First Car Rental

The Benefits of First Club Membership

First Club is the fantastic new loyalty club for First Car Rental customers.

Join First Club and experience the rewards of a hassle-free, quick checkout, the latest car rental news and amazing car hire loyalty specials.

First in Service : Groundbreaking WebCam Customer Recognition

First Car Rental is the only car rental company in South Africa that boasts customer recognition software to enable quick checkout for customers. With the new loyalty card, First Car Rental makes use of webcams, instead of swipe machines, to reward customers for their loyalty.

There is a webcam at every First Car Rental terminal and branch.

How to become a First Club member
Visit the First Car Rental website and fill out your details or rent a car from First Car Rental and automatically get a temporary membership card, which is updated to a permanent card on your second visit!

First Club Membership Benefits

White Membership
1.     Quick Checkout
2.     Latest news and special offers
3.     Free e-newsletter monthly

AMEX Cardholder Offer

Hiring a car from First Car Rental using your AMEX card assures you of our best service at all times with incredible deals pre-arranged with the best of class partners – all of whom are associated within the travel industry.

The AMEX Offer:
20% discounted rate
Free vehicle upgrade

As an American Express cardholder, we offer not only special discounted rates that are on average 20% less than any other rates on offer; we also guarantee a automatic free upgrade on the first four rental vehicles on offer

Hotel Express International

Hotel Express membership offers discounted rates for car rentals with First Car Rental throughout South Africa.

SAA - SAA Tours

For those of you that book your own accommodation, group and individual package tours including car hire, then SAA Tours is the place to do it.

Are you travelling to South Africa for the first time? Will you be exploring new cities and towns? First Car Rental offer additional rental services to help you during your visit to South Africa. First Car Rental, in partnership with Vodashop Rentaphone, can facilitate cellphone and GPS hire for our customers.

This useful service is ideal for people who are visiting South Africa on holiday or business. We know that when you travel, you may need a cellphone and GPS to help you find your way around and be able to contact people. By renting a cellphone and GPS, you will be able to get to your destination easily and communicate with friends, family or clients.

First Car Rental and Eqstra Connect offer a world-class direct transfer service, delivering door-to-door chauffeur travel at amazing rates with a large footprint spanning across major cities in South Africa.     direct transfer
    
First Car Rental's Direct Transfer service with Eqstra Connect is a professional driver service door-to-door or to and from any point A to B, including airport transfers nationwide.This service operates in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

First Car Rental is proving to be one the most technologically advanced car rental companies in South Africa creating world-class solutions in the car hire industry with an impressive handful of ‘first-in-industry’ solutions created specifically to save customers time and effort whilst also creating completely paperless transactions.

The latest in a string of technologically-advanced solutions, and set to launch at Cape Town International Airport branch on Friday 16 September 2011, is what is believed to be the world’s first mobile checkout facility for First Car Rental’s corporate customer base. First Car Rental’s corporate tier is aptly called Show & Go as this is literally what their corporate customer’s do – present their loyalty card and go.

The handheld mobile checkout devices allow First Car Rental’s corporate customers to checkout in less than 1 minute without going into a branch thereby ensuring no queues, no waiting and definitely no paperwork. The entire transaction from online booking to rental to contract opening to vehicle movement logging to closing off the contract after the rental period has ended, is completely paperless.

Says Melissa Storey, Executive Head: Strategy, Development & Marketing at First Car Rental, “We are very proud of this achievement as ultimately our business is incredibly customer-centric. This mobile checkout application is designed to save our corporate customers effort and time, which as we all know, when you travel a lot, as this market sector does, is invaluable.”

How it works
The renter walks out of airport arrivals using the shortest pre-defined route to the First Car Rental Show & Go collection and termination zone where their car is parked, bypassing the branch completely. A staff member is waiting within this dedicated area with a mobile checkout device to check the renter out by tending to a simple verification process - does this photo look like the renter. First Car Rental staff pre-prepares a check-sheet and walks around the vehicle with the renter to ensure they agree on the vehicle condition. The renter’s Show & Go card is ‘snapped’ by the device and the renter is voice-recorded agreeing with the check-sheet. There is no signature required. The renter is ready to go in less than 1 minute. At Cape Town International Airport the total time taken from Arrivals to checkout is approximately 3.5mins. This could take longer should a customer query specifics of the vehicle but on average this is the approximate time taken.

When the renter returns the vehicle, they park the car exactly where they picked it up from, which is the closest parking available to the airport and branch. They drop their keys into the Show & Go key drop safe and off they go back to the airport.

