Value of membership
About the BVRLA Established in 1967, the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) is the UK trade body for companies working in the areas of vehicle rental, leasing and fleet management. BVRLA members are responsible for a combined fleet of over five million cars, vans and trucks on UK roads, that’s 1-in-8 cars, 1-in-5 vans and 1-in-5 trucks. The vehicle rental and leasing industry supports over 465,000 jobs, adds £7.6bn in tax revenues and contributes £49bn to the UK economy each year. BVRLA membership provides customers with the reassurance that the company they are dealing with adheres to the highest standards of professionalism and fairness. The association achieves this by maintaining industry standards and regulatory compliance via its mandatory Codes of Conduct, inspection programme and government-approved Alternative Dispute Resolution service. To support this work, the BVRLA promotes best practice through its extensive range of training, events and informationsharing activities. On behalf of its 1,000+ member organisations, the BVRLA works with governments, public sector agencies, industry associations and key business influencers across a wide range of road transport, environmental, taxation, technology and finance-related issues. 2
80%
see a greater value in making customers aware that they are BVRLA members and are proud to be part of the association 2019 Member Survey
Value of Membership
Dear Member On behalf of the whole BVRLA team, I am delighted to welcome you as a member of the BVRLA family and look forward to meeting you as you take advantage of the many opportunities to get involved with the association. Our forums, conferences and webinars provide the opportunity to network with industry colleagues and hear from industry experts, and our working groups, committees and regional roundtables give you the opportunity to help shape the future of the sector. Whether you need advice on business, legal and compliance matters, or want some guidance with a customer service issue, our experts are on hand to help you. You can also access our range of sectorspecific training, either
via formal courses or online e-learning modules. Our guidance documents, factsheets and regular communication updates ensure that you are kept abreast of all the key developments affecting the sector. This publication provides more about the benefits of membership, and our latest Annual Review, published on our website, provides even more insight into what we do to support our members.
Gerry Keaney, BVRLA Chief Executive
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What our members say Alley Cat Car & Van Rentals Ltd
As a small company, Alley Cat Car & Van Rentals appreciate that the BVRLA is there when we need help and back up. We feel the BVRLA really has our back. There are knowledgeable people to ask for advice if we need to. They’ve helped us out with different queries we’ve had regarding minibus rentals. To us, being BVRLA members gives our customers the quality assurance they require and confidence that they are renting from a safe place. Phil Spain, Owner
Autohorn Fleet Services Ltd
BVRLA gives growing businesses like ours more kudos. We’re proud to put the association’s logo on our website and feel this is reassuring to our customers and gives them confidence to deal with us. We also appreciate that we can pick up the phone for answers to all sorts of questions we may have. Whenever we’ve spoken to BVRLA staff, they’ve always been helpful and provided valuable advice. We also find the training programme brilliant and the courses beneficial to the business. With the BVRLA’s Dispute Resolution Service, we have somewhere that is impartial to refer a customer if we have different opinions on what is acceptable. Scott Jenkins, Sales and Operations Director
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Value of Membership
J & R Car & Van Hire Ltd
We find the main benefit of BVRLA membership for J & R is the experience of its staff and how easy it is to pick up the phone and ask for advice. The friendly, helpful staff are happy to answer our questions and, if needed, put us in contact with someone who can help us. We particularly appreciate the BVRLA legal team, because, as a small company, we feel we have someone to turn to for the right answer. Another key benefit for us is good quality, good value training and development opportunities, and the chance to network with other members at forums and events. Chris Dell, Managing Director
Miles & Miles Ltd
Miles & Miles is a founding member of the BVRLA and one of the few smaller operators still around from the early days in the 1960s. We have always taken an active role within the association, with two managing directors of Miles & Miles holding the BVRLA chairman role over the years. The association’s services are invaluable to small independent companies like ours, particularly compliance and legal services, as we’re not big enough to have our own departments. BVRLA membership is an important networking tool for us too, providing the opportunity to share experience and best practice with large rental firms and to have a voice within the industry. The BVRLA gives SMEs like us credibility to customers and the quality assurance they require when entering a vehicle rental transaction. Simon Grime, Managing Director
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Industry Representation The BVRLA has invested heavily in its communications, research and policy capabilities to ensure that the association has the right skills and capacity to effectively represent the industry on behalf of members. Through ongoing lobbying activity, we take our collective voice to key influencers and policymakers in local and national government. We influence those who take policy decisions impacting upon our sector by presenting compelling evidence-based information to help deliver a supportive and fair business environment.
