We recently connected with Cristian Marquina and have shared our conversation below.
Cristian, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I’ve always loved to work in Hospitality. Meeting new people every day, serving people interacting across different cultures and making them feel welcome and happy during their vacations was always a great feeling. But for a long time, I had a dream: Start my own business. So back in 2017 I started to ask myself what were my strengths and skills that I could build on even better by having my own business? and What kind of business? I’ve been a Car fan my entire life. So, I saw a business opportunity for myself in the Car Rental Business. This is how Trinus Rent a Car was born. Combining one of my passions (cars) and what I already knew how to do very well (serve people). But I needed something more to stand out in a market that was already so consolidated! And I believe that was and is my differential to this day: A personalized service. So, my wife joined the challenge (she has a background of Business Administration and Marketing) and together we work hard every day so that Trinus Rent a Car exceeds the expectations of every customer.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
My name is Cristian. I was born and raised in Lima, Peru and moved to the US about 17 years ago. I studied Hospitality Management and have been working in the hospitality business for the last 20 years. With my background in hospitality, customer service was the difference because people started to call me. I offer delivery and pick up at the airport, hotel, or vacation home so clients don’t have to wait in huge lines to get a car rental regardless of what time they arrive or leave. Unlike the big car rental companies when my client arrives, someone from our team will greet them and deliver the car. We take the time to explain every detail about the car rental process and the operation of that vehicle they will be driving. We also give them all the information they need to know to be able to drive a rental car during their vacation to avoid any fine or parking tickets. We give tips about the city, surrounding areas, and attractions. Our team speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese so clients have all the information they need in their language. 90% of our clients are foreigners so that makes a lot of difference for them. Today, our fleet of cars goes from an Economic sedan to Minivans serving people from all over the world that comes to visit Orlando.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I think the most important component was understanding our audience. The better you know your customer, the better you can create content that appeals to them. 90% of our clients are foreigners (mostly Spanish and Portuguese speakers) so we worked in collaborations with influencers and Youtubers from Latin America. We are present on Facebook and Instagram and one of the things that we’ve done since the beginning and that I think was essential for our growth on social media and the business itself is that I show my face every day on those platforms. Seeing a face behind the brand shows you’re not a robot who automates everything. And confirms our differential from other companies. We post real pictures, real clients, real reviews and that way our community knows who they are working with. Clients want to connect with someone, not a machine. We’ve given plenty of tips, videos, tutorials, and guides explaining traffic rules, how they can fill up gas, how toll collection works, etc. through our social media helping our clients to have a better and easier experience driving one of our cars while on vacation.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I love to serve; I speak English, Spanish and Portuguese and treat every single client as part of my family. In this market it may be high-pressure at times, or you may have to work long or unconventional hours. Sometimes we must deliver a car at 5am on a Sunday. But we always do it with a smile on our faces and ready to solve any questions our client must have. If a client has a flat tire, they know who to call. Not a 0800 machine. It is all about personalized service. That way we built customer relationships. We are also very thankful to every person who believed and continues to believe in us and to God above all because He provides us with wisdom day by day to be able to face the challenges that the company demands.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.trinusrentacar.com/
- Instagram: @trinusrentacar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trinusrentacar
Image Credits
Personal Pictures