Jessica's 2013 Range Rover Evoque was responsible for delivering some of my experiences during my stay in San Francisco. I first made arrangements to rent Jessica's vehicle during my layover at LAX. I simply provided Jessica my flight details and she made arrangements to pick me up from San Francisco International airport which is only a couple of exits away from her house.
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| San Francisco Experience brought to you by Jessica's 2013 Range Rover | Evoque |
During my flight and corresponding communication blackout, Jessica had another matter come up that required her to be somewhere else so she sent her uncle, a very sweet 73 year old recent immigrant from the Philippines, to pick me up and handle the exchange. The experience was fantastic with a wonderfully personal exchange that felt like a close friend picking me up from the airport. The vehicle was clean inside and out and Jessica later called me to apologize for not being able to personally exchange the vehicle. In talking with Jessica, I soon realized that all engagements on the Turo platform really consist of at least two experiences - one for the renter and one for the owner. I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and interview Jessica for insights into her perspectives on the P2P experience through Turo.
During my interview, Jessica stated that she initially found Turo through Facebook and has listed her vehicle there for the past 14 months. She typically accepts about 2-3 rentals per month but has learned that demand can be very seasonal in nature in San Francisco. Jessica's feels that the uniqueness of her vehicle combined with her proximity to the airport (which enables her to offer free airport delivery) have greatly contributed to her success on the Turo platform.
Jessica also expressed some frustrations that she has experienced including a negative rating she once received when she had to cancel just prior to a rental exchange because her check engine light came on. She felt it was in the renter's best interest not to take the car if there was a potential problem but her rating took a hit still the same. Another frustration Jessica voiced was focused on the exchange headaches that are caused by flight delays and the impact those delays can have on other aspects of her personal life. Equally disruptive, last minute cancellations by renters can also leave one with a sense of wasted time when other plans are cancelled or deferred in anticipation of an exchange that never happens.
Jessica stated that she typically uses past ratings of renters to determine whether or not she will accept a rental request which mitigates some but not all of these risks. In my case, I had no past ratings so she based her decision purely on the friendliness and tone of the rental request. Finally, Jessica said that overall, her experience with Turo has been really positive and that the platform has taught her that there are "more good people in the world than not."
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| Turo Rental Counter: Jessica's Range Rover at her House |
About 2 hours prior to our agreed upon return time for Jessica's Range Rover, I received a gentle reminder in the form of a text message from Turo. I refueled the vehicle and cleaned out any trash prior to returning the vehicle to Jessica's driveway. As I handed her the keys, Jessica offered me coffee, bottled water, and a ride to the airport which I politely declined. We stood outside in her driveway talking about life and her uncle while I waited for my Uber to arrive and take me to my next adventure. In thinking back, I realize that Turo not only allowed me to create experiences through using a vehicle but also through the process of exchanging that vehicle within a community of friends that are "more good...than not."
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