Magazine for the professional car and truck rental industry.
Issue link: https://autorentalnews.epubxp.com/i/236613
FACTS & STATS THINGS LEARNED AT THE 2013 AUTO RENTAL SUMMIT AN INTERNATIONAL DRIVER PERMIT IS NOT A LICENSE TO DRIVE. • An International Driver Permit (IDP) translates a license into a standard format and a variety of languages to allow foreign offcials to better understand the renter's driving privileges. • In the U.S., there is no national requirement for non-citizens to obtain an IDP. In Europe, they are more familiar with the IDP. • In the U.S., there is not a national requirement for non-citizens to obtain an IDP to drive. However, the IDP, in and of itself, confers no driving privileges and a valid license must be provided to obtain one. The renter should present a driver's license with the IDP. • A renter does not legally have to present an IDP with his or her driver's license unless your company requires one. The 2013 Auto Rental Summit was held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., Nov. 4-5. RENTAL AGENTS CAN'T ACCEPT LETTERS OF EXTENSION FOR EXPIRED U.S. DRIVER'S LICENSES. • It is common practice to accept offcial letters of extension for expired foreign driver's licenses with a new expiration date that is current. • However, in the U.S., DMV offces do not issue extensions on letterhead but require renewals be processed, not extended. Taken from the roundtable topic, "What are the Terms of International Drivers' Licenses and Military Licenses, and How Should I Treat Them as an Operator?" Facilitated by Leslie Pujo, LaPlaca Pujo P.C., and Sharon Faulkner, executive director of the American Car Rental Association. IT IS LEGAL TO SEND A RENTAL AGREEMENT TO A CELLPHONE. A ssuming that the renter has access to the full agreement (with terms and conditions) before signing the agreement, emailing a PDF is acceptable as long as the company complies with the federal E-Sign law. The E-Sign law requires that the customer consents to receive electronic FROM THE SEMINAR, "DEFINING THE PROFILE OF A TOP PERFORMER," BY THE FRONTLINE PERFORMANCE GROUP. agreements, that technical requirements for opening and reading the agreement are disclosed (such as needing Acrobat Reader) and that the customer has the right to withdraw consent at any time and request paper copies. Keep in mind that certain states still require paper agreements for law enforcement purposes. From the roundtable, "How Can You Maximize Mobile Technology for Your Business?" facilitated by Angela Margolit and Gordon Rozek, Bluebird Auto Rental Systems. Information supplied by Leslie Pujo. FROM THE SEMINAR, "INSIDE THE MIND OF THE CAR RENTAL CUSTOMER," BY DR. RICK GARLICK OF J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES. • The average monthly incentive payout for those identifed as "top performers" in car rental is $1,766.35, based on an average of 369 transactions. • When all four staff types (counter staff-return, counter staff-pickup, exit gate personnel and shuttle driver) smiled, 41% of surveyors said they would defnitely rent again and earned an 835 on the overall satisfaction index. • When hired, 42% of these top performers were referred to their current employer, while close to 20% responded to online posts — yet only 17% participated in three or more interviews and only 25% considered the selection process challenging or very diffcult. Some 31% of respondents held three or more previous sales roles. • When picking up a rental car, the 2013 average pick-up time was 16.8 minutes. And when returning a rental car, the 2013 average return time was 8.6 minutes. Statistics are from a survey taken on more than 200 "top performer" employees in car rental, hospitality, retail and call center operations. • Although the top reason for selecting a rental car company is low price (35%), the highest overall satisfaction goes to customer service (828) over low price (756). Data taken from J.D. Power's 2013 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study. AUTO R ENTAL N EWS January/February 2014 35