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Car Rental Officer

Also known as Rental Service Officer and Vehicle Rental Consultant.

Car rental officers collect and deliver cars to customers; deal with rental enquiries, bookings and telephone calls; and carry out clerical work.

Car rental officers are usually required to work shifts, including weekends, and especially at airports. At peak times, they are required to work quickly and efficiently under stressful conditions.

They have a considerable amount of contact with the public.

Uniforms are often provided.

TASKS

Car rental officers may perform the following tasks:

receive enquiries from the public either in person or by telephone, take bookings and inform customers of the rental rates charged
book customers by entering details such as the type of car, rental period and planned journey into a computer or onto the appropriate form
check customers' identification and drivers licences, draw up rental contracts and process payments using a computer system
arrange for cars to be ready for customers at the rental office or delivered to their hotels or places of business
explain the controls of the rental cars to customers and provide them with directions and tourist information when necessary
check returned cars to log kilometres travelled and for any damage, enter details into a computer and present final accounts to customers
receive payment and return customers' prepayments
note any car problems encountered by customers and follow up with appropriate action
process overdue vehicles and collect additional payment
arrange for cars to be cleaned and refueled, ready for the next customer
collate all transactions into a daily report and balance the cash and till

PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS

strong customer focus
good communication skills
able to work within a team
able to work under pressure and with minimal supervision
good organisational skills
able to demonstrate initiative, good judgment and problem-solving skills

Interest Area

EDUCATION & TRAINING

You can work as a car rental officer without formal qualifications. You will probably get some informal training on the job.

Entry to this occupation may be improved if you have qualifications. You may like to consider an apprenticeship or traineeship in Automotive Administration, Automotive Sales or Customer Contact.

Entry requirements may vary, but employers generally require Year 10 and some prefer you to gain your HSC/ACT Year 12.

Additional Information

Once you are employed, you may be able to develop, and have recognised, additional skills under the Automotive Industry Retail, Service and Repair or Business Services Training Packages that will expand your career opportunities within these industries.

Car rental officers require a drivers licence and a good driving record.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Car rental officers are mainly employed in cities and larger regional centres. Employers tend to choose people with related experience in customer service industries.

Employment prospects can depend on the number of tourists and businesspeople visiting an area. With experience, and sometimes further training, promotion to supervisor or branch manager is possible. Competition for management positions is strong.

Other factors affecting employment prospects include the level of motor vehicle use; the amount of leisure time people have; the availability and usage of other forms of transport such as rail, air and sea; and the use and availability of public transport.