90%
of members consider ‘voice of industry’ as being one of the most important benefits of membership 2019 Member Survey 6
This increased capability and activity has seen the BVRLA strengthening the industry’s influence when political and regulatory issues are discussed. There are lots of opportunities for you to share your views. GET INVOLVED Contact policy@bvrla.co.uk
Value of Membership
Either by being part of a committee or working group, providing feedback through surveys, or by joining us at meetings or events such as roundtables, forums and conferences, we ensure that businesses of all sizes get their voice heard.
90%
of members say that the BVRLA does well at representing the voice of the industry 2019 Member Survey
BVRLA’s motor insurance lobbying was a big success and will save many operators from the risk of closure.
Rental Committee Member
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Knowledge Sharing We keep you updated on the latest news, insights and developments affecting the industry via a range of regular member communications, including the BVRLA Weekly Update email and a quarterly newsletter, BVRLA News. Daily social media posts also help to keep you informed of news hot-off-thepress, and the BVRLA website contains a wealth of information, some of which is exclusively available to members, accessible via your own personalised login.
Another way to keep on top of the latest thinking and developments from across the industry is by taking part in one of the BVRLA’s many working groups, forums or conferences.
Guidance documents, research reports and the association’s Communications Toolkit, containing ‘ready-to-use’ print and digital resources, are all very popular with members.
There is also the opportunity to represent the sector by becoming a member of one the association’s committees, and you can share your expertise with industry colleagues by hosting a BVRLA Blog or taking part in a webinar.
I came away energised about strategy and with a great overview of what issues are important in the industry now and in the future.
Industry Outlook Conference delegate
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Value of Membership
91%
of members consider ‘Information and Advice’ to be an important benefit of membership 2019 Member Survey
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Reputation Enhancing As a member of the BVRLA family, you can display the BVRLA logo on your marketing and promotional material to give customers the reassurance that they are dealing with a professional company that adheres to a Code of Conduct and delivers the highest industry standards. When doing business with a BVRLA member, customers also have the added reassurance of knowing that should anything go wrong, and they find themselves in an unresolved dispute with you, they can escalate a complaint to our governmentapproved Alternative Dispute Resolution Service, completely free of charge.
been more important to promote the benefits of using a BVRLA member, so we encourage you to proactively promote your BVRLA logo with pride.
With reputation and reliability being key influencers to consumer choice, it has never
If hiring in the UK, check to see if the company is a member of the BVRLA. This gives you more rights in the event of a problem. Financial Times, May 2018
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Value of Membership
The BVRLA is really looking out for our wellbeing, making sure that we are doing everything right.
2018 Member Survey
As a BVRLA member, you will take part in the association’s governance programme, which includes on-site inspections and desktop audits to assess your processes and procedures, ensuring adherence to the association’s mandatory Code of Conduct and industry regulations.
95%
of members say that the BVRLA provides status and credibility to their organisation 2019 Member Survey
We provide advice and guidance to help with any issues identified and share best practice to raise standards.
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Developing Skills We believe that continuous professional development is crucial to ensuring that you have the right skills and capabilities to deliver the highest standards of service to customers. As a BVRLA member, you and colleagues within your organisation will have access to a wide range of free and paid-for professional development opportunities, including
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webinars, e-learning, guidance documents, training courses, forums and conferences – all relevant to our industry. We appreciate that your time is precious, so we offer a mixture of formal classroom-based training and distance-learning opportunities giving you the flexibility to learn in a way that best suits you.
Value of Membership
All training courses can be delivered in-house at a time and location of your choice and our e-learning platform can be accessed via desktop, tablet or mobile to provide maximum flexibility. All BVRLA training courses are delivered by experts with knowledge of the latest facts, figures and findings from our research and policy teams. Our range of learning resources can support you with compliance, helping you to understand any regulatory frameworks and their impact on your business.
99%
of members attending a BVRLA training course say it delivered value 2019 Member Survey
We also offer some great opportunities to learn from others at our forums and conferences, where we bring together leaders and specialists from across the industry to share their expertise and take part in discussions and debates.
94%
of members consider training and events to be important to them 2019 Member Survey
The best way to get a true understanding of the changing landscape in increasingly challenging times. Future Mobility Congress delegate
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Dispute Resolution When customers engage with your brand it is crucial to give them a positive experience and BVRLA members are committed to delivering the highest standards of service and professionalism. In the unfortunate event that anything goes wrong, it is important to have an appropriate complaints procedure in place. Customers need to know where they can go to get an issue resolved.
