However, much of this content is written from the hire company perspective and will be quite new to most readers. This article is primarily targeted to house movers and those who only find themselves renting a truck occasionally. Anyway, here goes.
# Do not always choose the cheapest truck hire company. In this era of on line booking and price comparison websites it is easy to get a price comparison between companies. Unfortunately, price comparison does not take service levels and vehicle quality into account. When making contact with a truck rental company there are a number of questions that you should ask aside from the price. It is important to ask the rental company about the age of the vehicle that you are hiring. Ask about Fuel and mileage charges as these can be substantial. Also check the likes of Google Local Business Centre for reviews and additional information about the company
# When renting a truck, always use your credit card - not cash. A credit card is not only a means of payment but also is a buffer between a consumer and the merchant they are dealing with. Generally, a company with credit card processing facilities needs to adhere to certain standards. Also your card issuer can act on your behalf in the event of getting a defective vehicle or indeed non supply of what you ordered. Also you will find that many truck hire companies will not release a vehicle without a credit card based transaction. The credit card also operates as a means for the hire company to validate the customer.
#Always inspect the vehicle properly when collecting your Truck. These days, quite a lot of hire companies simply hand you the keys to a truck when you arrive and when you return. You should walk the vehicle with an agent and ask for instruction on driving, doors, fueling etc. Also check that there is a spare wheel present and full of air. Ask for any defects or damage to be noted on the truck and only then sign the contract. When you return the vehicle, ask for the vehicle to be inspected and any deposit to be refunded.
#If you can supply your own insurance do not buy insurance from the truck rental company. This is quite important. Quite often you can transfer you motor insurance onto a rental truck. This has two benefits. It saves you money and reduces your exposure to a high damage excess. Truck rental excesses tend to be far higher than rental car companies. The reason for this is the higher risk premium associated with truck hire.
# Know exactly what you need to transport. Most household items have a particular volume and weight. A double bed for example is a set size as is a dishwasher. By making a list of the items that you are moving you can decide with a degree of accuracy on the type of rental truck that you require. Having an inventory will also help the truck rental company assist you in your vehicle choice and specification. I cannot recall them amount of times that i have seen a customer arrive to pick up a small van to move their 3500ft house contents. The truck company is there not just to provide you with a vehicle but to assist you in choosing the correct vehicle. This may be your first time moving home but the truck rental company will have provided services to many thousands of customers just like you, make use of their advice.
# Ring before you book on line. A really nice website does not tell you much about a hire company. Pick up the phone and pick the representatives brains for a while about what you are moving and also make sure that the vehicle you settle on is going to be in stock. Many website booking engines do not have a stock facility built in and you can find yourself booking a truck that is not in stock. That is why many vehicle descriptions carry the line "or similar".
# Read the rental contract and ask any questions upfront. This is pretty much true of anything. When you are both collecting and returning your vehicle it should be clean and free of rubbish. The vehicle should be returned as per the companies fuel policy. Many Truck hire companies carry a punitive fuel surcharge. This is in-force to try to get customers to refill their vehicles. If the vehicle is expected to be returned full - return it full. These are minor things but they stop you paying a fuel or cleaning surcharge. That's pretty much it for this truck hire guide.
# How to reduce damage costs. It happens us all at one stage, we reverse into the neighbors car, hit a bollard or did not notice that low bridge. If you damage a rental truck, inform the rental company upon return. By being upfront and honest, the company is more likely to treat you likewise. Explain to the hire company what happened and ask them the best way of resolving it. As a hire company representative I can tell you only 20% of customers will act in this way and it really makes all the difference. The reason is simple. The guy behind the desk wants an easy day, having a customer in the office swearing blind that the vehicle did indeed go out without a front bumper is a stressful and time consuming exercise. Be honest and upfront and i can guarantee you that the repair bill will be less because you will have the respect of the person you are dealing with.
# The Truck rental company said i damaged the truck but I'm sure that i did not. The first thing to do here is to look at the contract that you signed and inspect the damage that you are being held accountable for. See how fresh it is examine if the paint is flaking. If the damage is substantial and fresh it is likely that you did it or that it happened when the vehicle was in your care. You can always ask to see the return docket for the vehicle when it came back from the previous customer. Also, if there is a video monitoring system at the depot, ask to see footage of you driving out.
# When it comes to price ask for a discount. At the moment all companies are trying their best to hold on to existing customers and also to get new ones. When you make contact with the truck rental company ask if there are any special offers running or if there house mover specific deals on. Also if you are a repeat customer, make the company aware of the fact. The reason for this is that a repeat customer requires less processing and attention, also you probably have a good track record with the company. They will be quite open to making a deal.
Added Extras, Insurance and cost are most factor to evaluate the good value of truck hire. Allincar also try to provide Truck Hire Watford all these thing to customer satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteThis would be so helpful to rent a truck! We have a huge project this week and the next for our gardening. Our neighbor was telling us that we could rent a truck for it.
ReplyDeleteSylvia | http://www.marcustruckrental.net/