Business travellers have high expectations for how hire cars
are cleaned between customers, according to a survey of 212 UK adults who have
rented a vehicle for work.
The research, conducted by car hire excess insurance provider
iCarhireinsurance.com between 25 May and 1 June, found nearly two-thirds (63 per
cent) of travellers want to know a vehicle has been deep cleaned before hiring,
and 62 per cent went so far as to say they would choose one provider over
another if they knew the cars were more thoroughly cleaned.
In addition, 68 per cent of those surveyed said they would
like to see a breakable tamper seal that proves the vehicle has not been used
since it was last cleaned.
However, this level of service is expected as standard, with
73 per cent of business travellers agreeing they would not expect to pay more for
a car to be deep cleaned.
When it comes to trusting hire car providers, more than half
(53 per cent) said they feel confident when booking a vehicle that it will have
been cleaned to a high standard, but around half (51 per cent) still wipe down the
car with their own products. Fifty per cent say they’re more likely to hire
from a trusted brand as they believe hygiene standards will be better.
Ernesto Suarez, founder and CEO of iCarhireinsurance.com,
commented: “Cleaning hire cars to a high standard is absolutely essential in
the current market. As business travel starts up again, hiring a car will return
to being an important form of transport for those travelling on business, so
car hire companies need to be proactively reassuring customers that their
cleaning procedures are robust and comprehensive.”