After a few years of either declines or stable scores, overall customer satisfaction with airport-based car rental companies "surged" this past year, according to the J.D. Power 2023 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study.
During the August 2022 to August 2023 period, the average customer satisfaction score increased 14 points to 843 on a 1,000-point scale from 829 in 2022. The scores are based on a survey of 8,632 business and leisure travelers who rented a vehicle at an airport location.
A combination of stabilized pricing, increased vehicle availability and improved staffing contributed toward the increase, according to J.D. Power.
"The availability of the cars themselves is the thing that stood out to me and the positive effects that has, even though pricing has remained high," J.D. Power managing director of travel, hospitality and retail Michael Taylor told BTN. "Service has been a bit better, and it also appears staffing levels are better than they used to be."
The survey askes traveler respondents to consider six factors: making the reservation, shuttle bus/van service, the pick-up process, the rental car itself, the return process, and the cost and fees of renting.
All eight car rental brands included had higher scores than last year's survey. Each also had averages above 800. Last year, Dollar, Budget and Thrifty fell below that mark.
Enterprise took the top spot for the third year in a row with a score of 866, one point higher than last year. As in 2022, it was followed by National at 865 (up from 859) and Alamo at 862 (up from 837). Hertz at 845 (up from 836) was the only other rental car brand with a score above the industry average.
The average customer-cited per-day rental price remained steady at $91 compared with nearly $90 last year and $90.40 in 2021. Reasons for the stable pricing since the pandemic are the "lack of supply, increase in demand and the desire [of car rental companies] to accumulate cash to replenish fleets is really why the prices have remained as high as they are," Taylor said.
The original equipment manufacturing market has loosened, and suppliers are beginning to deliver cars to replenish rental fleets, Taylor added, after OEMs reexamined their selling strategy amid the chip shortage. "If you can sell to someone at a higher price, you will," he said. "That's why rental fleets got depleted a bit."
Though deliveries are improving, one note of caution, however, is the United Auto Workers strike. With the outcome still uncertain, rental car vehicle supply may again become an issue.
"Given the tight correlation we see between vehicle availability, price and customer satisfaction, it's going to be important to keep an eye on the UAW strike as a potential supply-chain issue that could negatively affect customer satisfaction during the course of the next year," Taylor said. "It will depend obviously on how long the strike lasts and what it does to current inventories of OEMs."