It is not always simple and a bed of roses to run a business. As an owner of a car rental company, along with the high-profit margins, comes high risks of vehicles from your fleet being misused. Wear and tear issues could be fixed with maintenance and servicing, or insurance would be of help, but it’ll be a hassle if your vehicle has been used for any sort of criminal activity.
Since the ownership and legal documentation of the vehicle used for the criminal activity falls under the rental company, hiring a car has been the easiest way for criminals to get away from crimes. However, there are some ways you can avoid such unpleasant situations.
Documentation
Obtain all information and copies of ID proof from your customer. Maintain a system that will pull up all their information on your desktop screen every time they make a reservation and come to pick up the vehicle. For this to be an easy process, there are many fleet management software products that help with hassle-free reservations.
Do not rent list
Before renting out your car to any customer, check if their name is up on the “Do not rent list”. Do not rent list is a list that is maintained by car rental companies that blacklist customers who deem to be a risk. This list will show the reason for which the customer has been blacklisted, for example, if he has not obeyed any rules on the lease or have unpaid damages to the rental car. If the customer’s name is under the “Do not rent list”, all subsidiaries for the company will be notified.
Real-time GPS tracking
Criminals mostly hire rentals with the idea of abandoning them after a break-in to get away from being traced. Install GPS tracking feature in all your vehicles and make sure it is working without any glitch. Real-time tracking of your vehicle can help you stay alert if the rental car is abandoned or parked in an area for long hours. In case of any emergency or if unfortunately, car was used for any criminal activities, the GPS tracker will help the investigators to identify the location in minutes.
Brand your fleet
Make sure to have your logo pasted somewhere on the vehicle where it is quite prominent and visible. Criminals do not like to be easily identified. Hence, vehicles with company branding on them will be a step backwards to choosing your company’s vehicle to commit the crime.
Investing in a good fleet management software product will help you keep track of all your vehicles and customers efficiently. Navotar is one such cloud-based fleet management software that will help your car rental company’s daily operations. For more information about its features and benefits, navigate to https://navotar.com.
Regardless of all the precautions you and your company take, we as individuals are also advised to have an eye on the neighbourhood and be vigilant of any suspicious and unknown vehicles that are parked for too long. Observe and always tell your neighbours and keep everyone informed. If the police must be called, dial them up before it’s too late.
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