For the month of November, we have been exploring the topic of damage here on the blog. Here is our Fleet Manager, Will Belford, with the low down on tracking damage.
Hi I’m Will, Fleet Manager here at Peg City Car Co-op. If you’ve been following the blog throughout November, you know that vehicle damage is a very important topic for us. It not only affects how the vehicles look, but how they function as well.
We’re wrapping up Damage Awareness Month, and hope our members feel informed and ready for the road ahead. Through this month we’ve offered some helpful winter driving tips, laid out the different insurance options that are available to members, and shared a pair of comics to address topics that help keep our cars (and our drivers) safe! Last but not least, today we are pulling back the curtain on how we track vehicle damage, and how you can help!
Carshare vehicles are used more vigorously than your average car, truck, or van. This is because there are different people behind the wheel every day, sometimes every few hours. Some people are experts with parking in small spots, while others may have less experience driving large vehicles. A good defense from incurring damage is preparation! If you have never driven a type of vehicle before, give it a quick once over to familiarize yourself. How far does the bumper stick out? Are the seat and mirrors adjusted properly? Does this vehicle feature a backup camera? We encourage defensive driving, staying alert and aware of all your surroundings, and always taking the weather and road conditions into account – this is hands down the best way to prevent damage from happening in the first place.
So what about damage caused by someone else? Inspecting and reporting damage to Peg City staff will mean you don’t get held responsible for something you didn’t do. The best time to inspect and report is before you begin driving.
After you make a booking, you’ll receive a confirmation email with all the details of your trip, as well as a short list of any damage on that car that we’re already aware of. Any preexisting scratches, dings, or dents will be noted by a numbered sticker on the car itself.
We’ve added window stickers and booklets in every car to remind you to Take 5 Before You Drive – the booklet will guide you through damage tracking and help troubleshoot common booking issues. Here’s our Fleet Manager, Will, installing them in our first AWD SUV, parked in the Exchange District.
When you arrive to pick up your ride, walk around the vehicle to check for anything new. If you spot any new damage that is larger than a credit card, and it does not have a numbered sticker, it needs to be reported.
You only need to report damage that doesn’t have a sticker or is not in the damage notes in your booking confirmation. Was this dent listed in the email? Is that one big scratch or two separate ones? We would rather hear about it twice than never hear about it at all.
We rely on our members to be our eyes and ears out there on the road! To report damage, please send us an email with photos, or give us a call. This should always be done at the start of your trip.
If you happen to be the one to cause some damage, big or small, please let us know. If you are in a collision, or you are not sure if a vehicle is safe to drive, call us. We have staff on call 7am-midnight seven days a week.
Thank you for reading, and for helping to keep our fleet in tip-top shape.
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