Every year, the car rental service is becoming more common than exclusive. It is chosen by those who value comfort, affordability, and convenience. Given that this direction is gaining momentum, and therefore an increase in customers is expected – the car rental industry is quite profitable for those who want to start their own business. You can create a car rental company from scratch. In this case, you will be responsible for the development of all aspects of the company – from naming to marketing. Others choose to start a car rental business with the help of a franchise. In this case, a large franchising company undertakes to provide a package of necessary services, including name, design, marketing, and even a car rental booking system.
What is car booking software?
Car rental booking software is a web-based booking system that allows end-users to check vehicle availability and make real-time reservations. The company owner, in turn, can easily accept online reservations. This program is the best solution for a car rental business. The set of functions may vary depending on the services provided and the scale of the company.
Car rental booking software usually includes the following features: rental monitoring, driver management, display of the location of all vehicles in the fleet, invoicing, and report generation. In addition, the program can be used to set up interactions with auto repair shops and garages to contact them when there is a need to repair a car. Car theft prevention, location mapping, vehicle expense tracking, and even real-time availability reporting can also be integrated into car rental software.
For the company manager, such software is an additional help and insurance. Even if they are not physically present in the office, they can see all work processes online and react to and correct any unforeseen situations. Car rental software allows businesses to customize their operations with maximum customer loyalty and convenience, which helps to achieve sales growth.
What are the benefits of using car rental software?
Effectively managing a fleet of vehicles is impossible without specialized software. This is especially true as businesses expand and managers are burdened with additional responsibilities. Such software is the most common and straightforward way to manually input data about your company. However, more often than not, a certain set of functions should already be included in the system. Of course, it is possible to find a company that will develop software specifically for your rental firm. But today there is already a large amount of software available with all the necessary tools.
When choosing car rental software, you gain a number of advantages:
- Reports on vehicle history
- Customer database
- Payment processing
- Inventory
- Driver’s license verification
- Tracking of available vehicles
- GPS module for tracking
- Online payment
- Accounting
- Digital signature.
In addition to the visible physical benefits, a car rental booking engine can also satisfy other company needs:
- Convenience and time-saving compared to paper-based data management;
- Accuracy of records about your car fleet, making day-to-day work smooth and easy;
- Quality standards regarding car maintenance. In case of damage caused by the driver, you have evidence of your non-involvement in it;
- Scalability. The program adjusts depending on the size of your car fleet and available company services;
- Software maintenance does not require additional costs – everything is included in the price;
- Regular updates that correspond to new technologies, which can be done automatically;
- Fewer employees needed to service the car fleet, allowing for savings on hiring workers;
- Increased efficiency due to time saved on performing routine tasks.
Is it safe for personal data?
A very important criterion when implementing a car booking program is its security. Software is often developed with built-in security features to protect confidential data, such as payment card numbers. This gives customers peace of mind and increases the likelihood that they will prefer your company due to the presence of this software.
Therefore, before choosing software, pay special attention to the following point: ask the company what security measures they use to protect your data. First and foremost, find out where the company stores data from the software. Popular and reputable car rental program manufacturers place data on their own servers, to which only they have access. In addition, important criteria when choosing a car booking management system include assistance with setup, training in the client’s language, and the availability of a professional support service.
Support
Even if you choose the best car rental software, you will need the assistance of the support team. They will always advise you on how to set up the necessary tools and enable you to use the software correctly. Budget software does not have built-in support, but you can order this service for an additional fee.
Before choosing a specific software for your company, find out in advance the cost of maintaining the support department, and make sure there are no hidden fees. However, don’t choose the cheapest option available. Quality software is an investment in the future of your company. It is also necessary to check the quality of the support team’s work, their response time and the competence of their response. To do this, simply call or write to them
