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

Rental Car Fleet Sales Show Mid-Year Strength
June gains ensured rental fleets closed out the first half of 2026 in positive territory.
Read More →
Surprice Mobility Opens Corporate Rental Station at Milan Malpensa Airport
The Milan opening is part of Surprice Mobility's broader strategy to expand its corporate operations while increasing the use of technology across its network.
Read More →
Brazilian Executive MBA Targets Growing Domestic Rental Car Industry
Rental car companies face a unique combination of challenges that are rarely addressed in traditional programs.
Read More →
Green Motion Expands Into Japan With Master Franchise Agreement
Japan's tourism industry, business travel market, and demand for vehicle rental services are reasons the country represents an important market for the company.
Read More →
ACRA Carrying Fuller Industry Load As AI and EVs Lurk In Future
The leading car rental professional business group details an active legislative, regulatory, and macro-trends agenda affecting car rental operators.
Read More →
World Cup Travel Data Shows Longer Car Rentals and More One-Ways
A recent analysis of FIFA bookings found varied demand patterns that influenced rental car pricing.
Read More →
A Leveling Force: AI Morphs Into A Rental Car Profit-Seeker
Revenue managers can’t match the emerging AI tools gobbling lots of data that could counter the competitive race to the rate bottom.
Read More →Stop Losing Money On Rental Tolls
Regardless of your rental fleet size and structure, fleet managers, executives, and owners can gain valuable insights into an often-overlooked area of fleet operations.
Read More →
Rethink The Future To Avert A Race To The Bottom
Rental car operators heard a sobering industry message and a stern challenge at the close of the International Car Rental Show.
Read More →
DriveItAway, Free2move Plan Shared Fleet Program for Independent Rental Fleet Operators
Vehicles would be placed with participating rental operations to support car renter demand and provide additional fleet capacity.
Read More →
