Disappointed with Hertz - Shopping for Alternative
 

Hertz has been a company that has stressed moving people through airports quickly since the ads were shown of OJ Simpson sprinting through the airports to their currently available #1 Club Gold service. After what I realized for certain today I am both surprised and disappointed with Hertz and their #1 Awards program.

I realized today that three of my last five Jan & Feb Hertz rentals did not show up on my #1 Award account because I did not specify #1 Award service. So I called Hertz to add that to my profile and the agent said it is not there because you can’t add it.

I replied that you can add a FF number, but not the #1 Award specification? “That’s correct”, said the agent.

So now I have to fill out three time-consuming “retroactive credit” forms. Plus, every time I rent from Hertz in the future I must tell Hertz to add the ZE-1 designation (for #1 Awards or whatever the code is – on several occasions the Hertz agent did not even know what I was talking about).

Since with #1 Gold the idea is not to talk to their on site service personnel, I’m not about to waste time to get out of the car to arrange this #1 Awards credit if it is not on my rental agreement.

I read in USA Today back when rental car companies were reducing the amount of FF miles per rental that the Hertz CEO stated something to the effect that airline FF membership doesn’t effect car rental choices. Perhaps it’s this type of insensitive attitude that is preventing Hertz from allowing their own program to be entered into their own customer profiles? Hey it’s not important to everyone – but it is important to some.

In any case, I think Hertz not allowing their own program to be stored in my profile is ridiculous. It’s just another disappointment for me (on my last rental at LGA, three of each competitor’s shuttles drove by before one Hertz shuttle did – Yes, I did count them – what else could I do as I waited?)

Since I’ve haven’t rented from any company other than Hertz or Thrifty the last three years, what are people’s opinion on AVIS or National’s “get in the car and drive off service?” I want to give one of them a try.

Thanks in advance.

I am looking only for miles - and that still works near to perfection with Hertz.

It is crazy that their own program is not up-to-date for being entered into your profile. But, considering your (and my) good experience with Hertz in the past, I would recommend to stay with Hertz - and acquire the habit to make your membership entered when you RETURN the car.

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 03-03-99).]

"NOT EXACTLY!" to buck!

"EXACTLY" to Rudi!

[This message has been edited by JAWS_II (edited 03-03-99).]

I've never been dissapointed with Avis Prefer
red. Always there, always what I ordered, never a wait.

Jaws_II: may be, after my editing you change it to "Exactly" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif?

I can beat two flies on flyertalk - I am not only learning from other ff-experiences, I am also learning english - slowly - but for sure.

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 03-03-99).]

I use National and Avis for their preferred service. I will NEVER use Hertz again -- their customer service agents are rude and certainly do not listen to logic.

National -- great service and usually fast. You can choose your own car (versus Avis where it is already chosen for you). My favorite from National has been an Altima. Because you choose your car, checkout takes a bit longer (where Avis has everything ready in advance -- just take your keys and go)

--Jim

My turn to bash Hertz:

I'd always used Alamo Quicksilver and National Emerald Aisle in the past, but Alamo service has become very slow over the last year, and National is sometimes sold out. So when Amex Platinum offered an automatic, free membership in Hertz #1 Gold, I took it.

But my first three rentals were a mess - wrong class of car and overcharged on the first one, NO car waiting on the second one, and wrong profile information on the third one. The first two problems were corrected with some effort, but the third never was.

When I complained to the manager at SFO, I was told (to my astonishment) that as a customer, I could choose any car rental company, including one *other* than Hertz, and that I should probably exercise that option. While I was calm, polite, and carefully explained my situation, she made it clear that she thought I was a complete waste of time, and wished that I would just clear out.

On top of that, the three rentals, one each in Oct, Nov and Dec of last year, still have not been credited to my AC Aeroplan account.

Needless to say, I have gone back to National, and I'm in the process of signing up with Avis.

Ken

[This message has been edited by KenHamer (edited 03-03-99).]

Rudi:

Until recently, I didn't realize that English was *not* your first language! I think you're doing just fine. We all make typos from time to time.

Ken

Also, don't discount Budget right off. I'm a FastBreak member (which is FREE, as I recall it costs $50 to join Emerald Club at National) and you get the benefit of choosing your car (within the car class you're renting), hand the hang tag & your license to the gate person and go. I signed up for miles rather than points and I earn 50 UA miles per day of rental. At Budget in Boston, the people are very nice & I can get a Subaru Outback from time to time at the intermediate class (what a fun car!). Hope this helps.

------------------


Regards,
- Anna

And while I'm on about it, I just noticed yesterday while doing expenses, that National overcharged me in ORD on Sunday. But one quick call to their billing department, and it's fixed. They even faxed me a new invoice with in an hour or so.

So while National may not be perfect, they seem to go out of there way to address customer concerns.

Ken

AnnaS:

I too have had good experience with Budget, although, just as a walk up. I chose National because I still get 500 CP miles per rental (1000 for a week or more), and they are usually posted within 24 hours of the rental.

National also lets you pick your own car, but there are few class restrictions. You can walk up and take any vehicle on the lot. (Exceptions are mini-vans, 4x4s, and luxury cars, although, from time to time, I'll find one of these in the Emerald Aisle area. I recently got a "loaded" Ford Explorer in snowy eastern Canada, for $32 Canadian, per day. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif )

[This message has been edited by KenHamer (edited 03-03-99).]

AnnaS-

My vote is also for Budget FastBreak where it is available. Pick out your car, whatever size you reserved, hand the tag to the gateperson and whoosh!, you are gone. Even where FastBreak is not available, Budget is quick and always has my rental ready. I'm collecting Golf Clubs for my points.

Avis Preferred......no problems.

Ken -- I agree with you. Hertz has a lousy attitude toward customer service.

In a nut shell, here was my situation:

Rented a car from Dollar in Costa Rica. Called the night before to confirm, told they made a mistake and booked me in San Jose Mexico. They did not have a car but would get me a Hertz car. They told me the price ($250) and that it was an automatic.

Get to San Jose, took 20 minutes to complete the paperwork. Get the car -- low and behold, a standard (not automatic) car. Asked the agent about the mistake and told me to "take it or leave it." Of course, in a review of their web site, a automatic car goes for much more than a standard car (250 vs 170).

Get home and contact Hertz CS. Took them two weeks to get back to me. They told me it was not their fault, I had a choice to take the car or leave it. They billed me what I signed for and if anything, I had to go back to Dollar. Dollar took car of it, but it should not have come to that.

I told the CS agent that I would never use Hertz again and she said "Fine."

National, Avis and Budget get all my business.

--Jim

What is it with the “take or leave it attitude?” I sent my wife and her girlfriend to San Juan for a week and she had the exact same response from Hertz. But that was after waiting 20 minutes for someone particular to “come in from the lot” whom never arrived. Of course, before that, she waited another 25 minutes for the shuttle driver to pick them up after a long plane ride. [The San Juan Hertz location is at the airport via a quick shuttle so I believe they were giving her the run-around for some reason.]

She decided not to take the car and asked for a shuttle back to the airport. Although it was the middle of the day, Hertz said it would be a while before the shuttle gets back. Ironically, this wasn’t the case of one Hertz person having a bad day and taking it out on her – there were four people on the Hertz counter staff discussing this and other things.

She called a cab.

Needless to say, when I spoke to her that evening (expecting to hear about the sunshine and sand) I heard the Hertz story in its sad and grueling entirety.