A new survey by customer satisfaction research and ratings experts Canstar Blu which looks into New Zealanders’ car rental habits has shown that Kiwis are a savvy bunch when it comes to hiring a car.
Sixty one percent read the terms and conditions in full before finalising any rental agreement, and it’s the young Gen Ys (65 percent) who are more vigilant about the contract than Baby Boomers (59 percent).
While just a third say they take a photo of the car before driving away, Gen Ys are more than twice as likely to do so as Baby Boomers, says Canstar New Zealand general manager Derek Bonnar.
“The majority of Gen Ys (51 percent) are savvy enough to always take a photo of the hire car before leaving, in case of a dispute.
“But despite their caution, Millennials are the most likely (28 percent) to have been caught out by unexpected charges upon return of the car, compared to just ninepercent of Baby Boomers.”
A small number (13 percent) of Kiwis surveyed choose to hire a car that they dream of owning, but it’s the younger drivers (24 percent) who are the most likely to get behind the wheel of their fantasy car.
Those from the City of Sails are the most likely of the regions (21 percent) to hire their dream car compared to just three percent of those from the Waikato.
Thirty five percent of New Zealanders are nervous about driving a rental car. Women (43 percent) are considerably more likely than men (29 percent) to feel anxious when they are driving a hire car, but their worry could be unfounded as more men (13 percent) than women (eight percent) have crashed or dented a rented car.
Gen Ys (57 percent) are the most likely age demographic to feel anxious when driving a hire car and also, to not be able to drive on unfamiliar roads without a GPS (59 percent).
Nearly half of Kiwis can’t drive in a foreign city without a GPS (48 percent) and Aucklanders are the least confident about driving abroad (57 percent), says Bonnar.
“Though men are often accused of being the gender least likely to ask for directions, they rank equally with women (48 percent) when it comes to relying on the GPS when abroad.”
The survey asked respondents to rate car hire companies across six categories:
1. Value for money
2. Customer service
3. Availability of vehicle booked
4. Booking process
5. Transparency of cost and fees
6. Overall satisfaction with the hire car company
For the second year in a row, Apex Car Rentals has taken away the top spot for customer satisfaction but is this year joined by Avis in equal first position.
Apex, an award-winning brand, took home five star ratings in overall satisfaction, availability of vehicle booked, booking process and transparency of fees and costs, says Bonnar.
“Avis was awarded five stars in customer service, booking process, vehicle availability and overall satisfaction.
“Both Apex and Avis have been rewarded by their customers for doing a great job,” says Bonnar.
Canstar also tracks drivers of satisfaction, which for hire car customers rank as follows:
1. Customer service
2. Booking process
3. Transparency of cost and fees
4. Value for money
