Hertz - How can this happen??

Let me start off by saying I have been renting from Hertz for a better part of 16 years. I have my company registered as a small business with Hertz and the vast majority of my employees also have rented from Hertz. Now I in no way pretend to act like GE when it comes to the amount of business we do, but we are steady and consistent, I personally rent 15 – 20 days a year. I typically rent SUV and higher end cars, and I have been Five Star and President Circle the past few years. I have been a very happy customer and been willing to pay the typical Hertz premium when it comes to renting because of their excellent service and gold system.

I was returning from DEN to ALB via ORD when our flight cancelled…we were rebooked to Syracuse or it would have meant spending the night in Chicago. Being it was Friday night and I had been gone all week, my business partner and I jumped on the flight. We figured we would get a car when we got in and drive the remaining 2 hours to ALB.

Upon arrival to Syracuse my partner went to see if by some miracle our bags followed us and I headed off to Hertz to grab a car. Upon arrival I asked for any car to head to ALB. I was flatly told by the attendant “she had no cars to go no place”. Now in my 16 years of renting I have never heard such a thing and was shocked to say the least…I started to explain my situation and why I need a car…I was cut off in mid sentence and ask quite curtly if I had not heard her…she had no cars to go no place. So I simply walked away and headed down the line of rental agencies…hmmmm same story. OK that seemed to make her story legitimate, but I just felt something was not right. I went back once more and was promptly meet with “you again…nothings changed ok”. I just walked away hooked up with my partner and called home to give the wife the bad news. At this point my wife suggested she should get online and book a reservation. I told her to give it a try but was skeptical she would have any success. Then I told her to book it in my partners’ name, the agent new me….lol…. Now at this point Ron, my partner, does not have a hertz number, has never rented from them {he rarely travels and when he does he is typically with me} and my wife did not have our corporate number handy. I told her to just try and book it straight out…it worked!! One way to ALB…..at first I was very happy we would be going home tonight, and then I got really upset. So a person with no history, no status, no nothing can just jump online a rent a car when I could not…and no less than 15 min ago?! I did not even go to the counter, I was afraid at what I would say to the agent. So about 20 min after I was told they had nothing Ron walked back to the baggage area with keys in hand. We found the car, and what a gem it was…it was a G6, no issue there, but it was dirty, inside and out, and I mean dirty. Smelled like smoke and quite honestly it had to be the worst car I have ever been in as far as a rental. It looked like it had not been serviced in a month.

I guess the bottom line is we made it home early the next morning, and we both made our kids ball games the next day, so that was great. But the treatment from this has caused me to 100% reevaluate my relationship with Hertz as well as my companies relationship with Hertz.

Who should I write to and how do I get the name of the manager at the Syracuse airport?

I would just write to corporate customer serivce on hertz.com. They seem very responsive to my compliants.

The rental agencies are cutting down their fleets in a move to optimize their efficiency. They have fewer cars sitting around and are more often sold-out. I've seen it several times at PDX this year -- even for midweek multi-day rentals (their bread and butter). So I'm not surprised you couldn't find a car as a walkup.

You note that you are a 5* -- like me -- and we do not get any guaranteed car as a benefit. In this case status doesn't seem to help.

Why your wife was able to book online who knows -- but like in airline delays sometimes it just pays to call. I don't think this is a question of status but more a situation where the agent and corporate's inventory management system said different things.

The rental agencies are cutting down their fleets in a move to optimize their efficiency. They have fewer cars sitting around and are more often sold-out.

They also keep the cars around longer. Had an Impala with 30K miles last week in LAS. Didn't really bother me, as I was using the car to go hiking and we got pretty dirty. But for running around town on business would have been a bit of a downer.

The system was probably telling her they had no cars. It's not all that unusual for any type of travel related reservations (hotels, air tickets, cars, etc) that online, the 800 numbers, and the local agents see completly different inventory on their screens. I know I've been told there was no room at the inn, called the 800 number from the lobby, and gotten a room, the clerk at the counter just couldn't access it.

I've also seen it the other way, when I have to rent with somebody who wouldn't be my first choice someplace, and when I get there the bus and counter have "yes we have cars available" signs up.

I don't think it has anything to do with who you are, I think it's just a matter of different inventory being displayed on the different reservation screens.

I don't think it has anything to do with who you are, I think it's just a matter of different inventory being displayed on the different reservation screens.

As a presidents circle member you get guaranteed availability with an hours notice... so there are some ways around this. Of course it is unfortunately no use for the OP with his current status, but it does mean 'who you are' can make a difference - and hence says why it is a little silly that a 5* didn't make a difference in this case.

I'm also not sure about how the Hertz and small business relationships work, but it might be worth you being aware that the very large business I work for has a 2 hour guaranteed availability within our corporate rate (i.e. I only need to give 2 hours notice to ensure a car is waiting)- it might be worth bringing this up with Hertz and trying to get something similar inserted into your own deal to help avoid these problems in the future.

Personally I'd have made the booking in my own name to have the pleasure of walking to the desk and speaking to the agent again and try to make her feel slightly guilty (sounds like you might have made the right move not doing that!) - although the description of the car you were eventually given does imply she was trying not to rent out a car to a customer that was in very poor shape.

Good luck in your complaint.

Moral: Never walk up to any travel-related business without a reservation, even if you make the reservation from the lobby of the hotel or in front of the rental counter. Not only is availability different, rates are different -- hotel counter staff don't even have access to special rates that are bookable online, even when you know exactly the rate code you're looking for.

I have seen this happen over and over again. There were many days we would be "sold out" at the rental counter yet the reservation center was taking more reservations. Basically the corporate people making the decisions aren't the ones on the front line dealing with customers. It definitely isn't a pleasant experience to not have vehicles available without a reservation, yet have the renter walk away from the counter, dial 1-800-CAR-GOLD and book something then walk right back up to the counter. Makes everyone feel stupid.

I'm not making excuses for the rental agent, the whole system is in need of an overhaul. :(