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Car Rental Software Buyer's Guide
Table of Contents
- » What is Car Rental Software?
- » Is it worth investing money in Car Rental Software?
- » How does Car Rental Software work?
- » Before you choose Car Rental Software
- » How to select the best Car Rental Software?
- » Questions to ask a vendor when buying best Car Rental Software
- » What are the features of Car Rental Software?
- » What are the benefits of Car Rental Software?
- » How much does Car Rental Software Cost?
- » Conclusion
Car Rental Service has emerged as a new trend of business as compared to the past where it used to be geographically restricted. Even though geographical set back has not been eradicated fully, the nature of functions and the way of achieving it have been transformed tremendously with the advent of the internet. Nowadays, customers can rent a car just by sitting at home thus saving a lot of time usually spent on physical registration and paperwork. That makes online car rental service popular and Car Rental Business Software highly sought-after amongst rental companies these days.
» What is Car Rental Software?
It is a web-based application that can help you as a rental service provider to manage your bookings, running fleet maintenance and dealing with customers with ease. You would be able to run your company through a valuable management dashboard. The car rental software will enable you to easily manage online reservations, automatically tracking available vehicles, and setting up flexible rates for a different season. Fleet Management also comes easy where you can set up and manage vehicle classes as per your need. Apart from these basic features, the software application also offers easy reporting tools, integrated bookkeeping service and set-up protocols for cancellations, fuel charges, and other contingencies.
» Is it worth investing money in Car Rental Software?
If you have more than ten vehicles to manage, then car rental business software is worth considering. It handles a lot of manual tasks with zero flaws and hence can promise you increased work efficiency. All types of calculations including taxes, rental charges, toll fees and many more are calculated automatically and are displayed on a dashboard for transparency. Also, as all the information processed is secured through high-level encryption and requires admin permission for access, you can rest assured of data security. Moreover, as the car rental software brings your business online, more people get attracted, and that directly affects your revenue positively. If the build quality of the software is good, the ratio of returning customers will go up. It automatically runs analytics and targets potential customers through pre-input marketing offers for a high level of client retention. Data management is another cherry over the cake. Starting from vehicle and driver information to data on fares and cancellations, everything gets displayed at a single request by the customer. Thus, if you want to run a hassle-free car rental business with continuous future expansions, this software is worth investing in money.
» How does Car Rental Software work?
This auto dealer software application has been designed to operate differently under different combinations of inputs and situations. The presence of multiple application functionalities enables users to accomplish their tasks automatically without the interference of service providers.
› The working procedure is as follows:
When customers open the application, it gives them options to choose from. It will show them all the available vehicles present nearby with approximate fare details. Once they select any option, it facilitates them towards making the payment. It facilitates customers to pay in any format such as wire transfer, debit/credit cards, online wallets etc. As it processes the payment through third-party secure desks, both customers and vendors can remain assured of a safe transaction. Post successful payment confirmation, it auto assigns the car to the user and keeps a track on it until its safe return.
It also caters for new member registration and their profile modification. It constantly sends lucrative pre-input offers to make customers return to the application again and again. While car reservation, it asks for the details like pick up location, time, date of return etc and maintains the same in the database for future ride reference. Also, to help rental service providers further improve their service, it asks for customer feedback. The simple interface also enables service providers to add or remove a new car from the system.
» Before you choose Car Rental Software
Before you choose any such type of auto dealer software, it is important to have a checklist ready to quicken the selection process. Otherwise, you may fall into the marketing gimmick of vendors and may end up buying a not-so-good software. So, here are a few things that you must look for before choosing any software:
› Budget:
Make an intense market study to know the average subscription price of the software. The little research will help you put a good bargaining offer on the table to the vendor. There are many new market players who look for clients to enter into the competition. If you can select any ideal service provider amongst them, you can save a lot of money for sure.
› Number of Vehicles:
The pricing model varies according to the number of vehicles required to be managed. In case you have provision for expanding your numbers in the near future, discuss with the vendor about the possibility of the change of subscription, as some may charge extra for the same.
› Plan for Add-ons:
There would be additional costs in terms of support charges, custom integrations, bookkeeping as add-ons. Unless you have cleared about the same before, your future dealings will be full of surprises.
› Query for support system:
The application is prone to bugs and malfunctions. Unless you have a support team ready to take care of them on a real-time basis, your business may get jeopardized. Ask your vendor how effective their support system is and decide accordingly.
» How to select the best Car Rental Software?
Once you decide to purchase a software application for car rental, you would have to consider many factors. The market is getting filled with new software every day, and unless you know how to separate the wheat from the chaff, you will end up spending your money on the wrong software. So, in this regard, here are some selection criteria to be taken into consideration:
› Reservation System:
The software should be able to create an online reservation system on your website. Fortunately, almost all software applications these days are coming with the online reservation system. Though some may charge you extra for making the application mobile compatible, it is better to clear this out before purchasing the software.
› GPRS Tracking:
It is a must to have car rental management software to be integrated with fleet management systems so that you can keep a track on your vehicles constantly from the comfort of your living. This feature enables you to check vehicle data such as the speed with which it is moving and the location it is traveling on a real-time basis. Therefore, it reduces any chance of vehicle theft and ensures you about the safe handling of your vehicles. Also, it builds up the trust level between you and your customer as they know they are under a constant watch.
› Inventory Management:
If you have less than ten vehicles, managing inventory will not be a big problem, but when the number grows more than 10, the complexity arises. Ask your vendor beforehand about the maximum number of the vehicle the software is capable of managing with ease. This is important to discuss if you have more than one fleet location.
