This was my first experience with Hertz, I rent vehicle often, but I had just not had the opportunity to rent from Hertz. I am sad to say it was a bad experience. I don't often leave any reviews, but I figured I would just relate my experience.
I booked a minivan online to be picked up on Thursday May 18th at 6 pm. When I booked the vehicle it offered me the opportunity to get picked up and brought to Hertz which I wanted to take advantage of since I was not sure I would have a ride to get there. I got a call a couple of days before to confirm my reservation and up until that point all was well.
The day of the reservation everything was rushed next thing you know I am on my way. That is when I realized how filthy the vehicle was, I guess this part is my fault for not checking before I left, but still how do you give your customer a car that has not even been washed after its last trip. I stopped by the gas station and fill up the gas tank. From a little above 1/2 a tank it fit another $40. I found this odd since I did not think that the Nissan Quest had that big of a gas Tank. As I was driving home I realized the problem, the gas meter did not work, and to make things worse the Pasadena Hertz is now closed.
I called Hertz and explained the problem, after about 15 minutes of convincing the woman on the line that it was not normal and that it would not start working after I drive it 100 miles, she told me I could go and exchange it at the LAX Hertz, this was very inconvenient because I still had to get everything ready for the next day, and driving to LAX is no walk in the park. In any case I figured these things happen and this is the solution so off I go.
I arrive at LAX and here is when things really got bad, first I was told to drive into the return area and explain what had happened so that is what I did. When I arrived there were a bunch of people with Hertz uniforms which I guess check the cars that come in but I am not sure, I asked one of them that was walking by for some direction and his response was (and I don't exaggerate when I say he yelled at me) "WAIT YOUR TURN WE WILL EVENTUALLY GET TO YOU." I still said nothing and waited, eventually a nice woman came by and checked the car in. I explained to her what had happened and she said it happened all the time and not to worry just go inside and they will take care of you.
So that is what I did, I walked inside and found a sign that said Customer Service and Vehicle Exchange so I got in that line, I was in that line for about 40 minutes and finally it was my turn. I walk up and as friendly and politely as I could explained the situation to a not so friendly and not so polite person called Gareth.
Gareth seemed to be in a bad mood; after I explained the situation he started scolding me because the person that had checked in the quest had not written down the miles or the condition of the quest on the check in slip. He then told me to go outside and find the person and get them to do it, after to stand back in line. Mind you it had been 40 minutes and I was not sure I would be able to find the person, plus why should I stand in line for another 40 minutes because of a mistake they made. I politely explained this to him and he said if I did not do it he could not help me.
At this point (still as nicely as I could) I asked him to please consider everything I had just gone through which was not my fault and to please help me. He yelled at me that if I did not like it I should go talk to the manager yelled at me to leave and that he would not help me anymore. I told him I refused to move from the counter and that he should go get the manager. He angrily left his desk for what I thought was to find the manager, he was gone for about 15 minutes.
He came back and said that he could not find the person that had checked the car in and that he was getting me a new quest. He tried to tell me that he was not angry at me but the people that did not check the car in correctly. I thought about telling him to get the manager anyway but at this point figured I just wanted to leave with a Mini-van. I was polite for the rest of the exchange and was soon on my way.
The whole ordeal of exchanging the vehicle took 3 hours, that to me is not the bad part, mechanical failures happen, the part I don't understand and feel no customer should have to put up with is getting yelled at on top of being inconvenienced, especially when you are being polite and understanding.
I normally rent my vehicles from both SIXT and Enterprise and the customer service is night and day. Those companies I would recommend. Rent from Hertz and you may be ok, but if you need anything from them don't be surprised if they yell at you. read more