Category: Communauto

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Communauto Tips and Tricks

The reservation grid is in the app!

The long-awaited moment has arrived: the reservation grid is officially integrated directly into the Communauto app. You asked for it, and we’ve developed it!

Now, at a glance, you can see the start and end dates/times of reservations for all vehicles at a station. Super convenient, right? It’s perfect for last-minute reservations because, if you have some flexibility, you can adjust your selection to slip in between two reservations!

Please note that only reservations starting within the next 72 hours give access to this tool. 

In addition to being available in your online account, you now also have it at your fingertips in the app. Here’s how it works:

For more information on round-trip vehicle booking, please visit our FAQ.

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Communauto

Some important winter reminders

The last snowfall caused more than its fair share of situations, sometimes comical, but sometimes dramatic. Not to mention the reputational impact this can have when vehicles are abandoned in places where they obstruct the path of residents or bring complaints from parking managers.

Often, the survival of our stations hang by a thread and we need everyone’s collaboration to prevent it from breaking. Here are the 5 commandments to add to your “good car sharer” toolbox:

Good (re)FLEXes, you shall keep

Some give in too easily to the temptation to temporarily park their FLEX or release it in a space reserved for round-trip vehicles in a station. We have a nice example of this in the photo below (see the vehicle in the background, right). However, this is totally prohibited:

  • It is forbidden to park a FLEX in a round-trip station or elsewhere than in authorized places, which does not include alleys, nor commercial parking lots and even less towing areas (yes, we’ve seen cases…).
  • Vehicles should always be parked appropriately so as not to obstruct traffic.

We strongly encourage you to refer to the FLEX parking guide if in doubt.

Shovel to park (sometimes), you must

It’s no secret that snow makes parking difficult. And even if some people think that our vehicles are as sturdy as a 4×4 or are tempted to parallel park à la “Fast and Furious” in unlikely places, let’s try to show some restraint!

If the car gets stuck while you are using it, you remain responsible for it, and everyone is expected to either fix the situation on their own or contact us for help. But under no circumstances can you slip away without even telling us, as has happened many times in the last week. This is true even in situations that occur at one of our stations, as seen in the photo above.

If this vehicle had been yours, would you have abandoned it in that way? Do we really want to be the laughingstock of everyone on social media?🤔

Reserved parking spots, you will respect

In stations, certain rules must also be respected if we do not want to lose our spots there:

In some stations, it is possible to park anywhere onsite, while in others, specific places are assigned to us. Stay alert to make sure you park in the right place and always consult the station info by clicking on the name of the station in your app to find out the rules applicable to this location.

Accessories, you will put back in place

Believe it or not, a strange phenomenon of duplication or disappearance of accessories leads us to have to remind you that the shovel and the snow brush must remain in the vehicle so that the next member can also use them. Strangely, some vehicles end up with three snow brushes and two shovels while others do not have any!

Please store these accessories in the trunk after using them. It’s never very pleasant to sit on a soggy seat…

Enough washer fluid, you will ensure

So as not to be caught off guard, we strongly advise you to always check the washer fluid level before using a vehicle and, if necessary, that a container is present in the vehicle.

If there is no more, you can buy some. Unfortunately, because of past fraud, it will not be possible for you to pay with the credit card present in the vehicle (these cards only work for gas purchases) but you can provide us with your receipts via the app and you will be reimbursed.

If possible, dispose of the empty containers at the gas station! If you leave them in the vehicle, they will only unnecessarily clutter.

Thank you for your collaboration!

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Communauto News Nouvelles Québec

Benoît Robert, President of Communauto… and appointed to the Order of Canada!

2023 is here and the entire team wishes you a happy new year!

We’re kicking off the year by sharing a great accomplishment for the Communauto family. 

It is with great pride that we announce the appointment of Benoît Robert, CEO and founder of Communauto, to the Order of Canada “for his contribution to the development of the carsharing industry and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions”. The Order of Canada is the highest civilian honour in Canada. It recognizes individuals from all sectors of society who have made extraordinary and lasting contributions to Canada. Discover the press release and the complete list of 2022 nominees.

Nothing better to start a new year on the right foot!

This accomplishment is a great occasion to look back on the road taken so far. We take this opportunity to share with you some key dates and figures: 

For the past 28 years, our president has mobilized all Communauto’s teams to offer you a more sustainable way to get around. We are also continually collaborating with several players in the public transit industry to offer citizens complementary and alternative solutions for sustainable mobility to make our cities greener. 

So, we share this nomination with you, dear carsharers who contribute to our mission.  

Nevertheless, we are not resting on our laurels and will continue to multiply our efforts to offer you a sustainable alternative to car ownership.  

 We look forward to continuing this journey with you! 

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Communauto Québec Tips and Tricks

Report damage and cleanliness issues right from the app

It’s possible to notify us of new damage, or a messy car, directly in the Communauto app. Simply click on “Report (damage, cleanliness)” in the main menu.

Here are some guidelines to make your reports even more effective:

What to report?

Via the form now available in the app:

  • Any damage for which you are responsible: (see article 5.1 of the Rules and Regulations for more details on what is mandatory to report).
  • Any significant damage that is not already listed on the damage card located in the vehicle’s glove box:
    • outside the vehicle: visible damage or cracks resulting from an impact or significant rub and clearly requiring intervention on our part, damage to the windshield (crack or chip larger than a dime), etc.
    • inside the vehicle: broken dashboard accessories, tears in fabric (on a seat, or other), etc.
  • Any mess that can be cleaned (i.e. discarded food/wrappers, masks/wipes, pet hair/paw prints) and/or which indicates a flagrant lack of courtesy to others, which is important to denounce.

By phone:

Any problem or damage preventing the use of the vehicle: never leave a voicemail message or use our reporting form to report a problem that requires immediate intervention.

Don’t report:

  • Permanent stains on the seat fabric (unfortunately we will not be able to remove them).
  • Small scuffs or superficial scratches, small rust spots, or barely visible dents.

Avoid sending us more photos than necessary

A picture is already worth a thousand words, and extra photos only add unnecessary processing time.

In addition, to make it easier for us to assess the situation, it’s better to provide us with wider photos rather than a close-up shot. Take a second, closer photo only if necessary (if what you want to draw our attention to isn’t obvious in the first photo). In most cases, a single photo should suffice.

What follow-up should you expect?

Any damage that impacts the drivability of the vehicle, or damage that could quickly get worse without proper attention, will be addressed without delay.

Minor damage that is purely aesthetic in nature, however, is subject to prioritization. This damage is noted on the vehicle damage card to help avoid duplicate reports.

In the case of messy vehicle reports, we also need to prioritize, as it’s not possible to send out a fleet agent after every single report. In this regard, the photos you take and send in are of great help to us. They allow us to move up a vehicle’s cleaning as necessary, and reach out to potential culprits.

It’s thanks to the contribution of as many people as possible that we’ll all be able to “drive cleaner”.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation!