Acorn Rentals

Acorn Vans on the Road

2012-02-24T09:39:00.004+11:00

Here's a sneak peek at our new Hiace vans, back from the graphics shop fresh with our Acorn branding. Keep an eye out for them on Sydney's roads!

Bring on 2012!

2012-01-09T15:32:00.006+11:00

The Acorn Rentals office is back in full swing for 2012. After our most successful calendar year yet in 2011 we're excited to continue servicing the accident replacement vehicle needs of Australia.

In some Sydney based news we've just taken delivery of new Toyota Hiace vans and Toyota Aurion sedans, with new Hilux utes to follow shortly! If you've been in an accident that wasn't your fault get in touch today for a free courtesy car - 1300 22 67 67.

Free delivery & pick-up now available for our Perth customers

2011-08-25T16:24:00.002+10:00

We're now offering free delivery and pick-up of our rental vehicles for customers in Perth as part of our courtesy car service.

All customers living in the Perth metro area are entitled to this service. If you've been in a non fault accident and you live in Perth just give Acorn Rentals a call and we could have you back on the road in one of our free courtesy cars.

We're able to deliver the car to any smash repair shop in Perth.

Adelaide customers... delivery makes life easy!

2011-08-12T09:16:00.002+10:00

If you're in Adelaide and in need of a free accident replacement vehicle you might want to consider Acorn Rentals.

We have been providing courtesy cars in Adelaide free of charge for nearly three years. We now take this service a step further, with the vehicles able to be delivered and picked up to a location that suits you best.

We implemented the delivery service in Adelaide earlier this year and it has been very well received. We'll deliver the courtesy car anywhere in the Adelaide metro area. Most deliveries are done to smash repair shops, so if you're getting your car repaired after a non fault accident in Adelaide give us a call!

Acorn's rental management software system showcased at FileMaker DevCon

2011-08-12T09:14:00.003+10:00

In keeping with our commitment to innovation in our industry we've developed our own rental management solution inhouse at Acorn Rentals.

This system is totally customised to our unique courtesy car rental service and has been refined constantly over the years. It is considered an ever evolving work in progress - we're constantly refining it based on our experience, requirements and feedback.

The system was deemed worthy enough to be showcased at the recent FileMaker DevCon in San Diego, USA. Our solution was presented as a highly customised and complete rental and business management system for the courtesy car industry.

Acorn Rentals open Melbourne office/depot

2011-07-29T13:50:00.002+10:00

The first half of 2011 has been a big one for Acorn Rentals, with our Melbourne depot & office opening successfully.

After many marketing trips and site scouting visits we settled on a location in Collingwood earlier this year. The depot has since been fully staffed and a fleet of Acorn vehicles have been getting our customers back on the Melbourne streets after a non-fault accident.

So if you've been involved in a non fault accident in Melbourne get in touch with us and we'll be able to get you back on the road while your vehicle is repaired... and in keeping with the whole Melbourne/Collingwood theme guess we'd better say go the Pies!

Acorn Rentals = Defensive Driving

2011-07-21T08:29:00.004+10:00

Acorn Rentals recently sent three staff members out to the Drive to Survive driver training program at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney.

This program teaches defensive driving under the umbrella of Post Licence Driver Training and Development. The team members learnt braking and collision avoidance techniques.

With many Acorn staff spending thousands of hours and kilometres on the road per year, this was a valuable session and in the name of safety something Acorn is considering rolling out for all delivery staff in future.

For more information on the course check out http://www.drive-to-survive.com.au/

Acorn Rentals ditches the paper

2011-07-19T08:59:00.002+10:00

The team at Acorn Rentals have been hard at work behind the scenes as part of our push to reduce our environmental impact by cutting down the consumption of paper, printer toner etc. We've invested significant time and effort in upgrading our technology systems and operational processes, with the focus on removing the need for paper based files. After months of hard work we're now running a paperless office, meaning our consumption of consumables and impact on the environment is substantially less.

