There’s a day in life that we’ve all experienced yet didn’t exactly look forward to. And that day is moving day. While there’s a level of excitement that comes with starting a new adventure in a new location, managing the ins and outs of the moving process can be incredibly challenging, tiring and time consuming – especially if you find yourself renting a truck to move your treasured belongings. You show up to the rental agency right as the doors open only to wait patiently in a long line, fill out mountains of paperwork and wait even longer to get the keys. Then you wonder if you could have started the process earlier with the help of technology to digitize an otherwise manual process…, writes STACEY PAPP.

Of the many benefits of living in a world powered by technology, increasing productivity and efficiency ranks high on the list, especially for rental companies. For those businesses that rely on a fleet of vehicles for daily operations, streamlining and modernizing the entire rental experience from end-to-end is critical to ensuring happy customers, smoother processes, safer vehicles, and maximum profits.

What does it mean to truly transform rental operations and how does technology play a part in creating a seamless experience for both renters and employees? We uncover three main impacts of modernizing and monetizing current rental operations, making managing rental businesses smoother and more productive.

Impact #1: Improved Customer Service Through On-Demand Reservations

The word “on-demand” is part of our everyday vocabulary. From streaming services to access to customer service representatives, most everything is available 24×7, making our world operate at a pace far quicker than we could ever imagine.

For rental businesses, offering on-demand rentals is a game changer. The ability to provide 24×7 access to technology means renters can reserve vehicles based on their schedules, no matter the time of day or day of the week. By using a customizable mobile app, renters are provided with a digital, streamlined experience with access to service anytime, anywhere. From driver verification to inspections and vehicle returns, having a more streamlined experience creates an opportunity to service customers faster and eliminates manual intervention, allowing for resources to be reallocated to where they are needed most.

Impact #2: Streamlined Operations by Leveraging Current Technology

When it comes to maintaining the bottom line, keeping an eye on costs is just as important as watching the profits. And whenever new technology is introduced to help manage overall operations, there’s often a price tag that comes with it – and sometimes it can be costly.

The right fleet automation solution allows for easy integration by extending current rental and IT systems to create a self-service experience for both renters and employees. Leveraging current infrastructure helps avoid costly spending on new technology as well as reduce the training time it takes to get up to speed on a new solution. And by streamlining current processes using the right technology that adapts to your business processes, you have the ability to reshape the end-to-end experience for renters, increasing customer service and maximizing ROI.

Impact #3: Increased Efficiency by Automating Critical Back-End Processes

Many processes come into play when renting a vehicle, no matter the type. These processes, which are often manual in nature, serve many purposes and are a critical part of rental operations, ensuring drivers and vehicles are always safe and roadworthy, costs are contained, and customers walk away having a positive experience every time.

Through the use of a fleet automation solution, rental businesses can automate critical back-end processes around driver verification, background and credit checks, signing of the rental agreement and pre- and post-trip inspections and reports, obtaining accurate data around cost-based metrics such as fuel levels, location and odometer readings. By digitizing the end-to-end rental experience, employees are able to help users navigate the process faster and easier while having more time to focus on other important projects and tasks that keep both customers and the bottom line happy.

In the next blog, we will take a deeper dive into the automation of critical back-end processes and the impact digitizing rental operations has on maintenance, vehicle security and logistics management.   

• Papp is Director, Content at Ridecell.