Rental Car Tips 0010 – Why I visualize my Customer Journey and how I act upon each stage

I’ve found out the hard way that the car rental business is one of the most complete and complex businesses around. Fleet management and practices that have been built and perfected for 100+ years are just a couple of aspects that make car rentals so amazingly intricate and, at least in my view, fun. Something I’ve learned is that our industry has many engagement points and needs with our renters, and I have broken them down by the moment in the Customer Journey, that is, in what stage of the interaction (or even before the interaction) are my customers and how can I best tend to their needs. This is how I visualize my customer’s journey and what I do in each stage:

1. The Journey Before the Journey

Most operators have this completely backwards. You think the customer journey kicks off when someone hits that booking button, right? Wrong! It actually starts way earlier, the moment someone begins dreaming about going somewhere.

Long before they’re picking dates or choosing destinations, the travel bug bites. Someone starts thinking about that weekend getaway, that family vacation, that business trip they’re dreading. And right there, in those early moments when the idea is just forming, that’s when our industry should be paying attention. But we’re usually nowhere to be found.

Here’s what’s really happening in their head during that planning phase. They’re weighing whether to fly or drive. They’re wondering if they’ll need a car once they get there, or if they can just take a rideshare or taxi everywhere. Maybe they’re thinking about public transport, or whether they can actually walk to most places. This is prime time for your brand to be part of that internal conversation. If you’re not there yet, you’re already playing catch-up.

Planning a trip – Artwork created using ChatGPT.

Smart rental brands don’t sit around waiting for customers to land on an online booking site. You stake your claim much earlier. This is where your brand marketing really pays off, where travel content partnerships make sense, where destination collaborations and route-based promotions actually move the needle. You want them thinking about your company as part of the trip experience itself, not just as some commodity they’ll comparison shop later.

And let’s be clear, this isn’t about slapping your logo everywhere. It’s about being a solution before they even fully understand what problem they’re trying to solve. Our industry plays a huge role in mobility and freedom, yet we constantly act like we’re an afterthought in people’s travel plans. If someone doesn’t even consider renting a car as part of their trip, we’ve already lost. Not just that specific booking, but our entire relevance to their travel experience.

The customer journey starts in someone’s imagination, when they’re daydreaming about their next adventure. If your brand isn’t present in that mental space, you’re basically invisible when it actually matters. Be there!

2. Becoming the Chosen Brand

All right, so now your potential customer has decided they actually need to rent a car. The field just got a lot smaller, and this is where brand recognition and perceived fit become everything. Whether you make it into their consideration set or get filtered out completely may not be  about having the lowest price. It’s about how relevant you feel to their specific needs, how much they trust you’ll deliver, and whether they believe you actually understand what they’re trying to accomplish.

Here’s where trip matching becomes crucial. You need to think like your customer thinks. Someone heading to downtown San Francisco with its impossible parking and constant traffic jams? Your compact and fuel-efficient cars better be front and center in your messaging. Family planning a cross-country road trip with three kids and way too much luggage? You better be highlighting those SUVs, minivans, and flexible one-way rental options. Ski trip to Colorado in February? All-wheel drive, ski racks, winter tire guarantees, these should be the first things they see. The more precisely you align what you’re offering with the reality of their specific trip, the stronger your position gets.

Your digital game has to be on point during this phase. When they’re comparison shopping, they should be able to quickly see your availability, understand your pricing, and spot the value-adds that make sense for their plans. Clear, upfront information builds trust before you’ve even had a conversation. But confusing rental policies, surprise fees that pop up at checkout, or unclear package details? That’s how you push customers straight into your competitors’ arms.

Getting chosen comes down to eliminating renters’ doubts. If your brand feels reliable, your offerings clearly match what they need for their trip, and if you show up where they’re doing their research, you’ve earned the right to be their preferred choice. If you miss on any of these, even customers who’ve rented from you before can easily drift toward a competitor who seems more tuned into the trip they’re actually planning.

3. Setting the Stage Before the Trip Begins

Once someone books with you, the dynamic completely changes. They’ve made their choice and committed to your company, but their actual trip hasn’t started yet. This window between booking and pickup? It’s absolutely critical for reinforcing their decision and stopping any buyer’s remorse before it kicks in.