Comments Storey, “We have timed it so that our renters don’t have to. For business travellers, waiting around to be attended to is extremely frustrating, especially in peak periods. We want to completely remove this element from the car rental experience and get them moving to their destination as quickly as possible.”

The Technical Side
On the technical side, Firestring, First Car Rental’s loyalty platform provider, modified its MobiSnap 2D Bar Code Reader software to in conjunction with their own software solutions enable quick mobile checkouts for First Car Rental’s existing Show & Go 2D Bar Code Card Holders. The software, written in J2ME, runs on BlackBerry Torch 9800 mobile phones and provides our car handlers with mobile technology to seamlessly recall customer- reservation- and vehicle information directly from First Car Rental’s online reservation and fleet planning solutions as well as its operational system.

A secure VPN is established between the device and the server using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). First Car Rental’s Service Orientated Architecture allows modules to be added securely with ease, enhancing the customers’ experience through innovative technologies and unique First Car Rental business processes.

Launch dates
First Car Rental Show & Go Mobile Checkout will be available at the 3 major airports - Cape Town International in September 2011 with King Shaka International and OR Tambo International from October 2011.

How it all started
In 2010 First Car Rental began applying speed to the car rental experience with its customer recognition software rolled out at all 43 branches nationwide. The technology was designed to capture electronic customer profiles with photographs and the relevant legal documentation. This system allows staff to access customer profiles quickly from a central database to complete the car rental process without time-consuming repeat paperwork.

Storey said: “The new software dramatically speeds up the rental process for customers and forms part of a phased approach to a fully paperless rental agreement, fulfilling our vision of being the first car rental company in South Africa to offer a truly ‘green’ check-out procedure, which we have now achieved.”

The technology, coupled with First Car Rental’s loyalty card programme, means that customers provide their personal details just once. Their photos and details are captured and saved on First Car Rental’s central and secure database, and in future, clients simply produce their loyalty card, speeding up the rental process while they earn loyalty points.

Storey explains that the software was initially developed to drive First Car Rental’s loyalty programme in order to identify and reward frequent customers. Over and above flagging frequent renters in the system for additional benefits, the loyalty software also records rental activity so that customers can view their rental history and rewards online.

Says Storey: “We have now taken this a step further and designed the Mobile Checkout Device using this advanced technology, which we believe, is a world-first in the car rental industry and thereby living up to our name and payoff line ‘First Car Rental - First in Car Hire, First in Service’.”

1. How long have you been with First Car Rental?
It feels like yesterday, but can you believe that it’s been 10 years. Time certainly flies when you’re having fun.

2. What positions have you held at First Car Rental over this period?
I started off in our Sales department in Gauteng. Two years later, there was an opportunity to go into operations as Branch Manager at the OR Tambo International Airport branch. I soon realised that I had found my passion within First Car Rental and loved every minute. From there I was promoted to District Manager for Gauteng, then to Regional Manager for Gauteng, and now very recently, to National Operations Manager.

3. Congratulations on your new position to National Operations Manager. What are your main duties for this position?
Thank you! In conjunction with the EXCO members, determine and implement the long-term strategic objectives of our business. To ensure growth through directing and managing business operations activities to the best of my ability, and ensure these are delivered in accordance with the organisational strategy.

Vehicle Quality is one of the most important factors in our business. This means ensuring that each vehicle is rented out in a safe and clean condition, on time, every time.

4. One of the important issues car rental firms face on a daily basis is getting vehicles back into pristine condition ready for the next rental, efficiently and on time? How do you intend managing this part of your duties?
Vehicle Quality is one of the most important factors in our business. This means ensuring that each vehicle is rented out in a safe and clean condition, on time, every time. The only way for us to truly evaluate, maintain and improve on our service delivery is through continuous audits and feedback from our customers, and I personally encourage our customers to do just this through our customer services platform on our First Car Rental website.

5. How do you intend to standardise this customer experience nationally?
Knowing that good service is fundamental in business is easy to say, but I am committed to making this a reality through various channels such as open communication, guidance and a positive attitude. It is important for employees to know what is expected of them and why. I will measure this this by implementing various elements to continuously improve our service delivery such as customer surveys, audits and mystery shoppers; listening to complaints through our Customer Services platform, and sharing good and bad experiences by assisting and guiding our team to be the best at what they do. Through open communication, sharing and guidance we will be able to assist and train our staff to ensure that all our customers have the same outstanding rental experience on a national basis.

