10 tips for organising car hire
If your boss is travelling to many different locations during their business trip it can be a lot more time and cost effective hiring a car for them. Many of your business travel agents will be able to organise this aspect of the business trip and will also be able to provide discounts if they book through their own preferred suppliers or through the airline’s preferred car hire company. If you are booking car hire directly for your manager there are a few things you should know first. Here are my top ten tips for care hire.
1. Book early
Booking car hire early can actually save a shed load of money. As soon as you have your manager’s itinerary confirmed the next step is to organise the car hire. The earlier you book the more choice you will have in terms of the car type and the costs.
2. Car hire comparison sites
In the UK there are quite a few hire car hire comparison sites which will help you secure a good deal for your boss. Car hire can be expensive so it is worth doing a little research before you confirm the booking.
3. Excess insurance
The car hire company will charge you a small fortune for excess insurances. If your boss is keen that they have plenty of cover there are stand alone providers for excess waiver insurance that are a lot cheaper.
4. Sat-Navs
In the past I’ve paid over £60 per day to hire a sat-nav. There are plenty of free smart phone apps for sat-navs otherwise ask your manager to invest in a sat-nav for the office. It will also come in handy for your other colleagues travelling on business.
5. The deposit
The car hire company may ask that a deposit is paid when picking the car up from the agent. Make sure your boss has plenty of space on their credit card for the deposit.
6. International driving permit
Anyone with a full UK driving licence can drive in the EU but this may not be the case in other countries. It is worth getting your boss an international driving permit if they intend to use hire cars on many of their business trips.
7. Emergency details
Always include the car hire company’s emergency phone number on your manager’s travel itinerary in case anything goes wrong and they can not get in touch with you.
8. Drop off fees
If your manager is picking up and dropping the car off in different locations expect to incur additional fees. There are some car hire companies that specialise in one way drop off car hire so again it is worth investigating cheaper options.
9. Pick up location
Ideally you want your boss to pick up and drop the hire car at an airport or major transport hub. If they are dropping the car off in the middle of a city make sure they know how to get to their next destination or organise a cab to pick them up from the office.
10. Check the credit card
With all of the insurance costs, deposits and fuel consumption fees it is well worth checking your manager’s credit card a few days after the business trip to ensure the correct amount of money has been returned to the card.