Bristow

My parents are both Hertz Platinum members (over 25 years as Platinum, most years my dad rented a car 52 weeks a year as he was on the road every monday through friday except Christmas). I act as chauffeur on our vacations (they are getting very close to 70 and really hate driving in unfamiliar places or at night). The last few years I've been blown away by the treatment that we have received as platinum members at a franchise - the Medford, OR airport (we go every year for the Ashland Shakespeare festival).

1) In Medford, they NEVER retrieve the car and bring it to the terminal. This is the worst because you have to schlep your bags to the parking lot with zero shade or rain coverage. During the airport renovation, this was about a mile walk with no shade and zero signage (and the route around the construction changed regularly). Now it's just long enough for your hands to start killing you and to start sweating. I get to make the trip, check the car for damage and dirt, and decide if it's worth making another complaint, while my mother watches the luggage at the airport, since she's not up to helping me schlep the luggage all that way. We ask every time for them to bring the car around and they refuse!! My mother flew in once before me and she had to walk the mile in the dark with her bags - what customer service agent would send a 65 plus women alone at night along an unlighted path for her car especially when she's a Platinum and repeatedly asked for help?? Now we make sure to coordinate our flights so we're on the same flight from PDX into Medford.

2) The wildly inappropriate car selection. In Medford, they keep giving us the truly craptastic Hyundai Elantra despite our requests for anything else that's not a SUV or land yacht (grand marquis). Last year my father called especially and reserved a certain car. We arrived, they did NOT have the car he reserved, they offered a Grand Marquis (my father has had his account marked by the Platinum desk as no Grand Marquis, minivans, or SUVs), we refused it, and the only other option was an Elantra. We begged for anything else and the counter agent said they were out of everything else except vans and SUVs. Great way to upset a valuable customer.

3) Unclean/smelly cars - all of the cars we've rented at Medford smell like people have previously smoked in them but they've tried to dump massive amounts of cleaners and air fresheners. Last time I found debris in the pockets and center console. Both my mother and I are highly allergic to cigarette smoke and I have asthma triggered by VOCs found in cleaning products. When we complain at Medford, they claim that's the only car available. Last year, we didn't even bother complaining and cleaned out the leftover trash ourselves.

Is there a way to deal with this effectively so next June we end up with the car we want? The ride on the Elantra drove my father insane and my mother hated it so much she refused to drive at all. We want something with decent handling and a backseat comfortable enough for an adult who had major knee surgery last year. I know with a franchise that they won't bring a car in from another location (god I wish they had the prestige collection cars in Medford!), but is there a way to address this with corporate or the platinum desk so it doesn't ruin our vacation next year? Are there specific cars people recommend or a way to contact the franchise ahead of time and make sure they have the car reserved for us? And make them bring the car around?

JLewisinSyr

I understand the level of service expected at a Platinum levels, but I also understand there are things that sometimes are unexpected and there are also things that are unreasonable from a customer request perspective.

Do I agree you have had some poor service, yes, but I also think the vehicle restrictions are a little restrictive, considering SUVs and Grand Marquis are often used as upgrades. Make/Models are not reservable, even for Platinum outside of Prestige and Fun collection, which are not found in Medford.

cpmed43

I fly into Medford a lot, though don't rent cars there since my family just picks me up at the airport. It sounds like the Hertz there is pretty crappy. That stinks that the service is bad eve with the Platinum status.

Maybe you should look into some of the other agencies there since it's only one time per year. Avis and Budget are there too, and I think Alamo/National as well. They will probably all make you walk to the parking lot to get the car though since they're all in the same lot and there's typically only one agent there at a time (again, small airport). It's really not that far to the lot (though I see your point about an elderly person having to walk at night).

Hope it works out. The Ashland Shakespeare festival is a good one.

pdx1M

The MFR Hertz operation is abysmal. They honor virtually none of Hertz's policies and even tend to ignore their own. I once had to get corporate to remove an extra driver charge when the published policy specifically for MFR allowed one free in my situation. I have taken to using even Enterprise there to avoid the crappy cars, program non-participation and general shabby treatment that the Hertz franchisee gives to a Pres Circle member. In general I think Hertz really needs to take more responsibility for their own programs - their position that franchisees who operate under the Hertz brand can do pretty much whatever they choose is really an absurd marketing position.

Boghopper

OK, now that we've heard from the apologist, how about some sympathy?

runs4cache

What about renting in Portland and driving down? It's a 5 hr drive. Perhaps fly in to Eugene or Redding, from either place it's 2-3 hrs and surely have a better setup. You could do the driving bit and pick up the folks.

cpmed43

Or Klamath Falls (LMT). Not sure the Hertz there is any better, but it's closer than Eugene or Redding.

road pilot

Sounds like a miserable start to your holiday. This may not be the solution you're looking for, but if you are considering another destination, the Stratford Festival is top-notch.

It's within an hour's drive of both Waterloo Regional (YKF) and London International (YXU) airports. 1.5-2h from Toronto Pearson International (YYZ).

Cheers,
RP

diaspora04

The MFR Hertz franchise still sucks. It engages in unexpected and frankly unusual practices such demanding an elite level renter's local address (not kidding) and, of course, declines to even award Hertz #1 Awards Points let alone participate in promotions. Avis is the same way. I am beginning to suspect that the same franchisee operates all the competing rental car operations at MFR.

Rut Dog

What is Platinum?

Complain, up the chain, until you get satisfaction.

There is a nearby Hertz Local Edition at Leif's Auto Collision‎. I know Leif's, and I know they won't tolerate this type of service. In fact, all Oregon Leif's are run out of Portland, Tigard to be specific, and they are excellent.

Hertz Local Edition - Leif's Auto Collision
4594 S. Pacific Highway, Phoenix, OR 97535

Take your bad airport car to HLE Leif's. Exchange for a good car, and complain up the the chain there.

Embarrass the airport franchise until they are forced into line.

Auto Enthusiast

That's actually a corporate store. Apparently they allow franchise car swaps there. And that should annoy the airport franchise, because unlike corporate cars that can be used at whatever location they find themselves at, the franchisee has their car tied up away from "home."

Rut Dog

Also, when you exchange at another location, the revenue gets diverted to the new location, not the original one, or so I've been told.

redii

As a Platinum renter, I almost always get the card of the area manager stapled to my platinum jacket. I have, on more than one occasion, given the cell phone number of the area manager a call when I had a problem the local office wouldn't resolve.

As mentioned earlier... complain up until it gets resolved. Although service from the national number can be truly terrible, I can assure you that area managers don't like receiving calls on the weekend that their boys back at the desk are angering their plats.

Don't give up. It's a truly amazing level of service. I'm sorry that one location has soured your opinion of it.

--redii

diaspora04

Renters must take a Hertz van ride to the Rogue Regency Hotel. Including the wait for the van, a minimum additional 20 minutes is required. All other major car rental agencies are on site at MFR.