Does your work involve lots of traveling? Do you have employees that need to travel? If so, you may need to rent a car for your corporate needs! Having a rental car is highly convenient compared to having to wait for public transportation or lining up for a taxi cab anytime you would have to travel far.
When hiring a rental car, there are terms and conditions involved that would be best if you’re knowledgeable about it. So it’s best to have some tips and tricks on hand when hiring a car for corporate needs.
It Provides Great Convenience!
As employees of a corporation, it’s most likely that one would be too busy to drive themselves to places, even more, to wait for taxis. Therefore, hiring corporate chauffeuring services while renting a car would save time and guarantee satisfaction. This satisfaction may also motivate your employees to do better in their job.
Numerous rental companies also offer chauffeur services in the United States, which gives your guests the best services possible. However, if you plan on traveling to another country for business, like Adelaide, Australia, for example, find the best chauffeur Adelaide has to offer. These companies pay great attention to detail and clients’ comfort. So, if you have an investor or a VIP guest who just landed in the country, you can hire them for any needs.
Familiarize Yourself With the Terms and Conditions of Your Car Rental Agreement.
Reading contracts can be daunting, even for experienced ones! However, in the pressure of trying to ensure things are done quickly, employees might be tempted to simply skim through the terms and conditions of the car rental contract and sign without thought.
While it’s easier to skim, doing so might cause more adverse results. It’s also a big no-no when it comes to contracts. If you don’t want to be liable and get in trouble with your boss, ensure that you read the contract thoroughly a couple of times before signing.
Of course, just reading the contract isn’t enough. You should ensure that you understand and familiarize yourself with the contract’s terms and conditions. If you don’t do this, it won’t be easy on the company and insurance to cover everything to protect the company should something happen. It would also be easy to violate the contract if not checked.
In case there’s any item in the contract that you’re unsure and doubtful of, take the contract to your insurance agent so that they can review it. They can help ensure that your company is adequately protected, especially if you frequently rent vehicles.
Ensure That the Insurance Is Up-to-Date.
Do you want to avoid spending money that’s already an out-of-pocket claim? Getting an auto-policy can protect you from just that! The last thing you would want in your company is to end up stuck with an expensive bill, especially after getting in an accident with the car you rented.
Before renting a vehicle for corporate needs, ensure that the commercial auto policy you’re eying is protecting you for rental needs, and adequately at that. Check the following items to ensure your protection.
- Check your auto insurance policy and check if you have “Auto Rented by Employees” and “Employees as Insureds” endorsements in the policy. These two may be a separate endorsement on your policy, or you can see them in a carrier’s enhancement endorsement. Also, there would be slight name variations on these endorsements.
The “Employees as Insureds” adds your employees as insured, just like its name, while using their personal cars for corporate needs. On the other hand, the “Autos Rented by Employees” covers employees who rent cars for business. These are a must when your employees use vehicles in general for corporate needs.
- You should also ensure that you have “Hired Physical Damage Coverage” in your policy. It covers the damage that’s done to a rented vehicle. It would help if you remembered that for this coverage to work for rental cars, you would need comprehensive coverage on the vehicles your business owns.
So be sure to secure this to get full coverage for your company! You should know that these endorsements don’t typically provide coverage for replacement costs.
Take Pictures Before and After You Rent the Car!
It’s always recommended that you or the employee using the car take pictures of the rented vehicle before and after use. It may sound too cautious, but it’s a good tip and would save your company a lot of headaches. There are numerous stories about rental companies claiming defilement or damages after you’ve returned the vehicle. So, ensure that you take pictures of the inside and outside of the car to help defend you when the rental company exploits you.
Final Thoughts
If you hire rentals prepared, you can enjoy the convenience of having a rental vehicle without any stress and any nuances where the rental company ranks up some unexpected fees. Doing a little research, asking plenty of questions, and following the tips mentioned above can help you know what you’re going into and what you’re paying for.
