Kenings Car, Van and Truck is a privately-owned vehicle hire company based in Cape Town, South Africa, with another office in Johannesburg. Starting with only four vehicles in 1996, the company has grown to offer a fleet of over 175 cars, vans and trucks nationwide.
The Challenge
Brian Hartmann, Managing Director of Kenings told us why he started looking for a new system in the first place, "We started looking for a vehicle rental solution that would improve the way we run our operation - one that would integrate functions more efficiently to give us greater control and that would grow as our fleet and our branches grew."
The Solution
After reviewing the options available, Brian opted for MCS-vr, the specialist car hire management solution from MCS. MCS have years of experience developing management and financial solutions for hire companies around the world.
After a successful demonstration that left the Kenings staff impressed, Brian implemented MCS-vr. “I loved that it is so easy to use and that it ticked all the right boxes for our operation,” Brian observed. “By the time we went solo with MCS-vr, all my staff were fully operational on it.”
The Benefits
Initially, Brian and his staff were using the system for its core vehicle management capability. MCS-vr offered a whole range of time-saving and efficiency benefits that were new to the company and were greatly appreciated.
The main benefit for us was that everything was automated,” Brian claimed. “We really appreciated being able to input information once and have MCS-vr create bookings, contracts, invoices, whatever, at the touch of a button.”
Kenings were so grateful for the comprehensive Allocation Chart which provides a colour-coded visual ‘grid’ of all vehicle activity for the rental company.
As the main interface for Kenings users, the Allocation Chart presents them with a real-time snapshot of utilisation and vehicle status. It offers a visual representation of vehicles ‘on hire’ versus vehicles available to be hired (off hire).
“The way we started using MCS-vr was simple,” Brian explained. “We take booking requests from customer emails sent via our website or direct by telephone and input the details into the system. MCS-vr automatically generates a quotation which is emailed to the customer. Once accepted, a contract is created which is printed out and signed by the customer when they come to collect the car.”
Vehicle damage is a particular concern for any car rental operation. In the normal course of a hire, scratches and dents to vehicles can occur. For Kenings, MCS-vr makes this easier to control. When a vehicle comes off hire, a damage report can be completed in the system.
“Once a damage report has been entered, it triggers the quotation process and ensures that the customer is notified and invoiced if the amount is below the insurance excess,” Brian confirmed. “This also becomes part of the vehicle history and is centrally-managed by MCS-vr.”
At any time, Brian and his colleagues can assess any vehicle details for outstanding damage and, time allowing, get it repaired between hires.
Since implementing MCS-vr, Brian and his colleagues have been very pleased with the system. With MCS-vr and the use of their website to drive bookings, Kenings can process information better and satisfy customers faster. The automated MCS system also means less paperwork and a better customer database.
Brian discovered that faster response times and integrated processes make Kenings more productive, more efficient and more competitive.
The Future
Brian is the first to admit that MCS-vr offers much more functionality that he has currently utilised.
“We are looking forward to benefiting from the Business Reporting capabilities of the MCS system and to using Workshop & Maintenance to put our whole fleet on a more efficient service and repair schedule. We are extremely happy with MCS-vr,” Brian concluded.
To find out how MCS-vr could help your business, call us on +44 (0)1628 828000 or use our enquiry form.
View All Case Studies