Overall score of 86.4 points leads car rental category

Survey covered 11,191 consumers with purchase or usage experience

Company enters Okinawa short-term rental market in Japan

Breakdown repair support extended to all long-term rental customers

Kim Kyung-bong (right), executive vice president and acting CEO of Lotte Rental, and Han Su-hee, CEO of KMAC, pose for a photo at the 2026 Korean Customer Satisfaction Index certification ceremony held at Hotel Shilla in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Lotte Rental]
Kim Kyung-bong (right), executive vice president and acting CEO of Lotte Rental, and Han Su-hee, CEO of KMAC, pose for a photo at the 2026 Korean Customer Satisfaction Index certification ceremony held at Hotel Shilla in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Lotte Rental]

Lotte Rent-a-Car has topped the car rental category of the Korean Customer Satisfaction Index for 11 consecutive years.

Lotte Rental announced Thursday that Lotte Rent-a-Car recorded an overall score of 86.4 points in the 2026 Korean Customer Satisfaction Index, or KCSI, placing first in the car rental segment.

The KCSI is a customer satisfaction index compiled by Korea Management Association Consulting, or KMAC, based on evaluations from consumers who have used a given product or service. It combines satisfaction scores across individual categories with overall satisfaction ratings and consumers' likelihood of making repeat purchases or using the service again.

This year's survey covered 11,191 consumers between the ages of 18 and 64 living in Seoul, the greater metropolitan area and six major cities. A total of 455 companies and institutions across 122 industries — including manufacturing, general services and public services — were assessed.

Lotte Rental has been expanding its car rental services at home and abroad. In July, the company entered Japan's short-term rental market for the first time, launching operations in Okinawa through a partnership between its Japanese subsidiary and Orix Auto, which operates the major local rental brand Orix Rent-a-Car. Lotte Rental's headquarters handles the reservation and payment systems, while the Japanese subsidiary manages Korean-language customer support. Orix Auto supplies the vehicles and local operating infrastructure.

The company has also focused on reducing language barriers for Korean travelers. A Lotte Rental employee dispatched from Korea is stationed on-site to provide Korean-language assistance from vehicle pickup through return. In the event of an accident or breakdown, that employee serves as the first point of contact — rather than the local rental operator — and is available around the clock.

Lotte Rental has also expanded its vehicle management services for domestic long-term rental customers. Starting in August, breakdown repair support — previously limited to subscribers of its maintenance product — was extended to all long-term rental customers.

Individual and sole-proprietor long-term rental customers can report vehicle problems through the "My Car Membership" app. Within 24 hours of submission, a specialist from Lotte Auto Care, a vehicle management subsidiary, will assess the vehicle's condition and recommend a nearby partner repair shop.

Customers can also check repair costs by item in advance through the app. Labor charges are discounted 20 percent regardless of the type of work, and repair fees do not need to be paid on-site — they are instead bundled with the following month's rental bill.

Lotte Rent-a-Car also topped the car rental category of the 2026 Korean Standard Premium Brand Index for the 18th consecutive year, in results announced in July.

"We believe the honor of topping the KCSI for 11 consecutive years reflects our ongoing efforts to think about better service with customer expectations always as our benchmark," a Lotte Rental official said. "We will continue working with our employees to enhance customer satisfaction and brand value."

Meanwhile, Lotte Rental is also pushing ahead with the digitalization of its services. G Car, a Lotte Rent-a-Car service operated by subsidiary Greencar, launched "G Car AI Booking" last month — a feature that lets users enter a desired location, time and vehicle type in plain language or full sentences, with AI then recommending a matching vehicle and completing the reservation.


kwater@heraldcorp.com