Hertz - Rant about terrible Hertz service on 10/8 at IAD

I am not a frequent renter with Hertz, and my most recent experience is likely to reduce the chance of any future rentals. Here's my short tale of woe and intrigue:

I took the wife and kids to Virginia this past week for a "historical"vacation. Flew from DEN to IAD. I thought sure I had booked a rental back in August, but checking on arrangements a few days before, I couldn't locate a reservation confirmation number with usual suspects (Avis, dollar, budget) so I ended up making a late booking with Hertz. I needed a minivan or SUV and Hertz was the only (IAD) airport location with one available. I waited in line for 45 minutes just to pick up the vehicle. The line was 25 people long at different points and they had 3 (and sometimes only 2) counter people working. I called the 800 number for Hertz and complained while waiting in line (loudly enough so that the other customers as well as a counter agent could hear me). I mean, could the morons at Hertz REALLY not figure out how many renters they had coming Saturday afternoon and have staff to handle them? The person I reached at the 800 number said they would file a complaint (fat lot of good that would do me) but offered no other assistance.

The next time, I'll save time and money and just rent from an off-airport Enterprise location, even figuring in the taxi to the off-airport location.

Was this just really atypical or how long is the wait usually? How does Hertz stay in business with this kind of (non) service?

Unfortunately, problems, in this case understaffing, can always come up. What keeps me coming back to Hertz is that problems are rare, and when they do happen the response, especially at the corporate level, is quick and apologetic.

Even before I joined #1 Club Gold and was a regular customer Hertz's customer service was excellent. When I complained a few years ago about a situation similar to yours I received some $$ off vouchers. I don't remember the amount, but it was enough to appease me. Another time I had a several hundred mile one-way rental with broken cruise control; they knocked off half the cost of the rental.

You should definitely write to customer service and let them know about the service problem. I think with Hertz it's the exception, not the norm.

This sounds like the IAD line at the regular counter, although I've never seen it 25 people long...I've seen it maybe 10 at most in the very few times I've ever used them.

Based on the information you provided, it doesn't look like you're a member of Hertz #1 or #1 Gold and there's a world of difference between those services and regular customers.

Based on the information you provided, it doesn't look like you're a member of Hertz #1 or #1 Gold...


Sure enough. but with this service failure, I'm hardly inclined to give them another try, much less become a regular customer.

Make sure you file a complaint after the rental. Maybe use the email form on the website. Corporate is good at trying to make thing right after a service failure.

I think these kinds of issues could happen at any rental company though. I would take this opportunity to register for #1 Gold service now, so if you ever decide to rent again from Hertz, it should be a bit faster. You can google for a free registration link.

Most of us on this forum are #1Club/Gold and do not even interact with a Hertz employee when picking up a vehicle.

Your first impression was really not typical of overall Hertz service and is avoidable if you plan on renting vehicles on a regular basis.

People call in sick, get tied up, get busy, whatever. It happens at Hertz, Avis, Enterprise and all the others. It just wasn't your day!

I am sorry about your experience. Unfortunately, it is typical of IAD.

I do about 60 car rentals per year through Hertz, and am at the Prez Circle Gold level. 20 a year are at IAD.

Even so, I have had 4 incidents at IAD this year alone, where the GOLD BOOTH had a line fo 20-40 people, and it has been a pure fiasco.

On the other hand, I have never had any problems anywhere other than IAD with Hertz in the last 18 months.

I think there is some evil alien force field around Dulles airport that causes everything to go crazy.

albatross

I called the 800 number for Hertz and complained while waiting in line (loudly enough so that the other customers as well as a counter agent could hear me). I mean, could the morons at Hertz REALLY not figure out how many renters they had coming Saturday afternoon and have staff to handle them? The person I reached at the 800 number said they would file a complaint (fat lot of good that would do me) but offered no other assistance.

1. As someone who works in Customer Service, it is people like you that annoy me no end. Do you really think that the person having to service 25 cranky customers really enjoyed it ? I'd guess they were having as much fun as you were.

2. What would you like the person on the 800 number to do ? Say "Certainly, go to the top of the line".

Imagine you were in that line and the phone at the counter rang. The agent stops serving customers (to a loud groan of customers, no doubt) looks up and signals Mr Smith from behind you to come to the top of the line. Would you be pissed off ? Damn right you would. So why would you expect them to do something like that to you?

