National Overview

National Car Rental is a car rental company that is recognized internationally. They operate in many countries and have locations in the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia. In 1947, National Car Rental was founded when a group of 24 independent car rental operators came together. They had 800 vehicles in 60 locations which formed National Car Rental. Years later, National Car Rental was sold and came a part of Enterprise Holdings, along with Alamo Rent A Car and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. By 2005, National Car Rental has now grown to over 2000 locations worldwide.

National Car Rental is part of one of the largest car rental companies, Europcar – a global strategic alliance. This alliance provides rentals to international travelers who are visiting North America. National is the official sponsor of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour since 1994.

Services Available by National

Unlimited Mileage

Unlimited mileage is included in National’s rental rate. Some one way rentals have mileage charges in addition to rental charge.

Protection/Insurance

Many of the extra protection and insurance options are charged an additional fee. Some of these options include: Carefree Personal Protection, Loss Damage Waiver, Peace of Mind, Personal Accident Insurance, Personal Accident and Personal Effects Insurance and Supplemental Liability Insurance.

National also offers a Roadside Assistance Protection for their customers should an emergency come up with the rental car.

Loyalty Program

In 1987, the “Emerald Club” was first introduced. This frequent renter program allows customer perks such as bypass the rental counter, receive e-receipts, have exclusive choice of any car as long as a mid-sized car was reserved , credits for free rental days etc. This program was aimed at making transactions faster for travelers. It consists of 4 tiers of membership: Emerald Club, Emerald Club Executive, Executive Elite and Executive VIP. Each tier has its own privileges and depending on frequency of rentals, a member would be advanced through the tiers.

The Emerald Club is a popular rental car company loyalty program. In fact, the Club received the SmarterTravel Editors Choice Award in 2010 and was named the “Best Rental Car Loyalty Program.

Reservation Process

National’s website allows online reservations. Reservations can be made, canceled or modified on the site.  When making the booking, options such as added protection, insurance etc can be made at that time.

Check-In Process

There are a few advances National has made to enhance the check-in process. The “Paperless Express Rental Agreement” uses information stored in the computer to speed up the transaction time. For Emerald Club members in the higher tiers, the “Emerald Aisle” was created. This process allows members to select their own cars and completely bypass the rental counter. These members are able to be on their way without filling out any paperwork.

For customers encountering flight delays, National will hold the vehicle until the end of the business day of the scheduled pick up date or for 12 hours, whichever comes first.

Delivery Process

The “Choice Rental Process”  allows all National Car Rental customers the ability to choose their own vehicle. In keeping with changing trends, National Car Rental started “QuickRent” service in 2002 in various locations. This service offers customers who are not enrolled in Emerald Club the ability to bypass the counter and go directly to the row of the car class that was reserved.

Drop-Off Process

National has employed a “Handheld Return Service” at various locations in the US. With this service, customers will be greeted at the car by an employee who will process your rental return. Customers get their receipt on the spot with no extra paperwork and hassles.

Conclusion

National rental company has a very innovative and well-designed loyalty program for its members. The program has 4 tiers with each level offering different perks. Some of these perks include: bypassing the counter during check-in, receiving e-receipts, choosing any car from the “Emerald Aisle”, credits for free rental days, and more. This program was aimed at speeding up all processes for travelers. The “QuickRent” program is available to all car renters and allows customers to bypass the rental counter and head straight to the car category that the reserved car is held.