› Captivating Interface:
Even though you have cutting edge features to offer, if users find it difficult to use, they will not go for your application. Therefore, make sure that the car rental business software you are purchasing comes with the easy user interface. If the system is easy to navigate, users will not find any hard time using it. It will lead to more customer acquisition and retention without requiring you to spend much on marketing for the same.
» Questions to ask a vendor when buying best Car Rental Software
1. Does your car rental software allow auto check-ins and check-outs?
2. Does the system facilitate online cancellations of bookings?
3. How much time does the software take for booking a car?
4. Are there filters for an advanced search to provide the renters with a hassle-free and fast booking process?
5. Can the customers compare pricing within the software?
6. Can the solution charge dynamically, for instance, based on demand surge, promotional offers, or high seasonal rates?
7. How does the system incorporate scanning and verifications of customer documents, such as driving license?
8. How long can the software store documents in its database?
9. How does the software help me track my pending payments?
10. Does the system support multiple languages?
11. How does the solution process payments? How secure is the payment method?
12. Does the software accept payments in multiple currencies?
13. How does the system help me manage and enhance customer relationships?
14. Does it offer location-specific rentals?
15. Can the system display availability status and other vehicle information, like model number and maintenance status?
16. Does the solution facilitate splitting of the bill among the carpoolers?
17. Is there a way for customers to view driver ratings, experience, and details so that they are confident while on their ride?
18. Is there an internal messaging system?
19. Is there a facility to offer real-time updates and alerts, right from the booking to the drop and payment?
20. Does the software include a mileage tracking function?
21. What are the features to protect the vehicle from theft?
22. How does the system help manage vehicle maintenance and damage records?
23. How often do you upgrade the software?
24. How long will it take to get up and running with this system?
25. What are the security standards for data protection?
26. What is included in your post-sales support services?
» What are the features of Car Rental Software?
A Car Rental management Software application provides a number of features that make the entire process of booking a car easy for customers and running a business hassle-free for the rental service providers. It includes several features described below:
› Car Reservation Facility:
It enables customers to book a car online. Customers can visit the website or the mobile app to book a car of their choice. It displays the approximate price and if they go feasible with the customer, it makes the process for booking.
› Provide Alternate Options:
In case, customers are not able to find any particular vehicle owing to unavailability; the software displays alternatives available in terms of other cars or vehicles.
› Payment System:
It facilitates a hassle-free payment system for customers through third-party applications. It enables customers to pay in various modes (Cash, Wire Transfer, PayPal, etc.) and generates a receipt of the same for transparency purposes.
› Maintenance Manager:
If drivers feel that the vehicle needs repair, they can input the same information to the software, and it will process the same by coordinating with the management. Apart from that, it can also create routine maintenance and periodic check-up tasks and will make sure to check on them.
» What are the benefits of Car Rental Software?
A Car Rental booking Software is indeed beneficial for expanding the business without any hassle. Though the benefits of each software applications may vary from one another there are some common benefits such as:
› Hassle-Free online reservation:
The software enables reservation plugin to get easily integrated into your existing website within minutes. That eliminates the necessity of web developers in the long run.
› Automatic Tracking:
The software facilitates auto tracking of vehicles during traveling. So, you can quickly come to know about their geographical presence and smooth running of operation by looking at the map sitting in front of the computer.
› Flexible Rate fixing:
You no need to adjust your rate chart according to seasons as the software can do that with a single go. Just enter your fixed and variable service charges according to different seasons and the software will make the fare auto adjust itself accordingly.
› Fleet Management:
Customers love to know details about any vehicle before booking. Car Rental booking Software can manage fleet management where it will display vehicle details as per the customer needs at any point in time.
› Maintenance Plans:
It can schedule maintenance plans and can create repair orders periodically. Not just that, it can also keep track of the maintenance cost and the damages occurring from time to time.
› Easy Reporting:
The software will run analytics on various performance indexes and will display them on the dashboard. It will allow you to keep a track on the key indexes that need to be taken care of for creating more profit.
› Room for Resellers:
Few top Car Rental reservation Software in the market also provide integration for tour operators where resellers can create reservations and review their commissions without any hassle.
› Business Protocols:
With just a few instructions, you can set up rules for cancellation, fuel surcharges and other types of contingencies.
› Integrated Bookkeeping:
No need for additional bookkeeping also as the software is single handedly capable enough to hook into your bookkeeping services.
» How much does Car Rental Software Cost?
There are two ways to use this software; either by paying for the full licensed product or renting the software on a monthly basis. The price varies according to the customized functionalities requested and the number of vehicles required to be managed by the software. For instance, for managing 10 vehicles, you may be charged $50 per month and the same would increase with more number of vehicles. Also, the price may vary depending upon special add-ons such as Bookkeeping, Digital Signature, Tour Operator, Customer Login Portal and Fines Registration. Vendors also charge extra for support service which comes in variable formats such as Standard support (for particular hours of the day) and Full Support (24/7 assistance). On the other hand, the one-time payment would come around $300 per month. However, if it is your first time purchase of any software application, it is better to go for a free trial.
» Conclusion
Definitely, a Car Rental reservation Software would help you run your rental business smoothly; however, it is important to be keen enough while choosing the ideal one amongst the rest available. Look around for online reviews, take a suggestion from close peers and if possible go for a free trial in case you are not sure how much it would be helpful.