The rental car industry has improved customer satisfaction in nearly every aspect of service this year, but travelers said pricing satisfaction and overall value has waned, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Rental Car Satisfaction Study of more than 6,200 renters, released today.
The industry as a whole increasingly is winning customer favor regarding the pick-up and return process, shuttle bus services, vehicle fleet and reservations, but rental car customer find value lacking—especially considering the cost of refueling vehicles.
Enterprise, which in recent years has gained relevance to the corporate market, led the industry in overall performance, followed by Avis and Hertz.
Travel managers long have advocated travelers fill up prior to returning vehicles, and it appears more travelers are picking up the message. The survey found that 80 percent of rental car customers refuel before returning, representing an eight-percentage-point increase over last year.
"Customers can pay twice as much when refueling through the rental car company," J.D. Power and Associates senior director of travel and entertainment Jim Gaz said in a statement. "Usually, customers will take time to get gas, but if they're in a hurry or can't find a convenient gas station near the drop-off location, they'll have to pay a much higher price."
Although the survey suggested that renters have become more price-sensitive, the industry expects little relief in terms of costs for next year. As vehicle manufacturers increase fleet costs to suppliers, rental companies are passing the expense to customers. As such, analysts, vendors and buyers anticipate increases for both rack rates
(BTN, July 18) and corporate rates in 2006
(BTN, Aug. 15). Further exacerbating pricing, more local governments continue to levy taxes and fees on airport rentals
(BTN, April 18).