6 tips to make the walk through an enjoyable and constructive moment for your clients

Let's face it, the walk through is not necessarily an enjoyable part of the rental experience. Neither for you, nor for your renters. It is however, essential for your renter's trip to go well and to reduce the likelihood of problems on the trip or damage to the RV. It's important to be taken seriously but you could still have fun with it. That will make it more interesting and they're likely to pay attention. Here's a few tips on how can we do it:

1. Plan it and take your time

It is important to take the time to do them properly.

1. Block the time slot in your schedule and allow enough time to go through the inventory! Avoid improvised inventories... A well-prepared checklist will be more professional, faster and more efficient.

2. You must block the appointment but so must your renters... Be insistent on the time, the duration of the inspection and its importance.

On this second point, Wheelbase allows you to optimize your customer experience while saving time: you can customize and schedule emails to be sent a few days before departure to remind your customers of some important information: "It's almost time to leave! Meet us on XX/XX at XX:XX at our agency. Plan at least one hour for the walk though and vehicle handoff"...

A well-prepared schedule will avoid botched walk-throughs, done in a hurry, without really taking charge of the vehicle or the equipment. Poorly done walk throughs often cause complications and increase the chances that the rental will not go well.

2. With a smile and a good mood

It will probably be a little more fun with a smile, a good mood and some well placed jokes (if you're that's in your wheelhouse).

3. Master the art of the walk around

Establish a "process" to make your inspections smoother, more efficient, and more accurate. Make a plan that you systematically go over the same points with the renter, with possibly some variations if your fleet is composed of different categories of vehicles.
Just be careful, once these become automatic and routine, we sometimes act less diligently and let things fall through the cracks. So think about creating your own checklist to avoid forgetting anything while being efficient. Having a schedule to follow can be an effective ally.

4. Be a good listener

Open the floor, let your renters speak! Encourage them to ask questions. It's a great time to ask questions. It will build their confidence and give them maximum information. What seems obvious to us is not obvious to others (remember the first time you got into a motorhome?).
The more you answer the questions of the renters, the more you reduce the risk of having problems later. Take the time and listen!

5. Be generous with tips & tricks

The walk through is the time to share your experience and your expertise. You know your vehicles and your area better than anyone else, so let your renters benefit from it. Whether it's technical tips and tricks on the vehicle or tourist tips on must-see places in the area, let it all out! Your renters will be grateful. And here again, the more you arm your renters with advice and information, the more comfortable they will be when they leave and the more you will limit the risks of bad surprises!

6. A little "welcome pack"?

Start (or end) your walk through with a gift... A sort of "welcome pack" to give to your renters as a welcome. Have a little something for your renters, they will appreciate it and it creates an instant bond with them. Their rental experience will start on a good note.
In this welcome pack, you can put either a useful tool for the road trip that your renters are about to experience: cups, corkscrew, gourd,... or a gourmet gift: a local specialty to drink or eat. ;-)

Bonus : Stay available... (but not too much ;-) )

Your renters may need you during their rental period. A problem to solve, a doubt, an advice, a blockage. This is part of our job... but a well-done walk through allows you to limit the number of calls (and the famous calls in the middle of the night because the water pump is not activated... even though it is turned off).
To make your renters as autonomous as possible, the ideal is also to provide them with user guides and instructions. Video tutorials, FAQs, blog posts also work well. The little worries are often the same, providing information on these will allow you to largely decrease the calls and messages from your renters during their trip.