scrive has not only saved lots of time in the signing process but also when finding information. Whereas before a Hertz employee would have to find a physical folder and locate a specific contract therein, all while speaking to a customer on the phone, now it’s a whole lot simpler. The employee can look up keywords on their computer, tablet or phone, cutting down the time it takes to meet any customer’s needs in a timely, effective manner.

So what’s next in line for the evolution of the rental industry? Currently, we’re seeing the car rental industry start to emphasise the use of electric vehicles over traditional vehicles powered by fossil fuels. Electric vehicles (EVs) offer several benefits over traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, including lower fuel costs, reduced emissions, and improved driving performance. By incorporating EVs into their fleets, rental companies can reduce their operating costs, reduce their carbon footprint, and offer their customers a more sustainable rental experience.

Overall, we can find many examples of how technology innovation is playing a crucial role in shaping the future of the car rental industry. From mobile and online platforms, to smart sensors, AI, EVs, and autonomous vehicles, the industry is constantly exploring new and innovative ways to improve the rental experience and drive growth. As technology continues to evolve, it will be exciting to see what new innovations emerge and how they shape the future of car rental.

(This blog post was guest written by Salim Sayed)