I use this time to engage in ways that actually add value without bombarding them with messages. Your confirmation emails need to be way more than just digital receipts. They should anticipate what your customers are going to need. Someone booked a car for a winter trip to Tahoe? Send them information about snow chain requirements or current road conditions. Flying into Denver at midnight for a ski trip? Make sure they know exactly how your after-hours pickup works. Every proactive touch you make eliminates potential friction before it even becomes a problem.

This is also your sweet spot for offering upgrades and add-ons that actually make sense. I’m not talking about generic upselling here. I mean relevant, contextual offers. Someone’s driving the Pacific Coast Highway? Offer them that convertible upgrade. Heading into rural areas with spotty cell service? GPS rental becomes valuable. Traveling with kids? Child seat options should be front and center. When your offers actually match their trip reality, acceptance rates go way up and customers see it as helpful service, not pushy sales tactics.

Make sure all your pre-trip communication shows you’re operationally ready for them. Give them clear shuttle pickup instructions, contact numbers that actually reach real people, and solid reassurance that their reserved vehicle will be there waiting. A customer who feels informed and confident before they even leave home is going to start their trip in a completely different mindset.

The pre-trip phase is where you transform a simple booking into genuine anticipation. It’s the difference between someone who shows up defensive and guarded versus someone who arrives actually expecting a good experience. The groundwork you lay here sets the tone for absolutely everything that comes next.

4. From the Curb to the Keys

The second your customer physically steps into your world, everything changes. For most people, this starts right at the curb when they meet your shuttle driver or counter rep. That very first face-to-face moment sets the emotional tone for their entire experience. A genuine smile, some real interest in where they’re headed, and a smooth ride from the terminal tells them they picked the right company.

I look at that shuttle ride as way more than just getting people from point A to point B. It’s basically a moving welcome center – and the best way to start getting to know your customer to best serve them and upsell them where applicable. Your driver can field their basic questions, throw out a few local recommendations, and prep them for what to expect at pickup. This kind of engagement doesn’t slow anything down, it actually speeds up comfort and builds trust before they even get to your facility.

When they walk through your doors, greeting them by name and treating them like expected guests makes a huge difference – your shuttle driver could have already told you the renter’s name and some basic information: “Please meet Mr. and Mrs. Renter, they are here to go to their daughter soccer tournament”. If you can surprise them with something, maybe a complimentary upgrade or their car already prepped and waiting, you’re not just meeting expectations, you’re beating them. Your staff should already know the key details of their reservation so the counter time focuses on confirming specifics, not making them repeat everything they already told you online.

Every single minute from curb to keys is part of their experience with your brand. Slow-moving lines, confusing signage, staff who seem checked out, all of this can completely undo the positive momentum you built during the pre-trip phase. But when you nail this handoff, your customer gets to their vehicle feeling valued, understood, and genuinely excited to start their trip.

This is where all your behind-the-scenes work either pays off or falls apart. Get it right here, and they’re already thinking about booking with you again before they’ve even left your lot.

Kansas City International Airport – Shuttle bus rendering

5. The First 10 Minutes Behind the Wheel

The handover isn’t where your customer experience ends, it’s actually where it transforms. Your customer stops being your guest and becomes the one in control. Those first ten minutes behind the wheel? They’re absolutely critical. This is where they either feel confident, comfortable, and ready to enjoy their trip, or where they start wondering if they should have gone with someone else.

You need that vehicle to be spotless, properly fueled, and exactly what you promised them. This is also where their perception of safety really kicks in. Smooth departure process, clear exit signs, easy access back to the main road, all of this builds that sense of calm they need. But if their first few minutes are spent dealing with confusion or some mechanical problem, their entire trip starts off on the wrong foot.

I think of these minutes as your brand’s silent handshake. Nobody from your team is there to help them anymore, so the vehicle itself and all the preparation you put into it has to carry that trust forward on its own. When you’ve done your job right, they’re already settling into the drive with confidence, thinking about where they’re headed, not worrying about what might go wrong with their rental.

This is where all your operational excellence either shines through or completely breaks down. Get it right, and they’re already planning their next trip with you.

