All New Digital Experience Gives Rental Customers Convenience at Their Fingertips

March 20, 2019

We spend a lot of time on our computers and our phones, and we want to be able to do just about everything there, from socializing to shopping.

Knowing that customers are going online for product research and for buying, it’s important that businesses up their digital capabilities and provide easy, convenient solutions for customers to get products and services.  

Mix that with a general shift in customers renting versus owning – think Netflix instead of buying a DVD or Uber instead of buying a car – and you have a strong need for an enhanced web and smartphone experience that meets the needs of the growing rental industry. Luckily the digital team behind the CatRentalStore.com website and mobile app are on top of it.

Recently unveiled, the all new digital experience allows customers to not just rent equipment from their fingertips but also get prices customized to them, see how many rentals they have, extend a rental, end a rental early, request on-site service and contact their dealer on the spot via the messaging feature. It’s been deployed for many North and South American dealers and will roll out in other areas later this year. 

“Enhanced digital capabilities are key to customer growth and customer loyalty,” said Global Rental and Used Equipment Director Kurt Norris. “Almost everyone has a smartphone. That’s where people start when they have a problem to solve. Customers want an easy solution at their fingertips for everything they’re doing, including renting through the Cat Rental Store. It’s critical that we get this right.”

Services are key to Caterpillar’s long-term success since customers’ needs extend beyond their purchase of a machine. Service options like renting and digital connectedness complement our retail strategies and widen our scope to people we might not normally reach. 

“Customers want the ability to rent equipment today, and it has to be easy,” Norris said. “Both the rental industry and customers’ expectations are growing, so we have to be one step ahead.”