TechGeek that is ok. Working the days I work My (spellcheck or grammar check) doesnt function the way it should haahaa

that is ok

But I totally agree with you on that aspect. You would never get me to go to a Avis in Corpus or Brownsville Texas. The Customer Service there really does SUCK. That is my techincal Term haahaa

I have found that the customer service at ORD is TERRIBLE!!!! In 8 rentals at ORD in the past 12 months, Only 1/8 times I had my name on the preferred board. I have to go in and ask for my space number and contract. The time my name was on the board, I hiked all the way to my car to find that there was no contract in the car, and I had to walk all the way back to the preferred counter to get a contract.

When you complain, they just looking at you like you must be completely stupid. "don't tell US how to run a car rental lot, WE know more than YOU!" The last lady said she would put me on "a special list for frequent renters" Yeah right! There is no such list. The employees at ORD are TERRIBLE!!!!!

Although I only rent infrequently at ORD, the service I've received at the preferred booth there has been excellent. Special requests and upgrades granted routinely and without hassle. I do wish Avis had consistently better service at all their locations, but it seems to vary wildly from place to place.

location fleet size can vary from airport to airport. from a low of 700 to a high of well over 10,000. the larger the airport, the better the upgrade possibilites. and lets face it, most peeps complain about the car they get than any other aspect. Next comes price, then price issues. Price depends on fleet availability, price issues is 50/50 customer/employee causes.

Everyone should keep this in mind.

when your name is on the board and you get to your car and theres no contract, 90% of the time its cause another customer misread the board and went into your car and grabbed the contract and went to the preferred desk.

ORD has an auto print system. If your flight number is in the reservation, ORD will use a service that triggers auto assigning of cars when the status shows "landed". And that service is pretty accurate. I have visited airports when a plane landed and the machine just starts spitting contracts left and right. It even takes advantage of your status. If your select, if the class above is available it will give it to you. Its indescriminate, it assigns the first car in the class (lowest miles) every time, regardless of make or model or stall number.

So if your contract isnt printing, try checking three things.
1-your reservation has your wizard number in it. This is at least 1/3 of all problems with preferred contracts not ready.
2-your credit card information is updated and current before you make your reservation
3-your flight number is in your reservation. I suggest the 2x4 method. two letter designator and 4 digits. So if your on united flight 1, then it should be UA0001.

And Finally, if you walk in snotty, expect snot to fly back. Regardless of fault, remember they are people trying to do a job. If your going to fling crap around, ask for a manager. they get paid for that. Not the front line staff.

Jul 15, 06, 12:33 am #32
DLmedalliongold
I am sure you got put on a "special list". It just might be one you really wanted to be on.

Is this a big problem? This doesn't explain why I get sent to spaces without a car, cars with someone else's contract, and spaces with a car many classes below my reserved car.

If your car isnt there, and the board says it should be, someone moved it. Often its customers who get into the wrong car. The system that puts your name up on the board is the same one that assigns you the car. At my location, ive got a good couple of hundred regulars that come weekly. The rest come to my location once, twice, maybe three times a year, or have never been here. Seasoned veterants like yourself are probably very good at knowing what to do and where to go. Others are feeling their way through it. There are times that I bring the car right to the customer open the door call the customers name, and someone else will jump into the car and drive off, only to be stopped at the gate guard. Believe me, it happens often enough. But 9 times out of 10, i dont think this explanation would be the cause for all of those errors, unless you have an extremely common last name. Once I had 4 Smith's off the same flight. I Intentionally put them in cars on the four corners of my preferred lot to avoid issues.

The car with someone elses contract, and your stall on the board is listed, then it could be the employee who was putting out the contracts put the wrong one in the wrong car. Since I am in the business, I would check the contract in the car and see if the car matched the contract. That is how I would diagnose things. I once caught three teenage boys who's father was busy arguing about a bill pulling contracts out of cars.

They most certainly don't have this system in LAX or SNA, 9 out of 10 times I fly in there they don't have a car ready for me. Last time I flew into LAX I was promptly offered a compact car on my midsize preferred select reservation for the SAME midsize price. I was told if I didn't like it they were expecting a midsize car within the next hour that I could wait for...

Actually the system was developed for LAX. Its one of the busiest rental car locations in the world. For one, if your offered a car that is lower than your reserved class, you should get a price break. Any agent is empowered to put you in the next size down and downgrade price two. So in your situation, a midsize car reservation (Preferred select or not) if you were offered a compact, you should have been charged the subcompact rate. RSA training 101. If you find yourself in this situation again, my suggestion would be to ask for a lead. Not a manager, at least not yet. Tell the lead what happened, and "i dont mind taking the downgrade, but at least do something on the price."


If there are no cars on the ready line, the system is effectively nullified. I think thats what was going on in LAX on the day in question. The system, or FAN, is available at EVERY Avis location that has listed "preferred" service. Not all locations use it though.

Yeah, and if the staff are idiots that couldn't get a job anywhere else expect them to work at Avis LAX.


Nothing constructive, just a vent statement, I wont comment other than to say I have met many people that could be labeled "idiots" in every busines I have worked at and been to as a customer. I do know LAX and SNA have their problems. Many have emailed me directly about those problems, and I have passed them on to the appropriate individuals. your situation is no different.

I'll admit to being an occasional idiot. At least once, I misread my paperwork and jumped in the wrong car. The gatekeeper spotted the problem and sent me back for the right car. I don't know that I put the wrong one back in the right place. It can happen late at night after a long day of work and travel. I try to go easy on the other occasional idiots myself. It's the permanent idiots that can push me over the edge.

I'm a preferred select mainly renting at LAX and BOS. I've never had a problem at LAX and always get nice upgrades. It might have to do with the time of the day as I usually depart and arrive late pm.

I am over 15 rentals (not sure the exact number though since only 14 are showing on Avis.com but I know I have at least 3 priors). I just e-mailed Avis customer Service to see about becoming Preferred Select. I don't think it really matters, but oh well. I'll see what they say.

Do I have to be over 25 years to be Preferred Select? I am in the preferred program because of my company's AWD, but Avis doesn't like to divulge any information about PS on the website so I can't really tell anything.

1> one of the most common reasons for the number of rentals not matching up is not using your Pref Wizard number for the rental, or having two differnt wizard numbers with two different ccards. Whenever one CCARD is used, and the wizard number attached to that CCARD isnt used, the wizard profile will change.

as far as I know, age is not an issue for pref select or any affinity level. However, i have heard rumblings of members having issues with age.

Be persistent.

I always use the same wizard #. I only have 1 wizard # and it shows on all my rentals and all my rentals show on the website...but as follow up the website does now list me as preferred select and I only had to submit an e-mail requesting this.

I know from this forum that PS doesn't really mean much, but as my first year as a business traveler comes to an end it makes me feel special.

I was 23 when I first became Preferred Select, so I am going to assume the answer is 'no'.

Double miles for preferred select would be a nice perk. What would that cost them? 50 cents a day?

I also am 23 with a company AWD and managed to get Avis PC through my Amex CC.