Winning corporate accounts: pricing and process

Corporate accounts are the quiet backbone of a 30-car rental. Higher margin, consistent volume, 60-day-predictable cash flow. Here's the playbook.

What corporate customers want, ranked:

1. Billing reliability. One invoice per month, with the right WHT certificate, arriving on the same day. A late or messy invoice is the #1 reason corporate accounts switch.
2. Driver availability. Most corporate rentals include a driver. Reliable, presentable, English-speaking a plus.
3. Brand image. If their CFO arrives at a client in a dusty 2015 Corolla with a cracked windscreen, you lose the account next month. Match the car to the client.
4. Price. Important, but not first. A corporate buyer will pay 15% more for reliability.

The pricing structure.

Corporate customers hate per-rent pricing. They want monthly retainer + fixed fleet. A typical structure: 2 dedicated cars + 2 drivers, monthly retainer of ₨X, with overage at daily-rate for third-car usage. Predictable for them, predictable for you.

The invoicing discipline.

• Generate the invoice on the 1st of every month. Not "early in the month". The 1st.
• Include the WHT challan number.
• Attach a summary of the month's usage — cars × days, drivers × hours.
• Email to their accounts department, not just the user.
• Chase payment on day 31 of overdue. Not day 45.

What kills the account.

• An unannounced price increase. Always 30 days' notice, in writing.
• A sudden car swap because "we gave the Altis to a walk-in". They paid for the Altis. They get the Altis.
• Unprofessional driver behaviour with their staff. Clear driver conduct policy, enforced.

One well-managed corporate account is worth ten walk-ins. But one badly-managed corporate account costs five.