Customer satisfaction with North American car rental companies reached record levels this year, according to the J.D. Power 2018 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study.
The overall satisfaction score in the study, based on responses from more than 12,000 business and leisure travelers renting from an airport car rental location, rose to 830 on a 1,000-point scale, compared with 826 last year. That is the highest score in the survey's 23-year history.
Unlike last year, in which lower prices were the key driver of satisfaction, satisfaction scores this year also rose in the reservation process and quality of the rental cars. Mobile apps also helped boost satisfaction levels. Although only 30 percent of respondents said they used rental car mobile apps, satisfaction among those who use them was 58 points higher than those who do not, according to the study. "This suggests that efforts to streamline the rental process with technology are paying off, but study findings also show that positive interactions with rental car company staff can have a positive effect on customer satisfaction," J.D. Power travel practice lead Michael Taylor said.
Among individual brands, Enterprise remained the top-rated brand for the fifth year in a row, up 11 points year over year to 862. Hertz improved its score 26 points and moved ahead of National, whose score didn't change. Avis improved six points to 824. All other brands improved except Alamo, which dropped six points.
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