CarolDisney1

I have become a price shopper, but I am not renting from Alamo! (I KNOW they are the same company, but I will walk first LOL!)

I am a Hertz President's Club and all I can say is the slide there is a HECK of a lot worse then the National slide IMHO!

But I love these threads. There is a strong sense of "ENTITLEMENT" As in "why not upgrade ME since I am the last customer tonight" GEE, they might have a reservation for that upgrade first thing tomorrow but you should get it since it's sitting there right? I mean they should never check ahead LOL! Unless YOU will be picking up YOUR reserved luxury tomorrow where upon you will not be happy to learn that they gave it to an elite last night because "he was the last customer so we figured we didn't need it"

drzoidberg

We all know the EE program isn't good for getting you upgrades; it's only good for earning free days faster, and redeeming free days for luxury cars.

On the other hand, just read the Hertz forum. People complain all the time about not getting upgraded, or more often, downgraded, even as PC members.

I am frankly getting rather irritated at these constant threads bashing National- National is worsening, yes, but what other car rental agency isn't these days? Car rental fees are up across the board, and it's definitely not just National in particular. At least good deals can still be had at National with a combination of coupons, unlike, *cough*, Hertz or Avis.

There's bound to be more wear and tear on car rentals, deal with it. Just because you have a broken door lock or a nonfunctional cigarette lighter doesn't mean you're entitled to massive compensation.

geojet01

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:

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.

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:

I stand by that point, which you still haven't answered, and which others raise here:

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.

geojet01

Huh? Just what is it "we all know"???

QUOTE FROM NATIONAL EMERALD CLUB WEB PAGE EXPLAINING "ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF EXECUTIVE STATUS":

"Every time you rent from the Executive Selection, you receive an upgrade. As an Emerald Club Executive member, you always pay for one car class less than reserved when you book a fullsize through luxury car."

Oh, I see, and now that National is passing off stripped down Malibus as fullsize upgrades I need to just "deal with it." Right. Got it.

Yes, now I see. Everybody else is doing it, so "deal with it." Right. Got it. THAT'S why I should keep giving National my business. Because, after all, everybody else is doing it.

Well, I haven't had a nonfunctional cigarette lighter and didn't complain about one now, did I? (Of course, if it were my choice I'd make ALL of them nonfunctional so maybe fewer of my rental cars would reek of stale smoke.) And as for a broken door lock -- is it really too much to ask that the maintenance crew check to see if something as basic as the DOORS work before they rent me my vehicle? Sorry, but in my mind it's a MAJOR problem if my backseat passenger can't escape the vehicle because the door lock isn't functional. Or, as happened in this case, when my mother with Parkinson's Disease had to stand outside the car in the hot desert sun while I fiddled with a lock that didn't work. Yes, now I see. All I needed to do in that case was tell her to get over it and deal with it.

Right. Got it.

geojet01

Well, as I've already been candid to state here, I haven't been any more or less satisfied with the service at the National competitors I've rented from. I can, however, tell you this: I've rented twice from Avis at BUR recently, and in both cases got cars that were cleaner and better maintained than any of the cars I've rented from National at BUR, and in both cases got something I've NEVER had the pleasure of receiving from National-BUR: Impalas that weren't stripped down models, but both with working satellite radio service and upgraded sound. In my most recent BUR rentals from National, they've given me take-it-or-leave-it choices of basic Malibus or a Sentra. So, in those cases, Avis beat National hands down, for a much lower rate. Of course, YMMV.

starflyer

It's clear that National is pricing rentals towards the business customer base who has no alternative but to rent. They're letting the discretional business and leisure renters go elsewhere. I've noticed this with absurd pricing at PHL and IAD.

For example, here are prices (befores fees and taxes!) for Economy and Compact rentals in PHL and IAD:

Tue Apr 28 noon - Wed Apr 29 noon
Economy - PHL: $107.99 IAD: $98.49
Compact - PHL: $109.99 IAD: $98.90

Tue May 26 noon - Wed May 27 noon
Economy - PHL: $107.99 IAD: $98.49
Compact - PHL: $109.99 IAD: $98.90

Tue Jun 23 noon - Wed Jun 24 noon
Economy - PHL: $107.99 IAD: $98.90
Compact - PHL: $109.99 IAD: $99.90

There's no way that rental prices in PHL and IAD have been like this for the past 25 years!

3Cforme

If National can sell out its now-smaller fleet at the higher rates, what's wrong with that, really? Airline-style revenue management will eventually permeate U.S. rental car transactions. Expect higher rates for last-minute bookings. Expect cancellation and no-show penalties. The hotel business also has been slow to catch on but it's clear these actions are revenue-positive.

3Cforme

I'm glad you found a satisfactory alternative. Really, I am glad, because a higher level of service has to exist successfully for other rental firms to strive to achieve it - clear as the industry moves to a cozy oligopoly. Otherwise, every agency can stink and firms will take comfort in being 'no worse than anybody else'. Industry satisfaction ratings will suffer, but if return on capital doesn't, then executive management isn't going to care.

But I ask you to realize that two rentals from one location gives you a very narrow data set. Lots of people on this board rent monthly and even weekly. (My best effort was 5 cities/5 rentals in one week - all business.) Please record your impressions over the next ten Avis rentals and come back to let us know how it worked out.

rentalguy

I don’t appreciate being called a LIAR! You don’t know me or the implications on the fleet sales that the problems with the big 3 are causing the rental business and I don’t pretend to know your business (what ever it may be). You feel anything more than $170/wk is gouging? A year and a half ago I had to rent a "snake" to unclog a pipe in my house. It was around $45 to rent it for the day. I think that the actual unit costs $400 to buy it! But that's not gouging is it?


All my points are valid and truthful. Sorry you didn’t like the answer. And as you quoted from the EE benefits, EE members receive a guaranteed upgrade, Book what class you want and pay for 1 less. In otherwords book a full size, pay for a mid size. Which is what you have been receiving. We have lived up to that promise. We didn’t promise you that all full size cars will be equipped with leather, sunroofs and XM Radio. If XM wants to extend the free trial in the vehicles, beyond the 3 months, then it will be available. It doesn’t mean pay for a mid size, and make sure I get an SUV, Luxury car or Convertible as you seem to feel you are entitled to. Want a luxury? Pay for a premium. We value all our customers business, especially our EE, and our staff for the most part do what they can to keep them happy. We do try to put the best cars in the Aisle.

I'm not suggesting that everything is rosy. Every business has had to make some tough choices to survive. I'm not here to name call, as you seem to be. I've tried to answer questions as truthfully and honestly as possible and to give some insight. Of course we value your business and you are correct, regardless of mileage those cars should be well maintained and cleaned. I have always directed our Airport Managers in the regions I have been responsible for, to "walk the lot". See what the customers see and empower the staff to pull any cars that are stained or smell and to get them professionally detailed and cleaned. They may have higher miles but they shouldn’t look it. I'm also not here to minimize your concern but also please don’t minimize the impact that the challenges the automakers face have on National (and everyone). We understand the fleet problems and the challenges we face and we are trying to keep the fleet as “fresh” as possible. Thank you.

peteropny

Ok - I'm going to lock this thread until I have the time to look at it more closely. We've pretty much said all there is to say on both sides of the issue.

peteropny - moderator - National