Enterprise ranks highest among leisure rentals by earning the highest scores in four out of the five factors that comprise overall customer satisfaction: pick-up process, rates/values, return process and reservation process. National follows Enterprise among leisure renters and performs very well in the measures that address the performance, cleanliness and features of the vehicles.
"Good service and the attitude of employees make the difference," said Taylor. "Once again, survey respondents tell us that employees at Enterprise are exceptionally motivated to please the customer, and that attitude is reflected in the survey results."
The study also shows that the number of problems reported by auto renters is down significantly, further reflecting efforts by rental car companies to improve their customer service. In addition, use of the Internet in the car rental process is growing, with nearly one-quarter of leisure renters now making their reservations online.
The study, now in its sixth year, is based on more than 2,900 evaluations from a random national sample of rental car customers who picked up or returned their rental cars to locations at or near airports. Eight major rental car companies were included in the study: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty. Dollar, Enterprise and Thrifty were not included in the business-rental ranking due to insufficient sample.