Interview on the Acorn Rentals iPad system

2011-07-05T15:15:00.003+10:00

Aaron Martin from Acorn Rentals was recently interviewed for the Filemaker produced podcast series "Business & Database Solutions for iPhone & iPad".

The interview discussed the development & implementation of our ground breaking iPad based rental management system.

To listen to the podcast head to http://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/business-database-solutions/id421544291

Vote for Acorn Rentals in People's Choice Telstra Business Award

2011-04-06T14:22:00.004+10:00

If you've had a good experience using one of our accident replacement vehicles we'd love your vote in the 2011 'People's Choice' category of the Telstra Business Awards.

Voting is really simple - just head to http://tinyurl.com/3d2o5qp and click on the 'Vote' or 'Recommend' button at the top of the page. That's all there is to it.

Thanks for your support!

New Acorn Rentals website launched

2011-04-05T15:34:00.004+10:00

We have launched our brand new website design today. Our emphasis when creating the site was on a clean, professional layout that was easy to use. All the key site features are easily accessible from the main page.

The site re-design also sees Acorn Rentals engaging in the social media realm. Check the links for our Twitter & Facebook pages to stay up to date on the latest accident replacement vehicle, motor insurance and general motoring news. We have also included a blog feed on our main page. We'll constantly update it with Acorn news, so keep checking back.

We hope you enjoy the new site.

Acorn Rentals featured in April edition of NETT Magazine

2011-03-28T15:12:00.003+11:00

NETT Magazine recently chose to profile Acorn Rentals in a feature article on mobile solutions for business. The article follows our implementation of the iPad/FileMaker Go mobile set-up for our delivery drivers.

The magazine is available now in all newsagents. A PDF of the article can be found by clicking here.

For more on NETT magazine head to their website at http://www.nett.com.au/

FileMaker features Acorn Rentals in promotional video and article

2011-02-16T10:28:00.005+11:00

FileMaker recently chose to use Acorn Rentals implementation of the iPad/FileMaker Go set-up in a case study promoting their FileMaker Go app.

The company arranged for a film crew to film a short video covering our use of the iPad and FileMaker Go and also for some editorial content to support the video.

This case study and video can be found on the FileMaker Website at:

http://www.filemaker.com/solutions/customers/acorn-ipad-database.html

For more information on Acorn Rentals:

http://www.acornrentals.com.au

The video can also be found on Youtube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEyN12uVTpY

Acorn Rentals featured in MacWorld Magazine

2011-02-10T08:50:00.005+11:00

Acorn Rentals have been featured in the latest edition of Australian MacWorld.

In the February 2011 edition of the magazine Filemaker have taken out a double page spread in the centre of the magazine to promote their Filemaker Go application.

The spread includes a full page case study focusing on Acorn Rentals and our implementation of their FileMaker Go apps.

For more information on Australian MacWorld head to http://www.macworld.com.au

For more on Acorn Rentals and our free courtesy cars please head to http://www.acornrentals.com.au

Acorn Rentals featured on Australian Macworld

2010-11-12T16:53:00.008+11:00

An article on Acorn Rentals and our decision to implement iPads for our delivery drivers has been included on the popular Mac related website Australian Macworld.

The article can be found here:

http://www.macworld.com.au/blogs/ipad-in-business-an-interview-with-acorn-rentals-19168/

Here's the article:

Since our interview with MicroStrategy in September about how the company has introduced iPads to its operations, even more companies have been taking to iOS. One such business is Acorn Rentals – a company that temporarily replaces vehicles after an accident. Those not at fault get a free rental car while their car is being repaired and the costs are recovered from the insurance company.

Acorn provides this service Australia-wide and has been in operation for 20 years. In that time they have run their entire rental bookings system and managed all data on a custom FileMaker setup, which has been constantly refined over the years.

This has culminated in the company recently implementing FileMaker Go on iPads for all its delivery drivers. Not only can the drivers access the database, but head office can quickly see how far the drivers are away from a customer.

