The company once known as Rent a Dent is now RaD and, being really "rad", they will be giving away $10,000 to a lucky customer who rents a car from them in spring to celebrate their 30th year in business.
"All our franchisees are committed to providing customers with an extremely high standard of service. Our company has always been based on honesty and integrity and RaD will continue to uphold these high standards," says the head of RaD, Dean Hansen.
Launched in 1987 by good keen Kiwi bloke Denis Hansen, Rent a Dent was taken over by son Dean in 2013. To mark three decades of solid service, it changed its name and redirected its focus, while maintaining its values and commitment to customer service.
As one of the country's few "owned in NZ" rental car services, RaD continue to offer users an authentically "Kiwi" customer service experience. However, the name and the fleet have changed a lot since the company that was known for its used, second-hand vehicles was launched.
It's no secret Rent a Dent positioned themselves at the lower end of the market, and very successfully.
But the fleet had been getting newer and the market changing. Hansen says they weren't tapping into an expanding and more discerning tourist market and a re-brand was the answer to appeal to additional markets.
"We used to have cars between five and 10 years old, but the fleet started getting newer and the name of the company was no longer really relevant. The fleet now ranges from new to 10 years old, and the new brand change reflects our new direction."
RaD now has range of sparkling new and used cars throughout the 21-strong franchise, which has owner-operated branches from Opua in the Bay of Islands to Invercargill.
Depending on the location, you can hire new Nissan, Kia, Ford, Subaru and Hyundai models. They can be picked up and dropped off at any RaD location nationwide, and as the franchisees are all local folk, their knowledge and commitment to service is second to none. Older cars can be hired at a lower price.
Hansen says the brand change has been a "bold move" but he's sure the customer base will continue to grow as more travellers become aware of the company. They aim to start using agents in the Australian, United States and Chinese markets to direct travellers to RaD.
"People who wanted a new or near-new car often would not think to look at Rent a Dent, due to the name. We had mainly loyal local and repeat customers in the past and those looking for a higher-end car were possibly ending up looking elsewhere.
"The new brand change means we will be able to extend our customer base to people who didn't know about us before."
RaD are active supporters of their local communities, providing cars to Ronald McDonald House in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, providing Outward Bound scholarships sports sponsorships and helping out with many local initiatives.
The $10,000 prize giveaway is another way to give back to the people supporting them. Those hiring cars in spring just fill in a form when picking up a rental car and go into the $10,000 draw. It's a reflection of a no-nonsense, New Zealand-made company with eyes on the future while remaining true to the values of its past.