Work often involves travel, and a business may take services that allow them to move from one place to another, such as a need for business car rental services. But renting a car for business is widely different from personal use, and it can be tricky to make the most out of the investment.
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Business Car Rental
This article will provide a brief but informative guide on all you need to know and check before investing in a business car rental for your traveling needs.
What Makes Business Car Rentals Different
As mentioned, one’s experience in renting out a car for personal use is different when you’re representing a company. Generally speaking, car rental dealers take business car rental inquiries in a consultative approach; since these vehicles represent their clients, a more significant deal of care and attention to detail is necessary.
Working with a dealer on this allows you to check the technical parameters and presentation of the said car. Dealers would also offer additional features like GPS, corporate chauffeurs, and service packages to meet your business travel needs. As for your case, you need to ask the right questions and check little details throughout the transaction as you work with your dealer. Fortunately, here’s what you can check to make the investment worthwhile.
Contract Agreement
The most vital part of the rental relationship is the contract itself. When choosing a rental dealer, always consider checking the underlying terms and conditions of the contract. If some clauses are confusing or might be loosely interpreted, you can clarify these points to the rental manager and make some tweaking so the final contract would suit your company’s needs.
Also, don’t be afraid to take the time to go over the details and clauses as much as you need. This involves a significant investment from the company, and a complete understanding of the service agreement must be made before affixing the official signatures.
Security Deposit
As a general rule, the client pays a deposit upfront before using the said vehicle, which is returned after the end of the contract and possibly deducted for any damages incurred. Make sure that the deposit fees and terms are included clearly and concisely in your contract, as you must get back the deposits and make fair deductions.
Auto Insurance
Part of your check is communicating with dealers about the vehicle’s available insurance offers. A good insurance policy must cover the rental vehicle for unexpected damages and malfunctions. And if possible, opt for full insurance, as once you get the rental car out of its garage, anything could happen unexpectedly.
Also, ensure you get a separate reference copy of the insurance policy. The company must know the specific clauses and damages that warrant a policy claim when an accident happens and an insurance assessment is called for.
Check For Car Condition
Carefully inspect the inside and outside of a car for visible damages like scratches or dents and internal components like the engine’s integrity, broken switches, or faulty brake lines. The reason behind this, aside from general security and safety purposes, is that most car deals will make you sign an acceptance or acknowledgment letter.
Without taking such damages into account, the dealer might make claims against your company should they discover the damages before you. A good tip is to bring a 3rd party expert like a mechanic to check the said vehicle and make unbiased consultations about it thoroughly.
There may be a fee associated with this approach, but this is a better alternative than paying for damages before your use. Now that you’ve established an initial check on the dealer’s offerings, here’s what you should do before bringing the car to the streets and using it for client or executive travels.
Do a Test Drive
Be sure to ask for a test drive and have a general feel of the car’s performance over a short distance. Evaluate the ride’s smoothness and the brake lines’ effectiveness and note any weird noises or visible defects that might arise from turning the engine on. And as for any defects found during the test drive, they can be easily raised to the dealers to either adjust the contract price and make repairs or select another dealer entirely.
Document The Car Before And After the Service
Perhaps one of the best things to do before taking the car out for a ride is to ensure that the business is protected from unwanted and unfair claims concerning damages. And should your rental car end up in an accident during your usage, the photos taken will help with the insurance claim process and speed up the needed repairs.
Takeaway
Like other legal transactions and contracts, renting a business car should be taken cautiously and meticulously. After all, a company’s reputation and brand perspective depend on the assets that represent them. Hence, it makes sense that businesses take a detailed approach to evaluating business cars in the market.
The tips above allow for a smoother assessment approach, from business inquiry to contract to sign. With these in mind, along with your business requests or specifications, you will surely get the best service in the market while protecting yourself from potential issues and making the most out of your company’s investment.
