More than a third of travel agents say they are unfamiliar with selling car hire, according to a survey by Holiday Extras.
The main reasons why 35% of agents were put off selling the add-on was a lack of confidence in terminology and hidden costs, which respondents said could spoil the overall holiday booking process.
Car hire provider Holiday Extras has now released its five top tips for agents to give to customers in a bid to help them sell more rental add-ons:
1: Avoid fuel charges
Always look for the ‘full to full’ refuelling option where available – this cuts out any possible extra charges when you customer collects the car. If the ‘full to empty’ alternative is selected, customers may be charged an extra fee by the provider for the service of re-fuelling, which can be up to three times the cost of fuel.
2: Choose the right insurance
To avoid your customer paying out in case of damage, make sure they arrange sufficient cover in advance of the journey.
3: Beware of mileage caps and one-way fees
In certain locations, such as Portugal, some suppliers cap mileage and there may be charges for returning the car to a different destination from your pick-up point.
4: Make sure the car is a match
Know exactly how many people are travelling before and how much luggage you’ll have before booking to avoid expectations not being met or having to pay for an upgrade on arrival.
Booking in advance reduces the chance of a customer’s preferred car being unavailable as it is common that exact cars of choice are not always guaranteed.
5: Get snap happy
Holiday Extras recommends that customers fully assess the car before setting off by photographing it from all angles to be sure that existing damage won’t wrongly be attributed to customers when the car is returned.