We asked Michael Costin from Acorn a few questions on how the iPads are going.

AMW: What sort of hardware have you been running FileMaker on over the past 15 years?

MC: Many years ago we started out with a simple Filemaker database on a single computer. Over the years as we refined our rental process and the company expanded, we have continued to constantly tweak the application. After 15 years of development it is now a very sophisticated piece of car rental software – perfectly streamlined for our business. These days we have a special FileMaker server in our head office which all our office staff are able to access over our network, as well as the iPads running Filemaker Go.

AMW: How does FileMaker typically help business run smoothly?

MC: Filemaker is the core of our day-to-day business. Every potential client is assigned an RA Number. Within this unique file on the system we are able to store all their information, insurance details, delivery details, time stamped file notes of all actions taken and a wide range of other functions. We schedule all our deliveries and pick-ups through Filemaker as well.

AMW: How many staff now have iPads? How much time does it save having access to the FileMaker database?

MC: We currently have 5 iPads in operation in Sydney for our delivery drivers. Previously rental agreements made out on the road were completed on paper. Now using FileMaker Go on iPad we have full access to our database remotely and can input our client and vehicle details directly into our server in real time, saving us countless sheets of paper and hours in office administration. Furthermore, our drivers now have visibility into vehicle movements via the iPad so additional pick-ups and deliveries can be made without returning to the office. Using satellite tracking on the iPad it also allows us to locate drivers and provide more accurate arrival times for our clients.

AMW: Can you estimate how long it takes to make up the purchase price of the iPads?

MC: We look at the purchase of the iPads as an investment in savings on administration time and costs as well as saving on the costs of consumables like paper, toner cartridges etc. It is hard to put a dollar figure on that, but over time the iPads will pay for themselves.

AMW: You mention being able to locate drivers using GPS. How exactly do you do this? Do you use MobileMe?

MC: Yes, we have MobileMe on all our delivery iPads plus a main iPad back at the office. Using this we’re able to see the precise location of all our drivers out on the road. This helps us give customers an estimate of when the vehicle should arrive or when we can expect our drivers back at base, removing the need for phone calls back and forth with our drivers.

AMW: Why did you opt for iPads rather than iPhones or iPod touches?

MC: The simple answer is screen real estate. Since we are accessing our Filemaker database out on the road the bigger screen of the iPad allows us to view it all easier. The Acorn FileMaker system until now has only been used on our desktop computers, so the iPad was best for use with our existing software.

AMW: Finally, and most importantly, would you recommend these solutions to other businesses?

MC: We’ve found this setup to really cut back on office admin and it’s another step in our move to become a paperless organisation. This setup has worked well for us because we have had 15 years of developing our Filemaker system behind us. We trialled FileMaker Go and were instantly amazed with the possibilities, power and ease of use. It’s exactly like using FileMaker Pro in the office, just with a slightly smaller screen!

For anyone currently using Filemaker in their day-to-day operations, the use of Filemaker Go can give you true mobility with minimum headache. Tackling the project from scratch would prove to be more of an undertaking, but for our purposes we were able to purchase the iPads and FileMaker Go apps and then start using them with relatively few modifications to our existing Filemaker system.

The only minor complaints we’ve had would be the limits of the 3G networks when it comes to data speed, but this really has had minimum negative impact for our purposes.

Acorn Rentals article in Filemaker Magazine

2010-11-05T16:32:00.007+11:00

Acorn Rentals has been featured in the Filemaker newsletter, covering our decision to implement Filemaker Go on the iPad across the board for our delivery drivers.

Here's the link:

http://staging.filemaker.com.au/newsletter/oct2010/FM_pages/page_03/FM-News_pg-03.html

And here's the article:

Acorn Rentals Reduces Costs and Environmental Impact with FileMaker Go

Acorn Rentals, accident replacement vehicle specialist, has been using FileMaker Pro to manage its data for the last 16 years. To help improve administration efficiency and increase the mobility of its team, the company invested in the recently released FileMaker Go for iPad.

