Customer Service, Technology Top Car Rental Customer Report
Record360, which uses mobile and Web-based app technology, has released the results from its first Car Rental Customer Report. According to the report, customer service and technology integration are top factors for customers evaluating rental car companies.

Photo via Record360.

Photo via Record360.
Record360, which uses mobile and Web-based app technology, has released the results from its first Car Rental Customer Report.
When looking for a car rental company, more than half of respondents (54%) answered strong customer service. Other factors that customers value include vehicles that are clean on the inside (51%), length of wait time when checking out (27%), not being nickled and dimed for dings and dents (27%), and vehicles that are free of dings, dents, and damage (22%). Price was the leading answer with 75%, but price is a factor that’s harder for companies to change, says the report.
In regards to customer service, respondents were asked how frequently they are frustrated by the time it takes to check out a vehicle. At least some of the time, 60% of respondents have been frustrated by wait time, while 40% rarely or never have been frustrated, according to the report.
When asked how customers feel about paper forms and pictograms to record damage, 89% responded that they don’t believe these are accurate ways to record vehicle damage. With a distrust of pictograms and paper forms, 44% of respondents worry that they will be blamed for vehicle damage they didn’t cause, says the report.
What would make a customer never want to do business with a rental company again? According to the report, terrible customer service was the top reason at 61%, followed by “they said I caused damage when I never did” at 51%. Other answers included the vehicles are dirty (40%), they charge too much to fill up the tank with gas (37%), it takes too long to check out a car (34%), vehicles are full of various damage (26%), and other (1%).
When asked how a company can improve the car rental experience, 51% of respondents answered a visual record of the vehicle’s current damage and 42% said time-stamping existing damage to prove it happened earlier. Other answers included a faster way to check for damage (29%), an app to better record the vehicle’s current damage (37%), a more accurate way to record gas levels (34%), an email record of the vehicle’s current damage (26%), and other (1%).
The survey was conducted by Survata research firm, which interviewed 207 online respondents.
Click here to download the full report.
More Rental Operations
Is It Time to Rethink Rental Categories?
As traditional economy and compact cars disappear from the market, longtime rental operator Mike DeLorenzo asks whether the industry’s familiar vehicle categories still make sense — and what operators need to rethink along with them.
Read More →
Who Owns the Rate? AI Is Creating a New Distribution Problem for Car Rental
Generative Engine Optimization asks whether AI can find a rental company, but operators also need to know whether the agent inspected enough of the market, compared equivalent offers, and presented a rate the traveler can actually book. (Part 1 of 2)
Read More →
U.S. Business Travel Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise Up to 2%
Improved fleet supply should limit pricing gains in 2026-27, while insurance, repair costs, and softer residual values continue to pressure rental operations, according to Amex GBT.
Read More →
Sixt Revenue Tops $2.4 Billion in First Half of 2026
Sixt’s first-half revenue surpassed $2.4 billion for the first time as demand outpaced fleet growth, lifting utilization and earnings despite weaker consumer sentiment in North America.
Read More →
In Memoriam: Bobby Klyce, Avis Licensee Legend
The longtime Birmingham Avis operator and 2018 Auto Rental News Impact Award recipient was remembered as an advocate for independent licensees and the broader car rental industry.
Read More →How to Build Custom Fleet Tools With AI and Vibe Coding [Webinar]
A new Automotive Fleet webinar explores how fleet managers are using AI and vibe coding to automate routine work and create simple operational tools without traditional programming skills.
Read More →
Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise 3.6% in 2026 Before Easing in 2027
Car rental rates are projected to rise less than airfares and hotel rates in 2026, then become the only major travel category forecast to decline in 2027, according to projections from GBTA and ALTOUR.
Read More →
Avis Cuts Fleet as Summer Demand Trails Expectations
Avis Budget Group increased second-quarter earnings despite lower Americas revenue and softer-than-expected summer demand. The company also expanded Avis First and advanced its autonomous fleet operations with Waymo.
Read More →
Why Bookings Are Only the Start of the Rental Day
A reservation captures demand. The operating test is whether the business can keep the customer, vehicle, commercial terms, and next action aligned until the rental is closed.
Read More →
This Is the Oldest Car Rental Advertisement You’ll Ever See
This ad for Saunders Drive it Yourself, believed to be the first car rental company in the U.S., was found in an Omaha phone book from 1926.
Read More →
