Car rental software from the cloud

Why do you need car rental software?

Whether you have 1 location or 1000, car rental software and fleet management systems are essential to running your business. Many companies provide these to the car rental industry – but how are they different and how can they support your growth?

We work with many different car rental platforms and this post highlights some of the things we’ve learned along the way.

NOTE: I’m going to focus on the benefits to your direct booking business rather than benefits through broker channels.

Beyond simple car rental software programs

In the 1980s your technology strategy was simple. You got a floppy disk with a car rental program, installed it on your computer and used it to run your car rental business. Things have changed – now your depots are always connected and so are your customers. Online has become the dominant booking channel (either direct or through brokers) and live pricing and instant reservations are a must.

How can you deliver these with minimum response time and continue to do so as your business scales? A cloud-based car rental system that leverages the cloud will support your business growth, reduce processing times and lower your operating costs. Do you already understand the benefits of cloud computing for your business?

Car rental management is changing

In an industry that becomes more competitive every year, you need to find new ways to market your product and retain your customers. It’s not enough to focus on fleet efficiency, you need to focus on improving your customer’s experience at every stage. How are you different from your competitors? Why should customers choose to book a car with you – are you simply competing on price?

Your customers are changing

Your customers are increasingly using mobile phones, tablets and other smart devices to meet their travel needs – including renting vehicles.

Do you provide the ability for your customers to access rental information on the go and view interactive location maps? Can they book easily on smartphones? Think about digital signage and touchscreen kiosks – how could they help promote your brand and increase your revenue?

Older car rental software may meet your basic car rental management needs – but does it allow you to deliver the experience your customers demand?

Choose a rental platform with an API

There are many car rental reservation systems out there but the best ones will provide you with an API (they might call it an XML interface or web service). Why is this important? It means that you are in full control of your customer experience. Your car rental software/fleet management system will control the core of your business but you’re free to create any user interface that you want – this might include:

• Fully responsive websites that work across mobile and tablets
• Smartphone apps
• Mobile check-in facility to reduce waiting time at the desk
• Touchscreen kiosks
• Web portals for agencies and travel administrators

If your reservation system doesn’t provide an API, you’re tied to whatever user-interface they provide.

Better car rental software lets you do better marketing

If you choose a solid car rental platform with an API, you have more control over how your brand is represented and the ability to improve your customers’ experience. A website that is optimized for conversion and SEO is essential to growing your direct business – but you need the core foundations to support this.

The bottom line

We don’t provide central reservation systems – it’s not our business. We work with car rental companies that already have a reservation system with an API; this is a conscious decision that means we don’t work with everyone that contacts us.

I’m not going to steer you down a specific path – but if you’re evaluating car rental booking platforms, ask them about their API and what it allows you to do.

On the flip-side, if you already have a reservation platform: are you leveraging everything that the API allows?

Our platforms can work with any car rental software.

Carcloud Web increases your revenue while Carcloud Messenger improves your operations. Which would you like to tackle first?