Sunday, December 19, 2004

"I will never use another car rental company"

Pretty strong statement, don't you think?

But that's exactly what I heard from some friends in San Diego yesterday...unbidden they told us the story of why Enterprise will forever be their car rental company of choice.

I won't tell you the whole story. I will tell you what I heard when they told it:

1. The customer deserves to be treated with respect.
Even when things go wrong or situations get sticky, the customer deserves your respect...no even more than that...the customer deserves friendly, respectful service. A stressed out customer can be brought down off the ledge with a smile, an apology or a promise to take care of a problem.

2. Employees that feel empowered to adapt to a customer's circumstances give better customer service
A company that focuses on respect for the customer is great. A company that focuses on respect for the customer and their own employee is even better. Rules are rules, and there's usually a reason behind every rule, but knowing when to bend them and knowing you have the power to do so makes a truly customer-centric employee.

3. Communication is key
Let's say you're that rule-bending, customer-centric employee. All that fostered good will be for naught if the customer shows up the next day, and no one else knows what the hell is going on. Communication makes sure the customer's experience is seamless. It's the difference that means they won't associate their good experience with one employee, but rather with an entire company.

Enterprise helped our friends out when they were in a jam. They went out of their way; they bent the rules, and they did it all with a smile on their face and a quick "no problem at all" in response to grateful thanks.

Our friends will never use another car rental company, and after hearing their story, I may never use another ne either.

Comments:
Thanks for this great post. You've got some really good info in your blog. If you get a chance, you can check out my blog on national rent a car at http://www.nationalrentacarniche.com.

Larry Tolbert
http://www.nationalrentacarniche.com
 
I totally agree with what you're saying. I wish more people felt this way and took the time to express themselves. Keep up the great work.

Matt Miller
http://www.nationalrentcarniche.com
 
I could't agree more.
 
For those of you who may be travelling to Canada do not rent from Discount Car Rental. They do the opposite of what is noted in this blog. In fact they do somethings that could jepordize your indentity. They insist on taking and photocopying two pieces of identification-usually your driver's licence and passport. If someone was to gain access to their office they would have your credit card info plus the two pieces of ID. On top of this practice Discount forces renters from outside Canada to buy their "collision coverage" whether the renter has a gold credit card or not. The rental companies in Canada have collision coverage on their vehicles and the "collision coverage" they sell is just a way for them to increase the rental rate.
 
Here is a little information we have collected comparing rental car companies. Some rental cars allow unlimited mileage within a geographical area. Many rental desks may have limited hours of operation. That you can save on a car rental by reserving it in advance at a weekly rate is an industry standard. The prices are extremely competitive and really affordable.

More good information at:
Cheap Car Rentals
 
Understand your needs and find someone to help you get the perfect value. Rental car companies offer great car rental bargains and rental discounts each month.

Cheers,
Betty
Check out more tips at http://new-york-cheap-rental-car.info/
 
I have to say, reading this post after two years, it is still valuable when more and more people are using Internet to make their car rental bookings. DriveAway Holidays, as Australia's Car Rental Specialists serving more than 140 countries and regions, found customer service is alway the most important thing to take care. This is especially true when selling car rental online. Try to think what will happen if you didn't answer an inquiry email after two days - you will forever lose this potential customer!

Patrick Shi
DriveAway Holidays
http://www.driveaway.com.au
 
Thanks for your information. I only wish I had read it before recently traveling to Florida and having a nightmare experience with every "customer service" representative I encountered at Alamo, from start to finish.There were problems at every turn and nothing but rude employees who just didn't care.
 
Cheap Car Hire - Thrifty Car Rental(www.thrifty.co.uk)
Online Cheap Car Hire agencies have made the world an easier way to get car hire for cheaper and better. Car hire is a service provided many agencies or companies in which they lend you a car or another type of vehicle in which to use for short periods of time, a day to a few weeks.
Sajith
http://www.thrifty.co.uk
 
Hi there,

This is a great post, however please do not give up on all car and van rental companies. Check us out at http://www.selecthire.co.uk

Thanks
Mark
 
I too have had a tremendous amount of trouble with car rental companies. As my career involves a lot of travelling, I frequently need to use a rental. But now I have found a company that reaches my standard, why not try it out yourself? http:www.selecthire.co.uk
 
I rented a car in Montreal Car Rental Company called Globe Car Rental or Globecar, they were awesome. I check Globe Car Rental rates in Montreal every time I needed a car and they were always a lot cheaper than all the other companies. Best of all they don't try to upsell you anything and their cars are new and clean.

