Renters Again Honor Enterprise Amid Steady Satisfaction Ratings

Car rental customers rated Enterprise Rent-A-Car the top brand for the sixth year in a row in J.D. Power and Associates' 2009 U.S. Car Rental Satisfaction Study.

Overall satisfaction levels remained relatively flat compared with 2008 levels, following two years of satisfaction declines. J.D. Power attributed stabilization to successful fleet management, enabling suppliers to better meet customer demands and decrease rental fees.

The study, which was released in November and now is in its 14th year, tabulated 12,900 evaluations from business and leisure customers who rented a vehicle from an airport location between September 2008 and October 2009. J.D. Power measured suppliers based on costs and fees, the pick-up process, the vehicle, the return process, the reservation process and shuttle or van service to and from the airport.

Enterprise earned a 37-point premium above the industry average of 733 points on a 1,000-point scale. Both National Car Rental, at 757, and Hertz, at 747, were close behind. "It is particularly notable that the three highest-ranked rental car companies in 2009 also have the fewest customer-reported problems," according to J.D. Power vice president of travel practice Paula Sonkin.

National, which was acquired by Enterprise in 2007, scored its highest ranking in the study's history, according to Enterprise.

"We took the time, care and thought to get the integration process right from a customer service perspective, even during extremely challenging economic times," according to Enterprise chairman and CEO Andrew Taylor.

Alamo Rent A Car and Avis Rent A Car scored a few points below the industry average, while Budget Rent A Car and the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group trailed further behind.