20 days was the average time taken to conclude cases during 2019
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If a customer has not managed to resolve a matter directly with you, they have the added reassurance of knowing that they can escalate their complaint to the BVRLA’s governmentapproved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Service. Each member has five cases free of charge per membership year.
Value of Membership
When evaluating cases, evidence from both parties is reviewed and assessed against whether standards have been met in accordance with the BVRLA’s Code of Conduct. Customers using a BVRLA member can have the added reassurance of knowing that the company they are dealing with adheres to an industry code, is subject to an inspection regime and delivers the highest industry standards. Once in membership, you can be proud to display the BVRLA logo on your website, promotional material at the point-of-sale, and even on vehicles.
As a small operator, I am very happy. When I have called for advice, I felt supported. 2018 Member Survey
73%
of members that think our ADR service is important, say the BVRLA delivers it well 2019 Member Survey
Always a pleasure dealing with the dispute resolution team. Very professional and always a speedy response. 2019 Member Survey
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Customer Qualification The BVRLA RISC database provides you with the added reassurance that the person looking to rent or lease a vehicle does not pose a risk. With over 7,000 individuals and companies previously identified as ‘problem customers’, this is an invaluable check as part of your customer qualification process. The information contained on RISC is supplied by rental or leasing companies which have had an experience with a customer failing to adhere to terms of the contract and are deemed a future risk. The RISC database is simple to use at the rental counter and is available 24/7. Some of the issues that RISC can help to protect your business against
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include: identity theft, customer fraud, negligently damaging the rental vehicle, vehicle theft, poor payment record and inappropriate and aggressive behaviour towards staff. Using RISC can make your business less susceptible to vehicle theft and unauthorised extensions – which could save you money on your insurance premiums.
Value of Membership
RISC can be accessed directly via www.risconline.com PLEASE NOTE: RISC is an informational tool and does not provide any advice to users regarding whether to rent or not. It is not a ‘do-not-rent’ database – it provides information to assist in customer qualification decisions. The final decision always rests with the rental company itself.
The value of the BVRLA RISC database was demonstrated in 2019 when its alert system highlighted a potential fraud, resulting in a member cancelling a hire for several vehicles. The fraudsters, who claimed to be company directors, approached a BVRLA member to set up a business account. Foreign credit cards were used for payment and a residential delivery address provided. This immediately rang alarm bells so further investigations took place. The BVRLA member discovered that its would-be customers had no connection to the company of which they claimed to be directors. The member cancelled the booking and alerted the BVRLA so the details could be shared with other members via RISC. Another member targeted by the same people was due to deliver vehicles that day. Fortunately, it subscribed to the BVRLA RISC system. When it received an alert, it took swift action to cancel the delivery, so no vehicles were lost.
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Legal Documentation The BVRLA supplies VE103B Vehicle on Hire Certificates for members who have customers taking a vehicle abroad. It is a legal requirement for drivers to carry their vehicle registration documents when travelling abroad. Rental and leasing companies are reluctant to release original vehicle registration documents because of the potential for loss, fraud and theft. The BVRLA can provide the VE103B Vehicle on Hire Certificate, which is the only acceptable alternative. It provides authenticated proof that the hirer has the vehicle owner’s permission to take the vehicle abroad. Letters of authority and photocopies of the V5C (log-book) are not valid substitutes.
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Value of Membership
Having this legally required document to prove ownership ensures that the vehicle does not get refused at the border or, worse still, impounded. Rented or leased vehicles include those on short- or long-term hire. This includes not only daily rental but contract hire, finance lease, contract purchase and employee car ownership schemes. Drivers of rented or leased vehicles, including company car drivers, should be aware of the documentation they need to carry when taking a vehicle abroad. We encourage members to inform their customers of these requirements. This is necessary to protect both the customer and the vehicle asset. The vehicle can be seized if the driver does not present the right paperwork – either at the border or within the country visited.
There is an information page for customers on our website bvrla.co.uk/abroad. We’ve also produced a Communications Toolkit (bvrla.co.uk/toolkit) to support members with their communications to customers.
New members To get started, new members can apply for 5 free VE103B certificates by contacting fleet@bvrla.co.uk
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River Lodge
British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association
Badminton Court Amersham Buckinghamshire Tel 01494 545705 Email membership@bvrla.co.uk www.bvrla.co.uk © COPYRIGHT 2020
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