91StealthES

beckoa

I don't think a call is required- its bookable online if logged in. @jackal has more experience with this...

gilbertaue

Booked a E class wagon at FRA and was given a E350 wagon. Not really an upgrade - but damn that thing flies!

jackal

Yes, my experience has been that searching while logged in will show availability in places that searching while logged out shows sold out.

Paupaaa

Orchard Park HLE (last time I ever rent from an HLE)

(As my car is in the shop and needed a rental)

Booked F

Received F : 2016 Kia Optima with 42,000 miles

Car is / was absolutely filthy - was not washed or cleaned in forever. Also the car has no windshield washer fluid in it - which makes driving on salty roads in the north an absolute disaster and its got a horrible smell ... Had to wait on the guy to print up the contract (whats the purpose of having Gold and / or PC if they are not going to print up the contract ...) anyway so what was to be a 9 AM rental didn't have me driving off the lot until 9:30 .. Unfortunately as a college prof I had class @ 11 I had to be there for .. so I was already running late and couldn't complain on the spot about such a shoddy situation...


What do you guys typically do in this case? Just suck it up and let the bad customer service roll off to the next guy or - I'm not one to complain per se, but its left a bad taste in my mouth (literally and figuratively) that I don't ever want to go back there.. Somehow someway corporate should be made aware of poor customer service?


Thanks

jackal

The vast majority of HLEs I've rented from are in the running for "worst rental car operation" with Payless.

I probably should complain more than I do, but these days, I'm so desensitized to it that I only complain if it's truly egregious...like the HLE in the Loews Atlanta hotel, who simply didn't have a car for me, a PC member, even though I had booked it the previous day, and treated me as if it was my fault. After waiting 30 minutes for the agent to show up from whatever break he was on only to be told this, I told him to call the Area Manager, who tried to placate my PCAR res with a Nissan Sentra, and I ultimately bagged the whole rental there and took MARTA out to the HLE at Buckhead, where I was properly treated with a Chevy Impala LTZ for my thousand-mile road trip. Actually, I can't recall if I emailed in about even that one...

Anyway, it's the rare HLE that is a pleasure to deal with. Even at the friendly ones, there's usually at least one thing wrong (gas isn't full and isn't noted as such, car smells like smoke, car has 50,000 miles on it and feels every bit of that, trunk wasn't cleaned, etc., etc., etc.).

CMK10

I rented at ABQ last weekend. They have Ultimate Choice which is nice and I received an email two hours in advance telling me to select from PC, Five Star, Gold or Full and Standard sizes. The PC area had a 300, a Taurus, a Chevy Equinox, a Maxima and a number of Sonatas and Altimas. I ended up taking the Maxima which had 19,000 miles on it and did right by us. I was impressed by the selection for a smaller market like ABQ.

FlyinHawaiian

403 Lafayette (Manhattan)
Reserved: G
Received: F4 2017 Santa Fe Sport. Florida plates, with 18,000 miles on the odometer and working Sirius/XM.

rhwbullhead

I just status matched to PC.i booked an HLE reservation for a compact. I bet I get the Nissan Versa or equivalent with no upgrade. I'll report tomorrow.

BThumme

I've found with the HLE's, it pays to get to know the workers/manager. Often if you can build a rapport with them, you can end up better. The only way to do this though is through repeat reservations. For one off's or very infrequent rentals, you're pretty much stuck with whatever and/or trading off the convenience of price/location for the bigger locations.

rhwbullhead

I went to pick up the car on my B compact reservation. I was allowed to pick between a Kia Soul, I think that's what it was called, or a Nissan Sentra. I choose the Sentra because it has an actual trunk. It's an upgrade as it says "C" "intermediate" on the key.

My only issue the two times I rented at this location us that the tank was marked full both times. Two weeks ago, it was just under the F and he actually did adjust it to 3/4 (I returned a little over 7/8) so I missed out of free gas. This time, I want out and it was between 1/8 and 1/4 full. I initially showed they a pic showing it was at 1/4 but looking when I drove away, it was actually under so I called and asked them to further adjust it. I have a pic showing it a little under 1/4 tank.

Anyway, got the free upgrade so I'm happy. I'll try again next time.

m907

The Kia Soul is a surprisingly good little car, as long as you don't need the cargo space.

themselves

Was pleasantly suprised to see a Camaro in IAD President's Circle last week. Fun little ride through the hills of Virginia.

aviationp

I've been pretty lucky at YVR with Hertz as President's Choice:

Chevrolet Malibu with Bose Speakers. Less than 2k km
Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Jeep Charokee. Less than 100km.
Hyundai Santa Fe, about 5k km.

All on a mid-size reservation

FlyinHawaiian

403 Lafayette (Manhattan)
Reserved: G
Received: I 2017 Chrysler 300s; PA plates, with 13,000 miles on the odometer and working Sirius/XM.