Sure, Hertz should have got more staff on during a peak period, but that's not the person at the desk's fault. They're probably not the franchisee or anyone important enough to roster additional staff.

Most of us on this forum are #1Club/Gold and do not even interact with a Hertz employee when picking up a vehicle.
How true -- I even pre-answer the questions when I get to the gate after picking up a Gold car reservation.

Sorry to hear about your experience.

I've been a President's Circle (PC) member with Hertz for the past 3 years. Terrific Service everytime - (even before PC). I'm actually eager to rent from Hertz whenever possible.

In the past 2-3 years, there have been occasions, when other vendors (National, Alamo, Budget) have offered me terrific deals. But when I did take those deals (with advance reservations), I immediately enrolled in their "Frequent Renter" programs (Fastbreak/National Emerald/etc.). Then called back to update the reservation with my FR #.

With this done, my lines at the counters were always negligible.

Moral of the story: If you have time - do enroll in these programs - you won't regret it - and yes, you might score an occasional upgrade too ;) .

I'm a regular at IAD and I also found the service terrible. The best part about being Gold is not having to talk to the surly staff there. :td:

To add to what has been said, the IAD station is far from a stellar performer in the system.

While Hertz is my primary rental agency, I've rented at IAD from Alamo, Budget, and Avis in the past 2 years and have had equally poor service from all three. Yes, your experience at IAD sounds very poor and I believe you are entitled to some sort of discount on your next reservation if you complain. However, saying that you got poor service and therefore are unlikely to try then again is like saying, "United was 90 minutes late into Dulles from Denver therefore I'm never flying them again," when in reality delays happens on every single carrier on a daily basis. The point is -- making a decision about what airline, or in this case car rental company, you select needs to be done over time and not on a specific case. I would urge you to sign up for Gold and try Hertz again.

I'm a regular at IAD and I also found the service terrible. The best part about being Gold is not having to talk to the surly staff there. :td:

Agreed. The other frustrating policy that they have is that you must rent at least a full size or better to reserve a Neverlost (DCA has the same policy). I rent midsize at BOS every other week with NL with no problems and always end up with a decent upgrade.

Another bad night at IAD last night. No name on board. They have a new night manager and I think he feels bad about the situation. He gave me a Land Rover to compensate.

He (the manager) mentioned they are building a combined rental facility at IAD like the one at BWI. Anyone know anything about this?

1. As someone who works in Customer Service, it is people like you that annoy me no end. Do you really think that the person having to service 25 cranky customers really enjoyed it ? I'd guess they were having as much fun as you were.

2. What would you like the person on the 800 number to do ? Say "Certainly, go to the top of the line".

Imagine you were in that line and the phone at the counter rang. The agent stops serving customers (to a loud groan of customers, no doubt) looks up and signals Mr Smith from behind you to come to the top of the line. Would you be pissed off ? Damn right you would. So why would you expect them to do something like that to you?

Sure, Hertz should have got more staff on during a peak period, but that's not the person at the desk's fault. They're probably not the franchisee or anyone important enough to roster additional staff.

Perhaps if the idiots at IAD who work at the counter would pickup the phone and request additional help from the folks in the Gold Booth who sit on their asses folding maps all day long, maybe the lines would move faster. Even better, what if they actually called a manager when it got really busy to have a manager open another position and help clear the line? Wouldn't that be a sight to see!

My last rental at IAD was just an exercise in how stupid the folks that work there really are. The management at that location is totally incompetent, and the folks that work at the counters really should be working in civil service jobs where they can do the minimum effort, leave at the second their timeclock ticks past the end of their shift, and generally be accountable to nobody for providing poor service.

I had reserved a generally fuel efficient Toyota, and was "upgraded" to the massively inefficient Mercury Grand Marquis. A quick check of my recent rentals would have revealed that I have never rented a Mercury. When approaching the folks at the Gold Booth about declining their "upgrade," I was told to stand outside and a valet would bring the proper car around. I stood outside in the 90 degree DC humidity for over an hour. I complained twice and was told to just keep waiting, and the car would show up.

