Rossco Car Rentals, Shuttles & Tours has been a small but successful player among the giants in the industry. It was born from a business that bought and sold used vehicles, and Rossco Car Rentals was a natural progression from that.
But, says Liora Brenkman, Account Manager, it hasn’t been plain sailing getting to this point.
Brenkman has worked side by side with the owner of Rossco, Ross Behr and his family for nearly her entire career. As was the case for many, COVID-19 resulted in a major scaling back of Rossco’s operation that saw the company selling off most of its assets to keep its doors open. It has steadily rebuilt its fleet and today, Rossco has 30 vehicles that it operates across its rentals and shuttles.
Rossco optimises its vehicles by using them in three ways – renting them out, using them for shuttles, and deploying them for day tours. It offers excursions to popular tourist and visitor hotspots such as Gold Reef City, the Lion & Safari Park, Maropeng, and Cullinan, among other destinations. It also offers day tours to Soweto, Johannesburg, and Pretoria.
Rossco is a lean team, but has four permanent drivers and is able to source more if needed.
Operating a fleet in South Africa has not been without its challenges, says Brenkman, and as a result of security concerns, it has removed its branding from its vehicles so that they are not targeted by criminals.
“Safety is a huge concern for our drivers and, of course, our clients,” says Brenkman.
What’s the driving force behind Rossco’s success? Brenkman believes it’s word-of-mouth recommendations that have led to a lot of new business coming in, and the fact that many customers give the company repeat business.
Rossco now offers a new feature – the company has recently equipped each driver with portable WiFi routers so that their clients can connect to the Internet the moment they set foot in the vehicle, demonstrating Rossco’s determination to stay ahead of the curve in a highly competitive industry.
Another important factor that brings clients coming back for more is the high level of personalisation that only a smaller player can provide.
“One of our unique selling points is our ability to offer a personalised service,” says Brenkman.
