2009 Rental Car Satisfaction Study

Following two consecutive years of considerable declines in customer satisfaction, the domestic rental car industry appears to be making a comeback, at least in the court of public opinion, if not on the companies’ balance sheets. According to a recent J.D. Power and Associates survey of nearly 13,000 customers who rented a car at a domestic airport, renters are seeing reduced fees compared to recent years, contributing significantly to the increase in overall satisfaction.

The 2009 U.S. Rental Car Satisfaction Study reveals that the industry’s recent focus on containing operating costs by “right-sizing” fleets to meet changing consumer demand and extending the service life of their vehicles is allowing rental car companies to delay orders for replacements, thus enabling many companies to decrease their rental fees. However, in a number of locations, reductions in rental fees have been offset by increased excise taxes imposed by local and state governments.

“The rental car industry has tried to dissuade attempts to increase taxation on rental car customers and has made efforts to increase consumer awareness and understanding of these fees and their origin, particularly since these fees may be confusing to customers when they receive their final bill,” said Paula Sonkin, vice president of the travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “Customers can avoid some of this confusion by educating themselves about the excise fees and taxes that are imposed upon rental car companies in the areas where they are traveling. It’s also particularly important for customers to understand that these fees and taxes apply to all of the rental car companies associated with a particular airport.”

According to the study, overall satisfaction for the domestic rental car industry averages 733 on a 1,000-point scale in 2009, almost equal to its performance in 2008, when it achieved an index score of 734. In comparison, overall satisfaction declined by 16 points in 2007 and 17 points in 2008.