Dealers Company news South Africa

Righting the wrongs of car rental

The Woodford Group has been on a drive to bring mobility and service excellence to everyday South Africans in a way that improves lives and enhances lifestyles. Its premier division, Woodford Car Hire is taking this mission to heart by addressing some of the most common frustrations and complaints in the industry.
Righting the wrongs of car rental

Receiving complaints is normal in just about any business, but in the realm of car rental, there seems to be a pattern. Just look at any feedback or review aggregator and you're likely to find the same gripes, the same issues, and the same sense of dissatisfaction from renters.

In a move driven by Woodford's dedication to customer service excellence, South Africa's highest rated car rental company is saying "no more".

In a message to Woodford's customer base launching a new initiative, the Group's managing director, Essa Suleman wrote: "We know where your frustrations lie when it comes to car hire. We know the industry is broken when it comes to its problems and perhaps it seems that no one cares, but it's something we take personally at Woodford. We simply want to make it right."

Transparency, reliability and accountability are the key words in Woodford's latest campaign that is centred around the goal of zero complaints.

And the campaign isn't just about empty promises. Woodford Car Hire has established five central points to reach this seemingly impossible goal of no complaints: taking responsibility, communicating clearly, being transparent, taking ownership, and maintaining integrity. These points come to life by combatting everyday complaints that usually are left to fester.

For example, undocumented damages are something that unfortunately do occur and can be seen as a way to charge customers for damage they had nothing to do with. Falling under the tenet of transparency, Woodford will not be billing their customers for damages that were not documented or pointed out to them during the inspection.

Woodford will also be upfront and honest to their clients with a 'no fine print and no hidden cost' policy. To achieve this, clients are informed of potential charges that may occur during their rental, with an added option of an all-inclusive package that provides no surprises.

One major change that Woodford has enforced is ensuring that their staff uphold an unwavering sense of ethics when dealing with customers – no lies, no passing on responsibility and a commitment to dealing with queries on the turn.

The fundamental aim of this campaign is to ensure that customers feel more comfortable when renting vehicles, and not have to live with any fears or concerns whilst doing so. This means cutting out any chance of issues, and being proactive if or when they may arise. "Woodford is committed to getting rid of these issues completely. We're aiming for 100% satisfaction and zero complaints, and while we know that there will still be mistakes, we are going to make sure that they are the exceptions and not the norm," says Suleman.

The initiative represents the shift in thinking by the Group as a whole and a drive to change the face of the car rental industry, and Woodford has no plans to hit the brakes anytime soon.

As Suleman explains: "Overall, what we've implemented at Woodford Car Hire isn't groundbreaking, but we have committed ourselves to mastering these elements," he says. "We've been guided by this vision of mobility in everything we do and our promise is that we'll provide you with a perfect and positive experience."

The campaign has already received positive feedback from clients (take a look at a few at https://www.hellopeter.com/woodford-car-hire). Woodford Car Hire was already the highest rated car rental in South Africa, but the plan is to dominate every aspect of car rental by providing exceptional service and taking mobility to the next level.

Woodford Car Hire is aiming for zero complaints when it comes to car rental. Put us to the test: www.woodford.co.za.

Woodford Group
The Woodford Group is a progressive, grassroots company that maintains a standard for excellence while consistently expanding horizons through technology, customer experiences, service level quality and social and environmental responsibility.
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