6. Service delivery – what is it to you and how will you transfer this to customers?
Service delivery is about making each customer rental experience pleasurable and memorable so that they always feel that First Car Rental cares about their needs and delivers high standards every time.

Expect the best and your employees will rise to that level. I firmly believe that employees model behaviour and will accept what we accept as the standard. Set the example for others and always remember, even when you don’t think someone notices… they do.

7. After a long winter and re-fleeting efforts starting, what will you do to put the purple passion & pride back into the operational staff ready for spring?
Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon”…For me, this means giving our staff the opportunity to be proud of their work; rewarding team members publicly for a job well done, and to consistently provide guidance and assistance to those who have fallen behind. We have to ensure that our staff have clear guidelines in terms of our expectations and acknowledge them for their achievements.

8. Finally, what is your commitment and message to First Car Rental fans and can they hold you to it?
My commitment to all our fans and renters, hopefully one and the same, is to ensure that our staff members are well trained not only in skills but also understand and fully commit to First Car Rental’s strategic desire to be the leading car rental company in South Africa and beyond. We are first in car hire, first in service and to settle for nothing less than being the best in both. I commit this to each and every one of our customers.

Yours First in Service
Adelle Nel
National Operations Manager

Drinking and driving is a subject that no one should ever shrug off or cast aside. The seriousness of drunken driving charges are enough to scare anyone away from driving drunk, but there are far more solemn implications that can occur when people don’t take their blood alcohol limit seriously; fatal implications.

Do you know enough about the South African drunk driving laws to understand how much is enough? And if you don’t, do you understand the drunk driving charges associated with a blood alcohol limit that is beyond what it should be?

Blood Alcohol Limits

The South African Road Traffic Act 93/96 has been in effect since March 1998. These drinking and driving laws serve to protect our community and to best treat the subject of drunken driving charges.

* The legal blood alcohol limit = 0.05g per 100ml
* The legal breath alcohol limit is less than 0.24mg in 1,000 ml of breath

What does this allow you to consume? Well in simple terms, 2 drinks over the space of 1 hour will put you over the limit. Drinks can be divided into units that can be further broken down as follows:

• * 1 glass of 75ml wine = 1 unit
• * 1 glass of 250ml wine = 3.3 units
• * 1 shooter = ½ a unit in most cases
• * 1 spirit cooler = approximately 1.25 units
• * 1 beer = 1.5 units or more
• * 1 cider = 2 units
• * 1 25ml shot of spirits = 1 unit
• * 1 cocktail = 2 – 4 units

1 unit = 0.02g blood alcohol

It takes your body 1 hour to process 1 unit of alcohol. Ideally, you should never be getting into the driver’s seat of your car after drinking any alcohol, but at least this way you can work out how long it takes for the alcohol to leave your system.

Here is a startling fact to catch your attention, as according to Dr Charles Parry of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Group under the Medical Research Council (MRC): 40% of drivers who die on the road have alcohol levels in excess of .08gms/100ml.

Local Drinking And Driving Laws

Any person driving on South African roads should familiarise themselves with the local drunk driving laws. We’ve summarised the drinking and driving laws for your easy perusal:

1. No person shall on a public road -
a. Drive a vehicle; or
b. Occupy a driver's seat of a motor vehicle, the engine of which is running, while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a drug having a narcotic effect

2. No person shall on a public road -
a. Drive a vehicle; or
b. Occupy a driver's seat of a motor vehicle, the engine of which is running, while the concentration of alcohol in any specimen of blood taken part of his or her body is not less than 0,05 gram per 100 millilitres.

3. If, in any prosecution for a contravention of the provisions of subsection (2), it is proved that the concentration of alcohol in any specimen of blood taken from any part of the body of the person concerned was not less than 0,05 grams per 100 millilitres at any time within two hours after the alleged offence, it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that such concentration was not less than 0,05 grams per 100 millilitres of blood at the time of the alleged offence.

Implications Of Being Caught

Perhaps you haven’t been caught drinking and driving; perhaps you’ve been “lucky” up to now because you think that you’re a “good drunk driver”. But what could happen to you if you ignore these drinking and driving laws and you do get caught?

If you’re found guilty of drunken driving you could be arrested and jailed for up to 6 years. You could also face fines of up to R120,000 and you could also have your driver’s license suspended. The other glaring fact is that you’ll have a criminal record which can make seriously hinder the successful progression of the rest of your life. The worst case scenario is that you could kill yourself, your loved ones or someone else on the road.

