Something to know about new Hertz service
Sep 5th, 2013, 02:30 PM
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Something to know about new Hertz service
Usually, when people complains about a company's products or services in this forum, you have to wonder if they came aboard Fodors simply to vent. I myself have even called out a few people whose first and only post is to blast a company. Feel free to check my records; I've been posting here since 1999 and have made hundreds of posts over the years. This, however, is my first such posting to alert fellow travelers about the potential for trouble with a relatively new service from Hertz. I delayed this posting for over a week in order to give Hertz a chance to get back to me. They haven't, so I will post.
Specifically, the service that people need to beware of is their self-service kiosks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR8oGt_QX38
Sounds great, doesn't it?
What this company failed to plan for is something one should always plan for when using computer technology -- what do you do when the terminal goes down?
I had a reservation with Hertz to pick up a car at a self-service kiosk at 4pm on Sunday, August 25. When I arrived at the room with a kiosk, the only message on the screen was "Unexpected Error Occurred." There was no sign at the kiosk on what to do in this situation; it's as if the company never anticipated a technical glitch.
Over the next two hours, I made four calls to Hertz Customer Service, with each time the first bit of advice was to "call the location." Somehow, nobody with Hertz seemed to understand that a self-service kiosk doesn't have a location! When the kiosk is down, you can't do anything!!
One rep suggested I speak with the persons working at the parking garage that held the kiosk, despite my predicting that these garage attendants would simply reply, "That's a Hertz problem, not ours." The attendants' response? "That's a Hertz problem, we have nothing to do with that."
One rep suggested I go to the airport with my reservation, with the note that they "might" give me the rate I had in my original booking. "Might," of course, is corporate speak for "won't," so I figured I'd better speak with the airport location first. I called their local number and got (no surprise) a list of options that basically said, "Please don't call us here -- we're not going to pick up the phone and speak with you, so just handle your situation with someone else." There was no way I was going to the airport without an absolute guarantee of my rate being honored.
On my fourth call to Hertz customer service, I finally got someone who arranged for my reservation to be honored at the train station. Well, sort of -- because of higher fees for a franchise at a train station, my rate was $32 higher.
It wasn't till 6:30p that I finally got a car, despite having a confirmed reservation, with check-in completed, for 4pm. Before beginning the trip, I left an e-mail complaint with Hertz asking simple questions like, "How long did it take for the kiosk to get fixed?" I got an acknowledgement e-mail almost immediately -- but nothing after that. That being the case, I feel honor bound to warn other members of Fodors to beware of usage of this service. If the kiosk you intend to get a car from is down -- and technology has a way of doing that -- ask yourself what would happen then. Will you be able to get a car at another location, at any price? Will all other locations be closed for the night? Will you even be able to leave the area where you thought you'd have a car? Will you miss anything if it takes over two hours to get your car?
Unlike some hysterical posters, I'm not saying "Boycott Hertz forever!!", because I've generally been quite satisfied with their service. But this is one product I'm going to avoid unless and until I can get some answers.
Specifically, the service that people need to beware of is their self-service kiosks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR8oGt_QX38
Sounds great, doesn't it?
What this company failed to plan for is something one should always plan for when using computer technology -- what do you do when the terminal goes down?
I had a reservation with Hertz to pick up a car at a self-service kiosk at 4pm on Sunday, August 25. When I arrived at the room with a kiosk, the only message on the screen was "Unexpected Error Occurred." There was no sign at the kiosk on what to do in this situation; it's as if the company never anticipated a technical glitch.
Over the next two hours, I made four calls to Hertz Customer Service, with each time the first bit of advice was to "call the location." Somehow, nobody with Hertz seemed to understand that a self-service kiosk doesn't have a location! When the kiosk is down, you can't do anything!!
One rep suggested I speak with the persons working at the parking garage that held the kiosk, despite my predicting that these garage attendants would simply reply, "That's a Hertz problem, not ours." The attendants' response? "That's a Hertz problem, we have nothing to do with that."
One rep suggested I go to the airport with my reservation, with the note that they "might" give me the rate I had in my original booking. "Might," of course, is corporate speak for "won't," so I figured I'd better speak with the airport location first. I called their local number and got (no surprise) a list of options that basically said, "Please don't call us here -- we're not going to pick up the phone and speak with you, so just handle your situation with someone else." There was no way I was going to the airport without an absolute guarantee of my rate being honored.
On my fourth call to Hertz customer service, I finally got someone who arranged for my reservation to be honored at the train station. Well, sort of -- because of higher fees for a franchise at a train station, my rate was $32 higher.
It wasn't till 6:30p that I finally got a car, despite having a confirmed reservation, with check-in completed, for 4pm. Before beginning the trip, I left an e-mail complaint with Hertz asking simple questions like, "How long did it take for the kiosk to get fixed?" I got an acknowledgement e-mail almost immediately -- but nothing after that. That being the case, I feel honor bound to warn other members of Fodors to beware of usage of this service. If the kiosk you intend to get a car from is down -- and technology has a way of doing that -- ask yourself what would happen then. Will you be able to get a car at another location, at any price? Will all other locations be closed for the night? Will you even be able to leave the area where you thought you'd have a car? Will you miss anything if it takes over two hours to get your car?
Unlike some hysterical posters, I'm not saying "Boycott Hertz forever!!", because I've generally been quite satisfied with their service. But this is one product I'm going to avoid unless and until I can get some answers.
Sep 5th, 2013, 03:23 PM
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Good info.
I think the lesson is - only use manned locations.
Easy for me to say - we have a 24/7 one less than a mile from my house that I use fairly regularly - the clerks now know me - and always call me ahead of the poor waiting tourists - but I am a Gold and corporate member.
And I must admit that I am a luddite - always go straight to live rep when on the phone - never waste time with the various push 2 or 4 or whatever options.
I think the lesson is - only use manned locations.
Easy for me to say - we have a 24/7 one less than a mile from my house that I use fairly regularly - the clerks now know me - and always call me ahead of the poor waiting tourists - but I am a Gold and corporate member.
And I must admit that I am a luddite - always go straight to live rep when on the phone - never waste time with the various push 2 or 4 or whatever options.
