I see quite a bit of Yelp angst with some lowly reviews for this establishment, and I must concur…read more It is poorly run, and the employees I met have a lot of attitude. I've rented here twice, and I'm unlikely to do so again. Here are some of the issues.
It takes a long time to process one person, so if you're third in line, count on a 30 to 40 minute wait. When they finally complete the paperwork, they then hand you a multilayer form, to review your vehicle which is in the lot. That means, you then have to walk to the lot, note the preponderance of damages that adorn their mediocre vehicles, walk back to the counter, and hand them the form. Then, you are done. So third in line means a 40 to 50 minute wait. When I mentioned the laborious process, the woman responded curtly, "that's the way the process works."
The car had so many issues, I circled every area of the car, citing dozens of dents, dings, scrapes and paint issues. Almost every panel had some type of issue. However, beyond these cosmetic issues, lies a more serious problem. The tires were balding and in bad shape. Most of the time the weather is good in St. Croix, but when it rains, this isn't the vehicle you want to use.
The return was worse than the pickup, with the male attendant yelling at me, "Hey where are you going?", as I walked toward a small building that looked like the return center. And I responded that's where I was going. He then said something like, "well hold on, you don't go there, I handle the returns." Our conversation continued and not in a positive direction. In a rudeness race against the woman who process my paperwork, he wins for top rudeness.
Suggestions that would help Budget:
1. I entered my information when I purchased online, if the systems aren't compatible, why doesn't Budget enter the info BEFORE people arrive.
2. Inspect the cars BEFORE people arrive, then it will take less time to document all the damages.
3. Use newer vehicles in good condition!
4. Replace bald tires.
5. Customer service training for your employees. Hey folks, politeness doesn't cost you a nickel and can deliver great dividends.
We think St. Croix is a great island, but unfortunately Budget St. Croix is not a great rental operation. If you think I'm exaggerating about the condition of the vehicle, check out these photos!