Originally Posted by
rentalguy
Are you kidding me?? I agree with you that cars are being kept longer and have higher mileage, but the rest of your argument is flawed. You cite that you used to get cars for $170/wk. Do you think National made money on that?
No, really rentalguy, no kidding: $342.90 is SPECIAL for a midsize at LAX!!! I know, it's hard to believe, but...
The fact that you are a National CORPORATE insider, rentalguy, makes this even more egregious than I thought. After several years of offering midsize cars weekly at LAX for $150-$170 OR EVEN WELL BELOW, you claim National has suddenly awakened to figure out it wasn't making money? Hogwash. Plenty of other companies were renting at that price point, and you've been competing with it for years. Certainly you weren't giving away cars out of the goodness of your heart. Perhaps now that ERAC leveraged itself to buy Vanguard it needs more of my money, but that's not my problem, is it? And it's YOUR argument that's flawed when in one sentence you claim National can't make money at that rate, and then you claim:
Originally Posted by
rentalguy
I can show you rates across the country that are in the $175-$200. Also, if you pick different dates for LAX the rates are less than what is showing.
Oh yeah? Until recently, I never bothered to check your competition because I wasn't encountering these outrageous rate increases at National. Don't feed me your line about rates not increasing. I've been renting from National since long before the ERAC takeover and I know that's a lie. Period.
I'm also offended that you have tried to deflect my argument by distorting it into something I NEVER SAID, and in fact was careful to clarify.
Originally Posted by
rentalguy
I’m sorry you want to be able to get your Caddi STS and Avalon for $30/day but that’s not realistic. Avg carrying cost of a STS?? $1400/month!!
Oh, c'mon yourself. I'm sure you'll be happy to point out anywhere that I mentioned Caddis or Avalons. Since this is the second time an attempt has been made to exaggerate my complaint, let me repeat what I said:
Originally Posted by
geojet01
I wasn't asking for a luxury car on the Executive Aisle. I'd just like to see an above-average Impala, maybe with an XM tuner that hasn't expired, without coffee-stained seats, with a working trunk light and door locks ... you know, the kind of value I came to expect from National. The fact they've chosen to stick me with an aging, cramped basic-model Malibu and try telling me it's a fullsize upgrade (and something more than I could get from Hertz, Avis, Budget or even Cheapo-Indy-Guy), well, it's like peeing on my leg and trying to claim it's raining.
I stand by that point, which you still haven't answered, and which others raise here:
Originally Posted by
Tuneman1984
I'm not naive to the auto industry's woes right now, and how it trickles down throughout the marketplace, namely to car rental agencies. But, of course, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Part of weathering this storm comes down to how the front-line staff treat their repeat customers. I agree with the OP that now is not the time to be doing anything to spoil relations with your top customer base.
I think that simply means living up to your part of the bargain on PROMISED upgrades. I think that simply means "making lemonade" by paying close attention to details that you CAN make a difference with, like providing clean cars in good working order -- ESPECIALLY if you're going to let them age longer. If you insist that you need to charge more than you've been charging (as in your claim that National can't "make money on that"), then at least give your customers the value that THEY HAVE COME TO EXPECT FROM NATIONAL.
If you don't fix this problem and fast, rentalguy, I'm simply stating the obvious: You're going to lose my business, and plenty of other customers. I see absolutely no sign that any attempt is being made to "make lemonade" -- only to quietly cut back on the "rewards" that I was promised as the reason to give you tens of thousands of dollars of my business. That's why they call them LOYALTY programs, rentalguy. The airlines have stopped giving their customers reason to be loyal -- and we know where that's got them.