Hertz Picks Up Second Top Program Award in Three Days

After winning the FlyerTalk Award for best car rental company in multiple location categories, Hertz earned an additional trophy this week to put on the shelf. The J.D. Power 2020 North American Car Rental Satisfaction Study awarded the company with their top award for the year, reflecting the best customer service.

Despite what has been an incredibly challenging year for Hertz Car Rental, the company maintains their dedication to the customer experience, as proven by a second award in one week. J.D. Power and Company gave the top customer service award to Hertz in the 2020 North American Car Rental Satisfaction Study, released on Oct. 14, 2020.

Award Based on “Great Customer Service” and Cleaning Protocols

Across the entire travel industry, the COVID-19 pandemic has grounded flights and made life incredibly difficult for airlines, hotels and rental car companies. Earlier in 2020, Hertz was forced into bankruptcy, due to the fact that travelers were not renting cars after states issued “safer at home” quasi-quarantine orders.

Yet, companies found a way to answer the challenge through new cleaning protocols, and a focus on improving the customer experience. For Hertz, this meant implementing a 15-point cleaning and sanitization process, leaving every vehicle sealed afterwards.

“As with other travel suppliers, this has been an incredibly challenging period for the car rental industry,” Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power, said in a press release. “Despite these economic headwinds, the major rental car companies have been able to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction throughout the pandemic, largely through great customer service and enhanced cleaning protocols to build confidence with travelers.”

In addition to a rigorous cleaning process, Hertz also made improvements to the customer experience through their smartphone app and rewards program, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Members can select and reserve cars from their phones, and skip the counter at the airport and go straight to their vehicle. Upon return, renters can drop off their returns with the Hertz eReciept and Express Return service, minimizing contact with others and allowing them the convenience to handle everything electronically.

“From the beginning of their journey to the end, our customers’ satisfaction is the heartbeat of everything we do,” Hertz president and CEO Paul Stone said in a press release. “While the rental car and overall travel industry has faced challenges during the pandemic, I’m grateful to our employees for taking great care of our customers and implementing our enhanced measures that enabled us to continue providing a safe, fast and easy rental experience.”

Hertz Earns Multiple FlyerTalk Awards for Best Rental Car Rewards Program

The J.D. Power and Associates award is the second for Hertz over the span of two days. Previously, FlyerTalkers named Hertz Gold Plus Rewards as the best rental car rewards program in all regions, as well as the outstanding benefit award winner in both The Americas and Europe/Africa regions.

To celebrate their award-winning week, the rental car company is offering renters a free car class upgrade for a limited time, as well as a free two-day rental to five customers each week who share their positive Hertz experience through social media using the hashtag #1Hertz. For more information, visit Hertz.com/JDPower.