Penske Confirms 1,000+ Reservations Each Month with AI Automation. 

Penske is an international transportation services company and one of the world’s premier automotive and commercial truck retailers. With headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Penske operates in over 3,300 locations and employs more than 73,000 people worldwide.

Problem

Last-minute reservation cancellations may seem minor to customers. But they were seriously disrupting Penske’s business operations, impacting other customers and teams across branches. 

Penske needed to reduce the amount of no-shows. At first, they relied on live agents to make thousands of outbound confirmation calls each month—which proved both costly and time-consuming.

“Working with Capacity has definitely been a positive experience for us. They’ve given us the flexibility to provide multiple communication options for our customers.”

– Director of Rental Contact Centers, Penske

Solution

To improve efficiency, Penske sought an AI-powered automation solution to manage reservation confirmations, changes, and cancellations, freeing up agents and improving overall accuracy.

First, the AI-powered virtual agent engages customers via SMS with an upcoming reservation to confirm the date, time, and pickup/drop-off location. If the customer confirms the reservation details, the virtual agent independently makes note of the confirmation in the Penske database. 

If the customer then decides to change or cancel the reservation, the virtual agent can assist with the change or cancellation—all without the need for human intervention.

Results

With Capacity’s AI virtual agents, Penske has managed to reduce costly no-shows and improved overall efficiency. As a result:

• 1,000+ additional reservations have been made each month 
• 35% of reservations are confirmed, changed or canceled over the phone
• 55% of reservations are confirmed, changed or canceled over text messages

Most importantly, Penske has recognized a better customer experience by providing a conversational path to self-service – without live agent involvement.

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