First Car Rental Stands For Road Safety

At First Car Rental, we believe in ensuring that when you hire a car from us, you are in the best physical condition to be operating a vehicle. We do not condone drunken driving in any way and we’ll make sure that we never rent cars to those who ignore their blood alcohol limit. While we can’t watch over every person who hires one of our budget or executive cars, we do hope that our patrons will have the common sense to look after themselves and to drive with caution.

Some good news for those of our patrons who are out on the town and find they’re unable to drive home; we’ve partnered with Good Fellas. If you’re a Good Fellas member you can call a Good Fellas driver to come and assist you without being in each of your contract with First Car Rental.

At all First Car Rental branches we believe in safety above all else. Please, drive safe on our roads.

First Car Rental is proud to sponsor the transfers for winemakers and TOPS Soweto Wine Festival hotel guests staying at the Soweto Hotel for the TOPS Soweto Wine Festival happening on the 1st to 3rd September 2011.

As the official car rental partner to the TOPS Soweto Wine Festival, First Car Rental is offering affordable car hire to the wine exhibitors and festival partners that will be flying from Cape Town to Johannesburg for the 3-night TOPS Soweto Wine Festival.

Held annually in September, the TOPS Soweto Wine Festival is one of the most successful lifestyle festivals in Soweto, and also South Africa’s first and biggest township-based wine festival.
 
Visitors to the festival delight in taking a wine class or two, tasting a wide range of wine styles and cultivars; interact with lifestyle brands in wine lounges and enjoy a meal in the food court showcasing Sowetan restaurants to explore a wide variety of tastes.

Read more on the Soweto Wine Festival at www.sowetowinefestival.co.za

Quick Q&A with Melissa Storey, Executive Head: Strategy, Development & Marketing at First Car Rental

Which date will E-Tolling be live?

There are various rumours surrounding this subject, but there is no definite date as yet – speculation currently suggests October 2011, but AARTO was supposed to be live countrywide in 2007... but we cannot ignore the gigantic gantries that have been erected on Gauteng's major highways.

What impact do you expect the new E-Tolling system will have on car rental companies? What challenges does this sector face?

Apart from the time and resources spent on the technical preparation for this project, there will be a huge cost implication to our existing business the moment the SANRAL project goes live.

Not only does it affect our customer's pocket and perception of car rental costs when collecting a vehicle from OR Tambo, but there are mandatory vehicle movements between ORTIA and our depot to ensure that our customers receive a clean and fuel-filled vehicle - so a newly built gantry between the Airport off-ramp and Voortrekker Road ensures that we incur a cost each and every time a car leaves from or to the airport.

Taking the only available side-road will put immense pressure on this secondary road, and most probably incur a similar cost to that of a toll fee when fuel, wear and tear is taken into consideration - what is worse is that the majority of the car rental companies are faced with this problem.

The industry will also most probably refrain from most delivery or collection rental products, as it will become unaffordable for our industry and therefore our consumers.

How will car rental companies collect these fees from their customers?

We have a seamless electronic process that will match the toll fee incurred for a specific fleet vehicle at a specific date and time to the relevant vehicle movement within our operating system.

There are various pre-determined vehicle movement types within our operating system, one of the movement types relate to a vehicle being out on rent.

Should a "toll fee date and time stamp" relate to a rental, then we will automatically bill the customer irrespective of market sector or method of payment.

How will vehicles from other regions be taxed for using the Gauteng freeways?

We will fit all Gauteng fleet vehicles with an e-tag, but SANRAL will also have a process in place to identify registration numbers from the camera images - staff that index the registration number in question, which will make the toll fee available on our SANRAL integrated system - these charges are likely to only be processed after rental termination and will therefore be charged automatically as a sundry invoice.

When the "“out-of-town" vehicle terminates at a Gauteng branch, we will fit it with an e-tag to ensure that any future toll-fees incurred can be processed as soon as we receive the electronic record from SANRAL, We would obviously prefer this charge to reflect on the initial invoice - but SANRAL's inability to process the volumes in real-time will have a major impact on this.

In Conclusion
We have to make mention of that fact that we are not in support of this initiative, it would have been far easier for authorities to increase fuel tax and proportion a contribution to SANRAL to fund road improvement and maintenance. The only reason why we are allocating resources to this "“project" is due to the fact that it will have a major impact on our business should the authorities decide to continue with their efforts to implement E-Tolling in future.