Electronic driver’s license control for rental cars – a key issue

Customer

Avis Preferred

Market

Automotive

Company size

Group

Country

South-Africa

Integrated into your processes.
Electronic object management for your best customers.

Avis is a global vehicle rental company with more than 5,000 rental stations in 165 countries. Award-winning service and a long tradition of innovation, coupled with the highest standards of comfort, have made it one of the world‘s leading brands in customer satisfaction. The Avis Preferred benefits program offers premium customers exclusive access to Priority Service with low rates and extensive loyalty programs.

Multiple object management systems from ecos now make the Avis Preferred program even more customer-friendly. Automated vehicle key issuing system reduces waiting times at busy airport locations

Products used:

Lockers

ecos webman

Challenge:
Connection to the existing reservation system

A new system for issuing rental car keys was to be introduced for the Avis Preferred program at several international airport locations. This was to relieve the company’s staff in the issuing and support areas. At the same time, Avis also wanted to create an improved customer experience by reducing waiting times.

Throughout the process, the secure storage of all keys had to be ensured. This includes the regulated issuing of each key to only the right customer. Unauthorized persons or customers with other reservations should not be able to access the keys not assigned to them at any time.

A complicating factor here was that access to the vehicle keys was always to take place only after a successful driver’s license check. By checking the current validity of each ID card, Avis wanted to ensure that its customers were fit to drive.

Another particular challenge was the desired connection of the new key issuing system to Avis’ existing reservation program. Employees should be able to operate the new system with as few changes as possible in the usual process.

Our solution:
Integration into the customer’s system

Several electronic drawer systems of the ecos drawer type were able to meet Avis’ requirements. The ecos API, which enabled a seamless connection to the existing reservation system, was decisive for this. The Barcode reader and terminal of Avis on the one hand and the system control of the ecos specialist system on the other could be connected with a bidirectional data transfer via SOAP.

Thanks to the successful integration, the handling of the reservation system for employees changed only slightly:

The process for employees:

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Customer reservations are entered into the existing AVIS System as usual. What is new here is the assignment of the vehicle key to an ecos drawer in the key issuing area.

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An envelope with the customer’s reservation data is then printed out and the vehicle key is packed in it. The automatically generated barcode on the envelope can be scanned at the system…

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… whereupon the electronic drawer of the system assigned to the reservation opens automatically. The vehicle key and envelope are placed in this drawer until the customer collects the vehicle.

The process for customers:

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In the meantime, the customer receives an SMS confirming their booking along with instructions on how to retrieve the vehicle key.

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Upon arrival, they scan their driving license at the barcode terminal. The confirmation of their identity automatically opens the drawer of their assigned locker…

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…and they can take out their vehicle key together with the envelope. The now-empty drawer is then released for the next reservation.

The result:
electronic driving licence control for each vehicle key

The integration of the ecos systems into the established reservation system of Avis could be implemented seamlessly thanks to the ecos API. With only minor changes in the daily process, employees can now perform their tasks even more efficiently.

In particular, the support system of the rental car company has been noticeably relieved. The automated driver’s license checks integrated into the property management system and the intuitive operating options ensure simple and time-saving working methods.

There has also been a noticeable reduction in waiting times. The main reason for this is the time-delayed and contactless handover of vehicle keys, which is made possible by the automated processes of the key management system. This means that employees and customers do not have to wait for each other and peak times are effectively relieved.

Customers in the premium area of Avis Preferred now have even faster and more exclusive access to their services thanks to the electronic key issuing system.