A Very Busy August Across Regal

August has been an incredibly busy month at Regal Car, Van & Truck Rental, with improvements happening across almost every part of the business.

From expanding our fleet and improving the way customers book and collect vehicles, to continuing the development of our Carlisle branch and preparing further improvements for Maidstone, there has been plenty happening across Regal.

We've also been working on a number of projects behind the scenes that customers will start seeing over the coming months.

Keeping Cars, Vans & Trucks Moving

Our teams in Carlisle, Chatham, Maidstone and Sheerness have had another busy month keeping vehicles moving.

Behind every rental is a lot of work that customers don't necessarily see.

Vehicles returning from hire need to be checked, cleaned and prepared before heading back out. On particularly busy mornings, that can mean vehicles returning and being turned around quickly ready for the next customer.

Our teams make sure vehicles are cleaned, fluids are checked and topped up where required, pre-rental inspections are completed and everything is ready before the next hire begins.

Online Vehicle Booking Is Now Live

One of our biggest developments during August has been the launch of online vehicle booking.

Customers can now browse vehicle categories and begin arranging their car, van or truck hire online, making it easier to book without needing to call a branch first.

Customers also have the option to create an account when booking. Once logged in, information can be saved for future bookings, meaning returning customers don't need to enter everything again each time they hire from Regal.

It's another step towards making vehicle hire quicker, easier and more convenient.

Pre-Rental Check-In Is Making Collections Much Faster

We've continued developing our pre-rental check-in process, and we're already seeing a significant difference across our branches.

Before arriving, customers can complete much of the information we need to prepare their rental.

That gives our team the opportunity to prepare more of the paperwork and rental checks before the customer walks through the door.

For customers who have completed their check-in and arranged payment beforehand, collection can be remarkably quick.

Some customers are now arriving at the branch, showing us their driving licence, collecting their keys and heading on their way.

More Vehicles Joining the Regal Fleet

We've continued investing in our vehicle fleet throughout August.

That includes additional cars as we expand our car hire availability, alongside continued investment in the vans and trucks our customers use every day.

Our range now covers everything from cars and compact automatic SUVs through to mini vans, SWB, LWB and XLWB vans, Luton vans and 7.5-tonne trucks.

We've also introduced vehicles such as the Ford Courier Mini Van, providing a practical option for customers who need carrying capacity without requiring a full-size van.

Further additions to the Regal fleet are already planned.

Growing Regal Carlisle

August has been particularly important for our Carlisle branch.

Since opening at our Kingstown Industrial Estate location, we've continued developing the branch and increasing the range of vehicles available locally.

Car hire is becoming a bigger part of our Carlisle operation alongside our established van and truck hire services.

New cars have been arriving at the branch, and we've been delighted to see some of them heading straight out on hire.

We're continuing to invest in Carlisle and there is much more planned for the branch.

Carlisle Railway Station Meet & Greet

We've also introduced another convenient option for customers travelling into Carlisle by train.

With prior arrangement, Regal can provide a Meet & Greet vehicle collection service at Carlisle Railway Station.

Instead of travelling from the station to our Kingstown branch, customers can arrange for us to meet them at the railway station with their rental car.

When their trip is finished, arrangements can also be made for the vehicle to be returned.

It's particularly useful for business travellers, visitors and anyone arriving in Cumbria by rail who wants to get on the road quickly.

Making Vehicle Hire More Flexible

Our advertised opening hours are important, but we know that journeys, house moves and work commitments don't always fit neatly around them.

This is particularly relevant at our Carlisle branch, where customers can contact us to discuss earlier or later collections and weekend arrangements.

Where we're able to accommodate a request, we'll always try to help.

More Changes Coming to Regal Maidstone

We're also working on a number of improvements for our Maidstone branch.

Some changes are already underway, including new and improved website pages designed to make it easier for customers to find the right vehicle and understand exactly what Regal offers locally.

We're developing clearer dedicated content around car hire in Maidstone, van hire in Maidstone and truck hire, alongside further improvements to our main Maidstone branch information.

The aim is simple: make it easier for customers searching online to find the right Regal page, see the vehicles available and understand the options available from our Maidstone location.

We're also continuing to improve the way our Maidstone branch is represented across the web, with more useful local information, stronger vehicle content and better connections between our branch and fleet pages.

There are further improvements planned for Maidstone too, but we'll share more once they're ready.

Helping Customers Choose the Right Vehicle

Another area we've been developing is the information available on our website.

Choosing the right van isn't always obvious.

Do you need an SWB or LWB? Will everything fit into an XLWB? Would a Luton make a house move easier? When does a 7.5-tonne truck become the better option?

We've been improving our vehicle information and guidance to help customers understand the differences between vehicle sizes and choose something appropriate for the job.

There's more work happening in this area too.

Straightforward Vehicle Hire

While we've introduced plenty of new technology and improvements this month, we still believe vehicle hire should be straightforward and customers should know what they're getting.

Fantastic Feedback From Our Customers

We've received some brilliant feedback across our branches during August.

Reviews mentioning our friendly teams, clean vehicles, value for money and straightforward rental process mean a great deal to us.

They also help us understand what's working and where we can continue improving.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave Regal a review.

There's More Happening Behind the Scenes...

August hasn't only been about the changes you can already see.

We're working on several other projects behind the scenes, including improvements to our branch pages, new local vehicle hire content, further fleet development and changes designed to make Regal easier to find, easier to book and easier to use.

Some of these improvements will appear at individual branches, while others will roll out across the wider Regal network.

Some are relatively small improvements. Others are considerably bigger.

We're not quite ready to talk about everything yet...

Looking Ahead to September

August has been about building.

September will be about continuing that momentum.

Whether you need a car for a journey, a van for a house move, a commercial vehicle for work or a truck for a bigger job, our teams in Carlisle, Chatham, Maidstone and Sheerness are here to help.

And we're nowhere near finished yet.