Lower prices are driving up customer satisfaction with car
rental companies in North America, according to J.D. Power's annual survey of
the industry. The survey was based on responses from 11,177 who rented from an
on-airport location during the 12 months beginning August 2016.
Satisfaction across all car rental brands rose 22 points
year over year to 826 on a 1,000-point scale, largely due to an $11 drop in the
average daily rental price. "Several other key quality measures, notably
wait times and problems with the pickup and return processes, have not improved
over the past four years, but cheaper daily rental rates overcome those
negatives for most renters," according to J.D. Power travel practice lead
Michael Taylor.
The survey reported that the average wait time for pickup has
risen two minutes since 2013.
Among car rental brands, Enterprise ranked highest in
satisfaction for the fourth year in a row, followed closely by sister brand National.
Hertz and Avis both scored slightly below the industry average.
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