J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Enterprise Ranks Highest in Rental Car Satisfaction for a Second Consecutive Year
More Rental Car Customers are Topping Off the Tank Before Returning Vehicles Due to Increasing Gas Prices
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Nov. 15 -- With an improvement in five of six measures since the 2004 study, Enterprise ranks highest in customer satisfaction among rental car companies, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Rental Car Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.
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Enterprise leads the industry for a second consecutive year with an overall index score of 768 (on a 1,000-point scale). The rental car company ranks highest in rates/value; pick-up process; return process; and shuttle bus/van, and performs well in the rental car and reservation measures. Avis improves by 17 index points compared to the 2004 study and ranks second with an overall index of 759. Hertz follows Avis to rank third overall in the 2005 study.
Although the rental car industry improves in customer satisfaction in the other five measures of the study, the score for rates/value declines significantly. More than 20 percent of rental car customers rate the attribute for price of fuel below average (4 or lower on a 10-point scale).
The price of gasoline purchased through a rental car company is generally much higher than the average price at the pump. As a result, almost 80 percent of rental car customers fill the gas tank at the pump prior to returning their vehicle -- an increase of 8 percentage points compared to the 2004 study.
"Customers can pay twice as much when re-fueling through the rental car company," said Jim Gaz, senior director of travel and entertainment at J.D. Power and Associates. "Usually, customers will take time to get gas, but if they're in a hurry or can't find a convenient gas station near the drop-off location, they'll have to pay a much higher price."
The study also finds wait times for shuttle bus/van continue to greatly impact customer satisfaction. Once wait time exceeds five minutes, customer satisfaction drops by 69 index points (9%).
"Wait times are a reflection of the quality of service a rental car company provides," said Gaz. "Since service quality and efficiency are two key areas where companies can differentiate themselves from their competitors, it is critical that they do not compromise one for the other."
The study also finds business travelers are much more critical of their rental car experiences than customers traveling for leisure. Performance evaluations from business travelers are significantly lower in every measure of overall satisfaction except for the pick-up process.
The 2005 Rental Car Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 6,244 customers who rented a car at an airport location within a six-month period.
About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education and BusinessWeek. The Corporation has more than 300 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2004 were $5.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.
J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts: Karla Tucker Michael Greywitt Media Relations Associate Director, Media Relations Troy, Mich. Westlake Village, Calif. (248) 312-4344 (805) 418-8526 karla.tucker@jdpa.com michael.greywitt@jdpa.com
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