[Iswg3906.organizers] Fwd: Fleet, billing & reservations update! Full of tips & juicy info!!

Fri Jul 19 13:26:47 PDT 2013

Hi all, just passing on an update from CarShare. Check it out,

j.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Community CarShare <info at communitycarshare.ca>
Date: Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 5:16 PM
Subject: Fleet, billing & reservations update! Full of tips & juicy info!!
To: Jessica <foran.jessica at gmail.com>

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             Dear CarShare Members!

We hope you're all having an awesome summer, and we've got some great
fleet, reservations, and billing updates to share with you. Here is the
short list of topics, and please read on for all the details!

*Billing updates:*
 - Real Time Billing coming in August
 - updated monthly billing date
 - returning lockbox keys

*Reservations updates:*
 - how to reserve for the current half-hour
 - gas card review & how-to
 - early pick-ups & late returns review
 - smart card tips for household members
 - reservation line phone numbers update

*Fleet updates:*
 - car cleaning & vehicle stewardship
 - have you seen the fleet map lately?

*Billing updates*

*Real Time Billing coming in August*

Since the co-op has upgraded to in-car technology, this now means we can
upgrade our billing system as well!

Real Time Billing means that we can now bill you for the final cost of your
trip after your reservation, instead of just the estimate, as is currently
the case with the Pay-As-You-Drive model. The difference-maker for this is
in-car tech. Now, we get the trip data back very soon after your
reservation, where before we had to wait until month-end to reconcile the
actual trip costs (once the paper trip log data was entered).

Once Real Time Billing is initiated, currently scheduled for early August
(please note this date could be pushed back), you will be able to view a
running tally of trip costs through your Current Balance, including any
fees or credits for that trip. You will still receive a monthly statement
outlining all trips & costs, but the big change here is you will be
accurately billed for your trips as you go, instead of having to wait for
month-end to see the final trip costs.

Please note, for members who are on a monthly billing account, your billing
set-up will not be affected by Real Time Billing.

We will be sending out more information about Real Time Billing as we get
closer to the switch-over date.

*Updated Monthly Billing Date*

Another small change to the current billing system, for members who are
billed via credit card: Having in-car technology has also enabled us to
complete the monthly billing process a bit sooner over the past few months,
so members can expect any amount owning on their monthly statements to be
charged to their credit card on or around the 10th of the month. Previously
this was on or around the 15th of the month.

*Returning Lockbox Keys*

For members who still have a lockbox key - now that in-car tech is
successfully up and running, we are able to accept the return of lockbox
keys. Members who return their lockbox key will have the $10 deposit for
the key applied as driving credit on their account. Members may drop the
keys off to the office, or you may mail them. If mailing a key, please wrap
it well before placing it in the envelope, to prevent it from breaking
through and falling out. (We will not be able to issue credits for keys
lost in the mail.)

*Reservations updates*

*How to reserve for the current half-hour*

If you need to reserve a car right away, you don't have to wait for the
next half-hour to roll around. The reservation system currently defaults to
start at the next half-hour mark, but you can change that! For example, if
it's 3:05pm, the reservation system will show 3:30pm as your start time,
but if you want to access the vehicle sooner, just change 3:30pm to 3:00pm
before you press the search button.

*Gas card review & how-to*

Just a reminder to all members about Gas Cards. They are provided for your
convenience, and when you use them, you're also helping your CarShare
staff, as that means there are fewer individual gas credits to process. The
gas cards are located on the left-hand side of the Communication Unit,
behind the rear-view mirror. Use the slider on the bottom of the
Communication Unit to get them out. The gas cards require a pin code to be
entered when you use them, and this code appears on the screen of the
Communication Unit when you remove one of the cards. If the pin code isn't
showing up, please make sure that: the vehicle is turned off, they keys are
out of the ignition, and that you are still logged in to the vehicle with
your Smart Card. If you've logged out, the pin codes won't show up.

*Early pick-ups & late returns review*

How early can you access a vehicle before your reservation? Five
minutes.If you want to access the vehicle more than five minutes
before the start
of your reservation, you'll have to adjust your reservation to start half
an hour earlier.

When do you get fined for a late return? If you are more than 10 minutes
late. There is a 10-minute grace period after your reservation ends where
you will be billed for that half-hour, but not fined for being late. If
you're 11+ minutes late, the $20 late fee will  apply. If your being late
affects another member (even if you're still in the grace period), late
fees will apply, as well as the inconvenience fee ($20) that goes to the
affected member. If you do know you're going to be late returning, please
call the reservation line to either extend your reservation, or let us know
so we can notify any members who may have the vehicle booked after you, and
adjust their reservations as necessary.

*Smart card tips for household members*

For members who have more than one driver on their account (household or
joint membership), your Smart Cards can open vehicles reserved by any
driver on the account!  So, one driver can pick up the vehicle, and another
driver can return it, no card-swapping required! Please note, this does not
work for drivers on Corporate accounts.

*Reservation line phone numbers update*

Since we've introduced our toll-free 1-855-BOOK-IT-0 reservation line
number, and since we've noticed it gets used regularly by members, as of
Sept. 1, 2013, we are going to retire our two local reservation line
numbers, set up for KW and Hamilton. So, if you are still calling either of
these numbers (519-505-1895, or 905-548-7630), please update the number to
1-855-266-5480. The toll-free number is also listed on the back of your
Smart Card, should you ever need it.

Please note, this does not affect the local office numbers, they will
continue to be active. Although, if you want, you may reach us toll-free at
the office at 1-855-SHARE-99 (1-855-742-7399).

*Fleet updates*

*Car cleaning & vehicle stewardship*

Car cleaning is a hot topic here at the CarShare office, and we do our best
to keep the vehicles neat and tidy. But, we also need your help with this.
Members who leave dirt and garbage behind after their trip are spoiling the
experience for the next member to use the car, and it's a simple courtesy
to your fellow co-op members to clean up after your trip.  The good news
here is, the co-op pays for car cleaning, just like we pay for gas. So, if
you do need to vacuum up a spill, or want to go through a car wash, please
do, and you will be credited for the cost. (The gas cards all work for car
washes as well!)

As part of our car cleaning program, we're also looking for vehicle stewards,
that is members who can "adopt" a car so to speak, and help CarShare staff
keep it clean. Some of our vehicles already have members who actively take
care of regular cleaning, and we're hoping to round out the field and have
a vehicle steward for every single car in the fleet. Again, all the costs
of cleaning are covered by the co-op, we're just looking for your help to
swing the vehicle through a full-service car wash (we'll tell you where to
go) every now and again to keep the interior and exterior in tip-top shape.

Let us know if you can help out by being a vehicle steward!

*Have you seen the fleet map lately?** *

One final entry for this jam-packed email, but in case you've missed it, we
just wanted to point out again all the new places where we have cars:
Elmira and Guelph, additional cars at existing locations in Kitchener and
Hamilton (this is called stacking), and our newest addition at Sunnyside
Community Housing, on Franklin St. N. in Kitchener. Check out the
map<http://communitycarshare.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=8234c4f9af6e8c6439cb245b0&id=a2f762e7ea&e=b1a7af6334>(use
the buttons to toggle between difference communities), and make sure
you're not missing any new car locations near you!!

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