The world is back to being mobile. Using a travel alternative that exudes comfort and effectiveness is a couple of consideration while on holiday, on business or throughout daily activities.
TREVO is that alternative, and Indonesia Expat has chatted with Myoung-hwan (Max) Choi all about this car rental app available in Indonesia.
Hi, Max! We’d like to know more about you. Please introduce yourself.
Hello, Indonesia Expat! I’m Myoung-hwan Choi, the CEO of SMM Group which is the holding company of TREVO Indonesia. But please, you can call me Max. I’m a South Korean who has been living in the SEA region for more than ten years, travelling back and forth between Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Seoul.
Being a sceptic, I’ve always raised an eyebrow whenever my colleagues tell me stories about Indonesia. Besides the natural beauty, one point in particular that is always brought up is Indonesian hospitality and passion. As a traveller at heart, I sought to come to Jakarta and Bali for my first visit to Indonesia years ago. After years of travel and experiencing the culture myself, now I can say that this sentiment toward Indonesia is true. Indonesia and its people have earned a very special place in my heart. That, and soto betawi!
Briefly explain TREVO.
TREVO is a car rental app that aims to change the way we travel with rental cars. We bring convenience to people who need a rental car service by using a mobile app to find and rent various car options for any activity from the car host communities inside the TREVO ecosystem.
With this solution, we’re bringing a new standard to the rental car industry with better service, easier processes, price transparency, and various car options compared to conventional rental car business models.
As the CEO of TREVO, what initially sparked the idea to introduce the company in Indonesia?
We see that in Indonesia, there is a fast-growing business in the car rental segment of the transportation industry. Indonesia already has a great market in tourism supported by its demographic advantage, which is directly related to the car rental business.
When we deep dive into the car rental business in Indonesia, it’s quite traditional in terms of how business is done; how the car hosts promote their business and how the customer searches for and books rental cars.
That’s why TREVO aims to disrupt the traditional car rental industry by digitising it through our solution. Car hosts and customers can benefit from each other without having the hassle of doing a car rental transaction traditionally.
Furthermore, along with the rapid economic growth, the main movement market centred on large cities is transitioning from two-wheel vehicles to four-wheel vehicles, which makes Indonesia an attractive market.
How does TREVO ensure privacy, cleanliness, safety, and any other concerns users might have?
We use machine learning to validate the authenticity of the documents submitted by our customers to manage risk. Cars also have inspection stages before being sent to customers to provide a car in good condition and a great experience for all parties – between car owners, renters, and TREVO itself.
What sets TREVO’s services apart from the rest?
Compared to the other players in the market, our brand experience matters most – and this is what makes us different from the rest. Breaking down the elements of what makes us able to deliver a great brand experience, there are; the supply of car options, great product experience, and service excellence.
The first is the various car options available. Since we work and maintain a great relationship with a network of car hosts around Indonesia, we are strong in variety and supply. For example, users can rent an Alphard or a Fortuner for a family holiday, or rent SUVs for a trip with friends, an Innova for their daily business operations, for a honeymoon, or cafe-hopping with friends, etc. With a wide variety of hosts that offer different cars, customers can enjoy any experience within a single app on their smartphones.
The second element is that we build a great product experience through the mobile app. We make sure that our product can answer the challenges customers face when they need to rent a car. We’ve built a smooth and easy registration process when they sign up without taking too much effort, and after the verification process, they can go search for any car in any city in Indonesia. It’s that simple.
The last element is our service excellence. We always see from our customers’ perspective first. What kind of information do they seek from our product, what kind of service they need, and how do they interact with our business? This matters to us.
To add, this spirit of competitiveness comes from the know-how accumulated on Malaysia’s side of the business for years prior.
Run through the guest booking process at TREVO.
It’s very simple. First, you need to download our app, sign up and do the simple verification process – submit a selfie, ID verification, etc. After that, you can search for car options based on the city. Tap on the car you want, set how many days you are going to rent, and then proceed to the payment process.
As soon as you’re done with the process, you’ll get a confirmation about your booking from our system and the car host.
What are the requirements to become a “host” at TREVO?
To become a host at TREVO, you’ll need to submit the required documents. Those documents are; your national ID, your vehicle’s registration, interior and exterior pictures, and your vehicle tax information.
You then wait for TREVO’s approval. This usually takes five minutes for our staff and machine learning to verify your credentials. After we approve your submission, you can start your journey as a TREVO host and earn extra money from your car!
Indonesia’s major cities are quite populated with vehicles. Do you think TREVO is an alternative to combat the never-ending congestion issue? Why?
We believe that TREVO can play an important role in contributing to Indonesia’s congestion problem. By renting cars, you’re freeing yourself from the burden of owning one. Why live with a hassle that will become a liability in five to ten years? At TREVO, you can rent cars with the convenience of owning one at any time. TREVO aims to reduce cars on the road not just for mobility’s sake, but for the future of our environment.
According to a study by SOCAR, Korea’s No. 1 car-sharing company, sharing a car can remove seven individually-owned vehicles from the streets. In essence, the more cars we share via the TREVO platform, the more we can reduce the number of cars on the road.
Complete this sentence: With TREVO, you and your loved ones will…
Have a much easier time renting any car, anytime!
Do you have personal experience using TREVO? If yes, tell us about your experience.
I am using TREVO every day while I’m in Malaysia or Indonesia. No matter if it’s in the capital or Bali, whatever the reason for my travels, TREVO has proven time and time again to be the most trustworthy and practical option for me. I usually opt to rent a car that includes a driver, and for the rest of the day, I’m pretty much set. I’m not very fluent in Bahasa Indonesia, so it’s nice to have the peace of mind that I can travel freely with the help of the driver.
It’s also very convenient that you can choose from a variety of car types that are perfect for all of your travel purposes. Vans for family travel, executive sedans for important client journeys, compact cars for convenient transportation in the city centre, etc.
For a scenario I’d love to try, I would love to fly over Bali in a helicopter. Yes, if you didn’t know, we offer helicopter trips that you can book in the app – now you do.
Max, what’s next for TREVO?
Our focus for TREVO in Indonesia now is to grow and strengthen our presence nationwide. We are currently available in 23 cities with over 5,000 listed vehicles available, but we feel more checks need to be marked. Growing a strong supply to meet the ever-growing demand, building a strong relationship within our car host community, and overall building a better experience for our customers – this is what we plan to achieve.
How can our readers get in touch with TREVO?
You can follow our social media accounts on Instagram and Tiktok (@trevo.indo) or email [email protected] if you need any support from our teams.
Thanks for the chat, Max! Stay safe and happy.