Acorn Rentals was introduced to FileMaker Go by FBA member, Keysoft. At the time Acorn was in the midst of developing a system to access its FileMaker database remotely with a company in the UK, however it was proving to be expensive and complex.

Aaron Martin, National Marketing Manager at Acorn Rentals said, “We trialed FileMaker Go and were instantly amazed with the possibilities, power and ease of use. It’s exactly like using FileMaker Pro in the office, just with a slightly smaller screen! We cancelled our other project almost immediately, and we remain on good terms with the company.”

“Previously rental agreements made out on the road were completed on paper. Now using FileMaker Go on iPad we have full access to our database remotely and can input our client and vehicle details directly into our server in real time, saving us countless sheets of paper and hours in office administration.”

“Furthermore, our drivers now have visibility into vehicle movements via the iPad so additional pick-ups and deliveries can be made without returning to the office. Using satellite tracking on the iPad it also allows us to locate drivers and provide more accurate arrival times for our clients.”

“FileMaker Go on iPad has allowed us to expand at a rate not previously possible while vastly reducing costs and environmental impact,” concluded Martin.

For more information on:

Keysoft please visit www.keysoft.com.au

Acorn Rentals please visit www.acornrentals.com.au

Acorn Rentals Implement iPad technology

2010-09-23T15:03:00.003+10:00

Australia’s leading accident replacement vehicle firm Acorn Rentals has today announced the implementation of iPad technology for all delivery staff across the board. This new system has enabled Acorn to greatly speed up the rental process, reduce the amount of admin work involved in each rental and reduce their environmental impact.

All car rentals are now done electronically, with Acorn’s delivery & pick-up staff using an iPad to complete the process out on the road. The iPad is linked to Acorn’s custom rental management server at their headquarters via Telstra Next G, giving their delivery staff full remote access to all the features they require. The admin work associated with each rental is greatly reduced as all the data is fed into the main system in real time. Acorn’s drivers can now see vehicle movements required in real time and can make these pickups and deliveries without returning to base. Further costs and environmental impact have been reduced by the ability of the iPad to access the satellite navigation app which shows the best route, as well as the elimination of massive amounts of paper use. The iPad also allows Acorns office staff to locate the delivery drivers using GPS to better organise vehicle movements and provide ETA’s for their customers.

The entire iPad rental system has been custom developed by Acorn Rentals to work with their existing systems. These latest developments ensure Acorn stays at the forefront of the courtesy car industry in Australia.

http://www.acornrentals.com.au
1300 22 67 67

Been In A Car Crash? Not At Fault?

2010-07-15T09:12:00.004+10:00

Have you had a car crash that was not your fault? You'll be pleased to hear Acorn Rentals can likely provide you a free rental car. We provide our cars totally free of all charges to people not at fault in an accident, with the at fault insurance company covering the charges. So if you have had a non fault accident and are without the use of a car get in touch:

http://www.acornrentals.com.au

1300 22 67 67

Acorn Rentals Blog Launched

2010-06-17T10:24:00.007+10:00

Acorn Rentals, the market leading accident replacement vehicle firm in Australia has today launched our blog. We'll be posting news articles and information relating to the accident replacement/demurrage industry in Australia.

About Acorn Rentals:

Acorn Rentals is a fast growing leader of the Australian accident replacement vehicle industry. Acorn’s core business is to provide rental vehicles free of charge to people who are not at fault in a car accident. The rental charges are then recovered from the at fault person’s insurance company. Acorn guarantees its customers will never be charged for the rental vehicle, does not require deposits and the customer will never be out of pocket, even if we do not end up recovering the charges – it’s completely a no hidden fees or strings attached service. Acorn has strong relationships with panel beaters and smash repair shops Australia-wide. We also have long standing relationships with all reputable Australian insurance companies and mitigating costs for the insurance industry is an integral ethos of the business.

Acorn Rentals
http://www.acornrentals.com.au
1300 22 67 67