How to AUTOMATE Your TURO Business

Summary

The video script outlines the challenges and strategies of automating a car rental business using the Turtle platform. The host, a seasoned power host in Las Vegas, shares insights on the manual labor involved in check-ins and check-outs, the importance of customer service, handling incidentals and claims, and vehicle maintenance. Emphasizing that while automation is tough, building a trained team can streamline operations, allowing for business scalability. The key takeaway is that successful automation in this industry requires training and delegation, not just technology.

Takeaways

• 🚗 The speaker has extensive experience with the Turtle platform, having completed over 550 trips with more than 20 vehicles in Las Vegas.
• 🛠 The car rental business is challenging to automate due to the manual labor involved in the check-in and checkout processes, which includes cleaning, inspecting, and preparing vehicles for customers.
• 📸 The importance of documentation through photos during check-ins and checkouts to ensure the vehicle's condition is properly assessed and maintained.
• ⏱ Time management is crucial, as each check-in and checkout can take up to an hour, affecting the operational efficiency of the business.
• 🤖 The automation of customer service through messaging templates can significantly reduce the manual effort required to communicate with customers, though human intervention is still necessary for complex issues.
• 👥 The necessity of having a dedicated customer service team or person to handle inquiries, emergencies, and teaching customers how to use the vehicles, especially unique models like Teslas.
• 💰 Incidental charges and claims require human judgment and cannot be fully automated, necessitating a team member to manage these aspects of the business.
• 🔧 Regular vehicle maintenance is essential and must be scheduled and managed to keep the fleet in good condition, which is another area that requires manual oversight.
• 🛠️ Training is key to automating the business; the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a well-trained team to handle the various departments of the car rental operation.
• 📈 Scaling the business involves adding more vehicles and expanding the team, but it requires a solid foundation of processes and trained personnel to manage the increased workload.
• 🚀 The speaker's motto 'train team wins' highlights the importance of team training and leadership in successfully automating and scaling the car rental business.

Q & A

How many trips has the speaker conducted on the Turtle platform in the last 10 months?

The speaker has conducted over 550 trips on the Turtle platform in the last 10 months.

What is the speaker's role on the Turtle platform?

The speaker is a 'Power Host' on the Turtle platform, which implies they are a high-volume, active user.

What is the primary challenge the speaker mentions about automating the car rental business?

The primary challenge mentioned is that automating the car rental business is tough due to the manual labor and time involved in processes like check-in, check-out, cleaning, and inspections.

What are the four main departments the speaker suggests considering for automating a car rental business?

The four main departments are the check-in/check-out process, customer service, automating incidentals and claims, and vehicle maintenance.

What does the speaker suggest as a time investment for a hand-off check-in or check-out?

The speaker suggests that a hand-off check-in or check-out could take an extra 30 minutes to an hour of the day.

How does the speaker describe the necessity of customer service in the car rental business?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of customer service, mentioning that there will be times when customers have questions or emergencies, and having a dedicated line for customer service is crucial.

What is the speaker's advice on handling incidental charges and claims?

The speaker advises training someone to handle incidental charges and claims because these processes require human judgment and cannot be fully automated.

What does the speaker consider essential for maintaining vehicles in the car rental business?

The speaker considers regular maintenance, such as oil changes, tire rotations, and topping off fluids, essential for maintaining vehicles in the car rental business.

What motto does the speaker use to summarize the key to automating the car rental business?

The speaker's motto is 'train team wins,' emphasizing the importance of training people to handle different aspects of the business.

What is the speaker's perspective on the scalability of the car rental business?

The speaker believes that the car rental business can be scaled by training people to handle various departments and by slowly expanding the fleet as profits increase.