Growth and Market Expansion at Sixt: Flexibility and Quick Reaction are Key
Rita Szolnoki, Head of B2B Business Unit, Sixt Hungary.
Before the pandemic, the dominant source of our income was generated by foreign leisure and business visitors. The customer portfolio also included domestic corporate customers with long- and short-term car rental schemes, but their importance has increased recently, and not only due to the pandemic-related restrictions.
Company Fleet Delayed? Sixt Offers Solution
The difficulties in the new auto market are also reflected in company car purchases. In many cases, employees entitled to use a company car must wait much longer than usual, sometimes even up to a year. This has prompted Sixt to adapt as quickly as possible to the changing environment and to develop a service that helps all companies waiting for a car.
For companies that want to maintain their own fleet despite the difficulties indicated above, Sixt offers flexible rental options until the arrival of new cars, whether a temporary rental of one or two vehicles or a fleet of significantly more cars.
This type of rental arrangement is not new to Sixt: a significant part of the rental fleet has been booked by corporate partners for shorter or longer periods in the past. In the current situation, we see an increasing demand for rental cars due to the difficulties in car production and the ongoing delays.
We also intended to target the corporate segment, so we launched a website for business partners in June. On www.sixtbusiness.hu, one can find more information about our business rental schemes, Sixt’s fleet available at any given time, photos, videos, trim level lists, and a lot of helpful information to enable prospective rental customers to choose the best vehicle for them.
Car Rental vs. Leasing
Car rental is a highly flexible service: you can get into the car of your choice straight away and use it both at home and abroad. If the rental customer’s needs or living situation change, they can switch to another model at any time, be it a car, a van, or even a light commercial vehicle. The rental period is adapted to the customer’s individual needs, and the car user pays the rental fee accordingly.
Of course, car rental costs can be calculated in the same way as for an operating lease, but car rental is a much more flexible solution for companies, as the vehicle can be returned to the rental company at any time, and the type of vehicle can be changed without any restrictions. The current inflation crisis also means that flexible rental solutions are more predictable, transparent, and convenient for our rental customers than fixed four- or five-year leasing solutions, which represent a significant commitment for companies.
Why Sixt?
We offer nearly 40 different models in more than 30 categories in our fleet, most of which have high trim levels and were acquired in 2022. We are proud that we could respond quickly and flexibly to difficult circumstances, thanks to which we won the Business Excellence Award in the Mobility Service category last year.
This flexibility and customer focus are also reflected in our corporate rental offers, which is why we look forward to becoming a mobility partner for more and more companies. We aim to ensure that once people have tried this type of long-term car rental, they will realize the potential and stop thinking about fixed, leased fleets only.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of September 23, 2022.
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