A new J.D. Power 2019 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study compared airport-based rental car companies and found rental car customer satisfaction is at an all-time high. Leading the pack, Hertz took the top spot for customer satisfaction, followed by Enterprise and Alamo.

“Across all of our travel-related studies, rental cars have become the most satisfying part of the overall traveler experience,” said Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead, J.D. Power. “This is due largely to companies’ continued innovation to tweak their pick-up and return processes and deliver stand-out customer experiences. Many customers can walk the lot and pick a specific car, and the pick-up process can be completed in 15 minutes or less. Adding personalization through apps and alerts to mobile devices is a big plus, too.”

The study found overall customer satisfaction is higher when customers are in their vehicle in 15 minutes or less from check-in, which happens only 64 percent of the time they rent. Additional car features are also a key to customer satisfaction. Satisfaction scores are highest when vehicles boast 21 or more features, including premium sound systems, USB ports and GPS. Unfortunately, satisfaction drops significantly if those features are difficult to use once the vehicle is in the hands of the renter. The study also found customers prefer rental brands with mobile apps.