TROY, Mich. -

Michael Taylor says travel suppliers have seen major challenges during the current challenging economic times. That has definitely been the case with the car rental industry, he said.

“Despite these economic headwinds, the major rental car companies have been able to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction throughout the pandemic, largely through great customer service and enhanced cleaning protocols to build confidence with travelers,” said Taylor, who is travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power, in a news release.

J.D. Power on Wednesday released its 2020 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, and the study ranked airport-based rental car companies on customer satisfaction. Ranking highest was Hertz, with a score of 852 on a 1,000-point scale.

Overall, customer satisfaction with airport-based rental car companies is 841. J.D. Power said that is statistically flat compared with 2019’s record-high performance.

After top-ranked Hertz, Enterprise placed second with a score of 849. Alamo followed at 848, and National placed fourth at 845.

As rental car companies focus on profitable revenue growth, productivity, cost control, and fleet management, they should also place a strong focus on serving their customers, J.D. Power stated.

“Rental car companies that understand their customers’ expectations and rental experiences are better positioned to target performance improvement initiatives that may increase overall customer satisfaction, brand loyalty and advocacy, and maximize sales,” J.D. Power stated.

The study, which also identifies strengths and weaknesses for each rental car company, is continuously fielded throughout the year. The study is based on responses gathered from September 2019 through August 2020, from 7,364 business and leisure travelers who rented a vehicle at an airport location from August 2019 through August 2020.

J.D. Power 2020 North America rental car satisfaction study:
 

Overall customer satisfaction index ranking (based on a 1000-point scale)

Hertz: 852
Enterprise: 849
Alamo: 848
National: 845
Industry average: 841
Dollar: 836
Thrifty: 835
Avis: 834
Budget: 818
 

SOURCE: J.D. Power.