After I sought out a manager to complain about Gold service that took over an hour, he called the head of the valets who then came over and called me a liar and said that I had not been standing out there at all and they had taken the car away since there was nobody to drive it away. We had words, and then the car was brought around, and as I was about to drive away, I discovered that the door locks did not work, and the NeverLost was dead.

Another trip inside to hunt down the manager, and he decides to just arbitrarily pick a car from the lot that already had a rental contract hanging in it for another customer, and gives me the keys. I looked at him with a strange look and asked him, "how am I supposed to drive that out the gate without a rental contract in my name?" He then apologizes, goes inside the Gold booth, and comes back out with a contract for me. As he walks away, I inspect the car, and find scratches and dents all over the rear. I yell at him to please come note this on the contract, and he just continues walking away and ignores me.

Great service.

Another trip inside to hunt down the manager, and he decides to just arbitrarily pick a car from the lot that already had a rental contract hanging in it for another customer, and gives me the keys. I looked at him with a strange look and asked him, "how am I supposed to drive that out the gate without a rental contract in my name?" He then apologizes, goes inside the Gold booth, and comes back out with a contract for me. As he walks away, I inspect the car, and find scratches and dents all over the rear. I yell at him to please come note this on the contract, and he just continues walking away and ignores me.

Great service.
If you're willing to take the car, just go and get the guard at the gate to note down the damage on the contract. That way you don't have to deal with them anymore, and you get to finally get on your way.

Very bad form of you to make that loud phone call in line. What were you expecting to happen that couldn't be accomplish with just the call? Some reps to magically appear?

(The following is NOT a personal attack, but a critique on perceptions)

If I were a customer in line, I'd think a) you were an a-hole for talking so loudly on your cell phone, b) you were an a-hole who had a sense of entitlement (did anyone else complain to CS on their phones while waiting in line? and c) you would get even more horrible service from the counter agents once you got there for being an a-hole in line.

While I'm sure the service at IAD sucked, there are ways to minimize the pain, and you instead chose to exacerbate your problems.

BTW... I've had exemplary service for all my Hertz rentals (not at IAD though).

Concur with all the posters about service at IAD. I think the issue is the low wages paid there in relation to the surrounding community (certanly the amazingly high charges there give them the margin they need to staff adequately) I have been 5* with Hertz for years and always add 30 minutes to my trip when I have to go to get a car at IAD. Alsway something wrong: Car not ready, Can't get my reciept, not enough reurn employees, Etc.

My first business trip just out of college (and my first rental with Hertz) was at IAD in January of this year, and I also had a fairly negative experience with the counter. After the thirty-minute wait in line, I finally got up to the counter, and was assigned a Malibu for my midsize rental. I head out to the stall, and the car doesn't start.

So back to the office -- instead of finding another midsize car, the manager pushes an upgrade to an Impala instead. Being new to my company, I decline, as policy only allows for a midsize, but he insists that the Impala is nicer and that I'll get a "great deal" on it. Finally, after more resistance from me, he says he'll make it "complimentary," so I accept.

I go outside and glance at the contract, and there's a $15/day upgrade fee listed. :mad: I go back in one more time, and tell him to remove the charge, or give me what I originally reserved. He finally removes the upgrade fee.

Thankfully, my Hertz experiences throughout the 75ish rentals since then have been top-notch, so I'll always stick with them. ^ And having done two Prestige rentals at IAD recently, the Gold counter is by far much better at IAD than the standard counter as well.

Nevertheless, in terms of customer perception, Hertz will only be as good as its weakest link, so perhaps some changes are needed at IAD...

I can't think of a positive experience with Hertz IAD.

I, too, have given up on Hertz at IAD. They're a great company elsewhere, but at IAD I'd rather use someone else.

If you're willing to take the car, just go and get the guard at the gate to note down the damage on the contract. That way you don't have to deal with them anymore, and you get to finally get on your way.

First, I'm not willing to take the car as-is. When I travel through IAD, I'm usually in during the week and paying full price for the cars that I rent. I usually don't rent anything smaller than a mid-size, and if I'm there on the weekend, then I'll go up to a Prestige. When paying $100+ per day for a car, I INSIST that it not be damaged.

Secondly, there usually is only one lane open at the exit, with a line of cars waiting to get out. The last thing that I want to do is delay other travellers trying to exit out of the gate just in order to save an incompetent IAD employee from doing their damn job.