Job type

Car rental agent

£17k - £25k

Typical salary

40 – 42

Hours per week

Car rental agents hire out and lease vehicles to businesses and the public.

More info

  • Requires excellent customer care and communication skills
  • With experience, option to move into a supervisory or management post
  • May involve shift work if you're employed by a company providing 24-hour service at airports

DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES

  • Dealing with customer enquiries about the availability and cost of vehicles
  • Taking bookings and explaining the terms of rental or leasing agreements
  • Completing paperwork with the customer and taking payments
  • Showing customers to their vehicle and pointing out any bumps, scrapes or special features
  • Checking mileage and inspecting for damage when vehicles are returned
  • Making customer 'call-backs' to check their satisfaction with the service
  • Providing ongoing service and sales support (if you deal with regular business leasing accounts)

DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT

Your salary may include bonuses or commission for meeting sales targets. There may also be extra shift allowances for working unsocial hours. 

You'll be based in an office, which could be based in a location such as an airport, but may spend time moving vehicles that have been returned. Many employers will provide a uniform. 

You'll need

This role is ideal for someone with excellent communication and active listening skills who works well with other people.

There are no set requirements, but employers may expect you to have GCSEs in Maths and English. Having the right personality and good communications skills can be more important than formal qualifications. Previous experience of customer service, office administration or sales work would be an advantage.

Some employers will prefer you to have held a full driving licence for at least one year. Foreign language skills may be helpful for working at airports, ports and tourist destinations.

You could also get into this job by doing a Level 2 award in Customer Service, or even a customer service practitioner intermediate apprenticeship.

CAREER PROSPECTS

With experience, you could move into a supervisory or management post. In business leasing accounts, you could become an account manager, or move into fleet management.