We all have been reading a lot lately about the future of the RV Rental industry. There are many interesting and different ideas about the demographics of tomorrow’s RV renter. They will most certainly be renting smaller and more efficient vehicles. It has been said they are more likely to take smaller vacations, 3-5 days in duration, and are more likely to stay within 50 miles of their homes. These are all interesting facts to consider when anticipating the needs of the RV renter of 2010. But what will tomorrow’s rental operator look like? What kinds of products will they need to offer in order to attract a younger generation of renters? What tools will they need in order to deliver these products efficiently and profitably?
As tomorrow’s vacationers continue to get more and more tech savvy, it is incumbent upon rental operators to meet the demands of their potienal clients. RV Vacations will continue to compete with traditional vacation offerings such as trips to theme parks, exotic destinations and cruises. Vacation destination options pose a dilemma for familes, as many will take only one vacation in several years. You can be sure that the vacation packages offered by resort hotels and destination cities are chalked full of imagery, selling the “Experience” to their customers online. If a RV rental operator of tomorrow wants to compete in that market, they need to offer a very clear and precise vision of what type of vacation a family will be getting for their hard earned vacation dollars. And some more good news: your website only has about 4-7 seconds to capture their imagination. Otherwise the shopper will be clicking over to Megahotel.com to see what time the water park opens.
Tomorrow's RV renter will expect the same ease of use in renting an RV that there is when booking a room or purchasing an airline ticket. We all know that in reality, the process of booking an RV rental vacation takes time, but tomorrow’s client will demand quick decion making options at their finger tips. Rental operators must look for ways to streamline the reservation and confirmation process. Online requests have been around for several years now. But tomorrow’s renter will expect a confirmation number immediately. And forget about faxing applications and rental reservation requests forms back and forth. RV Renters of tomorrow won’t go through the hassle of doing all of that. They want to see it, click it, and reserve it! So they can get back to their hectic lives all in a short amount of time. RV Rental operators should think about putting as many of the necessary forms required to rent their unit online as possible. Making it simple for the customer to download and use.
Ease of use, a quick confirmation process and innovative vacations can compete as an alternative to traditional family vacations, so long as the rental operator is keeping up with the changing demands of their customers. Good information makes for good renters. And the last thing you want to hear from your renter as they head down that highway is, “hey Jane, get me off of this crazy thing”!