Being a car rental agent
Rental agents rent cars and other forms of transportation for private use by clients.
They are employed by car, boat and other companies at airports, resorts, marinas and offices strategically located throughout the country.Agents not only rent cars to clients, but also offer them other types of products, such as car upgrades, GPS systems or additional insurance.
Although the car rental agent’s primary job is to process paperwork and collect money from clients, agents often have a lot of other duties they perform as well. Car rental agents typically have the task of greeting clients as they arrive, answering the telephone, handling client questions or complaints and working to resolve overdue car rentals.
In some cases, they may also be responsible for ensuring the cars are clean, full of petrol and ready for the next client, says Juanita Swartbooi, a rental agent at Namibia Car Rental.
Swartbooi said she was inspired to become a rental agent as she became interested in the tourism industry during her grade 10 year, when she was working at Joe’s Beerhouse as waitress as holiday job. She said tourism exposes one to a variety of things.
“You have a variety of people you meet every day; you meet international and local people and you become friends with some of them,” she said.
She said that in the tourism industry one does not need a degree to become a rental agent, because you learn from doing practical work, and she currently only holds a grade 12 certificate but has been in the industry for about 16 years.
The character traits one needs to become a rental agent is confidence, as you are working with different people and you are selling a product, she said.
You have to present yourself to the clients in a clear manner so that they can understand what you are selling; you need a strong character as well.
Swartbooi says the highlight of her career journey is going on tour with one of the regular travel agents that come each year with different groups of people to Namibia.
“I am going to be touring around Namibia with them and it is very nice because I get to experience what the tourists are experiencing as well as visit places I haven’t visited before,” she said.
One of the professional superpowers a rental agent needs is being a problem-solver, as you need to think fast when clients have problems.
They are employed by car, boat and other companies at airports, resorts, marinas and offices strategically located throughout the country.Agents not only rent cars to clients, but also offer them other types of products, such as car upgrades, GPS systems or additional insurance.
Although the car rental agent’s primary job is to process paperwork and collect money from clients, agents often have a lot of other duties they perform as well. Car rental agents typically have the task of greeting clients as they arrive, answering the telephone, handling client questions or complaints and working to resolve overdue car rentals.
In some cases, they may also be responsible for ensuring the cars are clean, full of petrol and ready for the next client, says Juanita Swartbooi, a rental agent at Namibia Car Rental.
Swartbooi said she was inspired to become a rental agent as she became interested in the tourism industry during her grade 10 year, when she was working at Joe’s Beerhouse as waitress as holiday job. She said tourism exposes one to a variety of things.
“You have a variety of people you meet every day; you meet international and local people and you become friends with some of them,” she said.
She said that in the tourism industry one does not need a degree to become a rental agent, because you learn from doing practical work, and she currently only holds a grade 12 certificate but has been in the industry for about 16 years.
The character traits one needs to become a rental agent is confidence, as you are working with different people and you are selling a product, she said.
You have to present yourself to the clients in a clear manner so that they can understand what you are selling; you need a strong character as well.
Swartbooi says the highlight of her career journey is going on tour with one of the regular travel agents that come each year with different groups of people to Namibia.
“I am going to be touring around Namibia with them and it is very nice because I get to experience what the tourists are experiencing as well as visit places I haven’t visited before,” she said.
One of the professional superpowers a rental agent needs is being a problem-solver, as you need to think fast when clients have problems.
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Namibian Sun
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