An art form in itself, renting a car needs more than just skill. There is a misconception that because a person has rented cars frequently, they are getting the best deals. Getting the savviest deal requires some tips and tricks that many car rental consumers may not know about. With this article, today, we hope that changes will begin.
Let's use upgrades as an example here. When you decide you want to rent a car, the class you request is not necessarily what you are going to get. Unless you are ordering a specific special car, this will be the case. Now I will further elaborate on this:
A lot of time and money have been spent by rent-a-car companies to discover what their clients want. Knowing how the costumers will react to the ever changing market has prompted many studies by these companies. They want to ensure the most profitable use of their investments. What many of these companies have found is that most consumers just want to find a bargain. The rental companies need the clients to believe their company offers the best bargain. Which can be very tricky and many agents need the help of their computers to achieve this.
An important thing to remember is that agents at a car rental agency get paid an hourly wage plus commission. This means that they may not have your best interests at heart and are often driven by a need to sell. A large part of their income is from what is call the "upsell" of product from the rental company. An example of an upsell would be a ten day car rental with an upgrade like a compact to a full-size vehicle which is an additional $10 a day. Therefore the agent would be netting an upsell of $10. All agents are required to maintain a specific amount of upsells to avoid being reprimanded but most limits are set relatively low. Often if an agent reaches a certain amount of upsells a day they will receive a bonus or "multiplier". For example, an agent who averages a $5 upsell a day may make 1.25 times their normal commission.
Car rental agents want to sell as many rental upgrades as possible because of the manner in which they are paid. You can use this to your advantage and save money in the long run. Because smaller cars are easier to rent, agents will try to save this for "walk-up" customers - people who don't reserve a car in advance, and who are less likely to upgrade. Selling to these customers is different from selling to customers who reserve cars in advance because they receive a different kind of commission for their work.
Most car rental agents will attempt to talk you into spending an additional $10-$25 per day by upgrading from one type of vehicle to a higher class of rental car. The upgrade can be from a subcompact to any larger vehicle, and the quote will be the same in most cases. When you are in the market for a rental, make sure you know how the market has been going. Perhaps you would really like to rent a convertible, but the normal charge is an additional $35 per day over the cost of a subcompact. A charge of only $10 per day to upgrade sounds like you're getting quite a bargain! And, at least on paper, you are.
If you are planning to rent a car there are some things you should know. First of all, the car rental upgrade fee, ranging anywhere from $10 to $25, is not a legitimate fee. Rental companies use fees to make certain cars seem more desirable. For example, that convertible may carry a higher rental fee than a subcompact, but all the rental company really cares about is getting cars off the lot. The convertible makes them no money if it sits on the lot waiting for a premium price. When a car sits unused on the lot, the car rental agency loses approximately $15 per day. Have you ever noticed that the subcompact you booked is frequently unavailable? The reason is that the rental company often overbooks its most popular models so it can substitute other cars for them, thus getting more cars off the lot. So, in order not to lose money through inactivity, they will accept a lesser amount per day to rent that car.
Of course, many rental agents prefer to offer you a higher rate in order to up their commission. However, the low rate is a possibility. Renting at month end increases the possibility of obtaining a lower rate. One can often find an agent floating just below their threshold to receive a multiplier for the month who is more willing to give up their daily average to achieve the volume that could increase their commission.
One more thing you should know: any and every agent there can give you any car rental upgrade they have available - without penalty or risk. A gutsy consumer might try sweet-talking an agent, or bribing them with a much-appreciated gratuity or gift to get into an expensive car much cheaper than one could have imagined. You'll have even better luck if you rent regularly from the company. Agents often keep "naughty and nice" lists. If you can make the nice list - your future just might contain some sweet, cheap car rentals.