6. Driving, Living, and the Unspoken Touchpoints

Once your customer drives off your lot, everything shifts from handover to the actual living experience. This is the longest and most personal part of their entire journey with you. The quality of your vehicle, how clearly you’ve communicated everything, and how responsive your support team is, these matter way more than any marketing campaign you’ve ever run.

You need to track all those touchpoints that nobody thinks about until they become problems. Did you explain toll charges and fees clearly enough so they won’t get hit with surprise bills later? Can they actually reach roadside assistance easily if something goes wrong? When they call with a simple question about the vehicle, does a real person answer quickly and give them a straight answer? These are the small, invisible tests that show whether your operation actually works or just looks good on paper.

Comfort becomes huge during this phase. A clean car that drives smoothly and doesn’t have any nagging maintenance issues keeps them thinking about their destination, not your problems. Even basic things like having phone charging cables available or making sure the Bluetooth actually connects properly can turn a purely functional rental into something they genuinely enjoy.

You can’t ride shotgun with every customer, but you can build systems that quietly support them while they’re out there. Real-time problem solving, reaching out proactively when it makes sense, and maintaining a fleet that actually delivers what you promised, this is how you make sure the active rental phase strengthens your brand instead of slowly chipping away at it.

This is where your operational integrity either proves itself or gets exposed. Every mile they drive is either building loyalty or creating doubt about whether they’ll rent from you again.

7. When the Vehicle is Back and Your Renter Leaves

The return process isn’t the end of your rental experience, it’s actually the final act that determines how customers remember you. A quick, efficient drop-off tells them you respect their time and want to get them on their way. But delays, confusing return procedures, or staff who act like they’re looking for reasons to charge you extra fees? That can completely destroy all the goodwill you built over several days. Your team needs to close this loop professionally and clearly, making sure customers feel like their business actually mattered to you.

What happens after they return the car is where you really measure your lasting impact. This is your perfect window to ask for a Net Promoter Score (NPS) rating, find out how likely they are to recommend you to friends and colleagues. High scores tell you your entire process worked from start to finish. Low scores? That’s your signal to dig in and figure out what went wrong, fast. When you track NPS over time, it becomes this direct indicator of how well your customer journey actually functions in the real world, not just how you think it should work on paper.

Quick follow-up, genuine appreciation, and acting on their feedback keeps your brand in their head when they start planning their next trip. Here’s something most operators miss: addressing concerns right after drop-off can actually flip a mediocre or bad experience into real loyalty. People remember companies that make things right.

A rental experience doesn’t end when they hand back your keys. It ends when their final impression gets locked in, and that can happen hours or even days later. Handle that moment well, and you extend the value of every single booking way beyond just that one trip. Mess it up, and you’ve basically paid for the privilege of creating a detractor who’ll steer business away from you.

Rental Car Signage Rendering – Generated by ChatGPT

Embrace Friction, Because Strategy Lives in the Friction

Friction isn’t some annoying inconvenience you have to deal with. It’s actually a signal telling you exactly where your operation needs work. Every moment that slows your customers down, frustrates them, or makes them ask questions they shouldn’t have to ask is revealing weaknesses in your training, your processes, your technology, or how you communicate. These are also the exact spots where your competitors can jump ahead of you if you’re not paying attention.

I look at friction points, and when I do, I’m not trying to figure out who made a mistake. I’m looking for patterns that tell me what’s really broken. Customers constantly complaining about confusing toll policies? That’s not a customer education problem, that’s a systems problem. Long lines at your counter during busy periods? That’s not bad luck with scheduling, that’s a resource allocation issue you need to fix or processes that can be fixed or improved on. The more precisely I can map out these friction points across the entire customer journey, the better I can decide where to spend money, where to redesign processes, or where to innovate completely.

Every single point of customer discomfort is basically a strategic opportunity. Fix it, and the whole journey becomes smoother, more predictable, and more profitable for you. Ignore it, and it grows into this reputational liability that no amount of marketing spend can overcome. The smartest operators I know don’t run away from friction, they mine it for insights that keep their business competitive and their customers loyal.

Here’s the thing: your customers are doing free consulting work for you every time they hit a snag in your process. The question is whether you’re actually listening and acting on what they’re telling you.