In addition to looking at the top line numbers such as the daily or monthly rental rate, the company is advising all van-using businesses to pay closer attention to other key areas including vehicle downtime, damage, and the presence of required features, such as Bluetooth and internal racking.
According to Enterprise, vehicle downtime is one of the biggest areas of concern for businesses that hire vans, so it is important to check that rental suppliers have truly national coverage – both for quickly accessing rental vans from branches and also, in the case of long-term rentals, for ensuring that the vehicles can be quickly and locally serviced
Damage coverage is also a vital area to check, especially at the end of a contract when incidental damage can lead to surprise costs. Customers are advised to check in advance how the van rental supplier manages damage recharging, both during and at the end of the rental contract.
Danny Glynn, head of Enterprise Flex-E-Rent, commented: ‘Renting a van isn’t a one-off, short-term cost as is typical with daily rental. It’s often to cover a specific project, which could be anything from a day to several years.
‘Most businesses that use vans understand their commercial imperative and know what type of vehicles they need and with what equipment. However, the tendering or contract negotiation process is also the time to ask about the details of managing vehicle downtime, accident replacement and damage recharging.
‘After all, managing suppliers properly at the start of the process will mean fewer headaches and unforeseen costs at the end,’ he added.