This Is the Best Rental Car Company According to JD Power
After a challenging period marked by inventory shortages, high prices, and staffing woes, North American airport-based rental car companies have finally found their footing once again. The latest findings from the J.D. Power 2023 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study reveal a notable uptick in overall customer satisfaction, driven by factors like stabilized pricing, increased vehicle availability, and improved staffing. However, with the after affect from the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike's still uncertain, the industry remains cautious about potential disruptions in rental car vehicle supply.
The post-pandemic era had proven to be a testing time for North American rental car companies and their customers alike. Still, the recent stabilization of key factors has started to turn the tide, with customer satisfaction experiencing a significant 14-point increase on a 1,000-point scale this year.
Michael Taylor, Managing Director of Travel, Hospitality, and Retail at J.D. Power, emphasized the importance of these developments, stating, "The post-pandemic period has been tough for North American rental car companies and their customers, but now that things have stabilized, customer satisfaction has started to increase significantly." Taylor also highlighted the close connection between vehicle availability, pricing, and customer satisfaction, underlining the need to closely monitor the UAW strike's potential impact on the supply chain, which could affect customer satisfaction in the coming year.
Study Rankings: Enterprise Leads the Way
In the 2023 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, Enterprise emerged as the industry leader in overall customer satisfaction for the third consecutive year, earning an impressive score of 866. National followed closely behind with a score of 865, securing the second spot, while Alamo claimed the third position with a score of 862. Overall, the industry's collective customer satisfaction score reached 843, a notable increase from the 2022 score of 829.
Methodology
The 2023 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study drew its insights from responses collected from 8,632 business and leisure travellers who had rented vehicles at airport locations over the past year. The survey was conducted from August 2022 through August 2023, providing a comprehensive snapshot of the rental car industry's performance and customer satisfaction levels during this critical period.
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This article was co-written using AI and was then heavily edited and optimized by our editorial team.
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Or is it that Enterprise isn't as bad as the others? Less mediocre?