HREF="http://globecar.ca">You can book online by clicking here
 
Yes, this company seems very good. I like their policy, I'm sure their business is very profitable. It's very important, as van hire companies has strong competition. Research has shown increasing demand for van hire and also that customers require short term van rental for activities like moving house, collecting furniture, transporting household items, helping students in and out of university accommodation and completing DIY projects.
 
As one who works with the non-major car rental companies, I have to agree that there are a huge differences in quality of service. The vast majority of the smaller providers really try and do a good job. Unfortunately there are some who don't quite measure up. My biggest frustration has been in finding good quality, low-cost software to support them. Lately the best bet that I've made is with Open Travel Software's Car Rental System (www.opentravelsoftware.com)
 
You know what car rental just like any other business requires great customer care and knowing that the customer is always right. Here in Kenya we are learning that when you give great service the client markets your business by word of mouth. A simple car rental to on individual can easily bring in five more individuals.
 
This comment has been removed by the author.
 
This is an interesting post. showing up how well customer service needs to be looked into, mistake of a few employees get into loosing clients as well spoils the company name.

Regards
Scott - Rhino Car Hire
 
Hi Guys,
Got great information here. I too faced a tremendous amount of problem while hiring a car for rental. As I need to travel a lot. But now I use to take my own car where ever I go, even on cruise. Some channel crossing ferries are offering a great deal for for both motorists and freight drivers.

Once again Thanks to all
:)
 
This is nice blog, I gather a lot of information form here. I am new to this blog, I want to know more information about this blog.
=====================
marry
Used Cars
 
Well, we asked copies of Id's too , because the our Insurance Company ask, so we have to do it. One more thing, they are so many guys who use fake ids and rent cars.
 
great post, that's excatly what I tell my employees at www.mirafloresautorent.com
 
If you leave something in a National car Rental, never expect to see it again! This is twice now that I've forgotten something in the National car (garage door opener, GPS case, childs toy)contacted National immediately and told to deal with customer service/lost and found. Have sent several emails in the past few weeks, someone finally got back to me asking when this happened even though the details should be on my file! Spent thousands in the past 6months renting cars from this company and no one seems to care to even get back to me.
 
I am based in Fort William (much further North in the UK and you are in the USA).
We have had 2 vans from www.Icanhire.com who are based 600 miles away in London. We have had problems with a van but you would never have know they were that far away we got a replacement at 9am on a Monday morning having called them at 15.00 on Sunday to say that there was a problem with it.
Now that is what I call service.
 
Car Rental Montreal can a great experience for you and your family make your trip memorable today with www.canadaexoticcars.com
 
My job is selling to car rental companies accessories and I spend much of my week in rental cars.

I recently had a problem with one of the major companies which i had booked through Gostar Direct. I was amazed, I rang Gostar Direct and explained the problem and that the car rental company had refused to resolve my problem, within 30 minutes the problem was resolved.

I guess this is the power they have over the car rental company. If i complain I am a single customer and not important to them, but if Gostar ring I guess they know they could loose a lot of business.

Thanks Gostar Direct, you are brilliant
 
National Car in Philadelphia SUCKS
The shuttle buses do pick-ups on average every 20 minutes (at least that’s the schedule on Monday Mornings). Terminal F has no enclosed pick-up point, so customers have to stay on average 15 minutes in the frigid cold in Winter to wait for a shuttle bus.
To put it another way, 1 National Bus for every 4 AVIS busses
If you try calling them, they do not answer the phone (the direct Philadelphia branch number)
I tried calling them with my cell when I got to the rental centre, I could hear the phone ringing , and they plain out ignored the phone.
There customer service is anything but friendly.
Oh - did I mention I was an executive Elite member, that also counts for nothing with them.
 
Great post. Thanks for sharing.


Instant car rental

 
enterprise is the best in the business when it comes to car rental customer service. they have many loyal customers even though their rates arent the cheapest.
 
Great post and really good info in your blog. I have appreciative your work and gives car rental worker treated with respect.
 
Need Car Rental in the Philippines? You may want to consider visiting us. Our line is open 24 hours. We offer car rental services, promo and discount rates and low price packages that suit your budget and life style. Thank you and take care.
 
WARNING FOR FELLOW TRAVELLERS

be aware of renting cars in San Jose'del Cabo(Baja California) with PAYLESS CAR RENTAL.
In February 2009 I rented a car for a week(contract number is SJD0007748)and I was overcharged bigtime;in spite of my many emails to customer service and responsible of PAYLESS CAR RENTAL pointing out the mistake they made and asking for refund I felt they just played dumb and deaf and they stole my money...here one of the last mail "May,10th,2009
to whom it may concern
On February the 4th , 2009 I rented a vehicle from Payless Rental Car in San Jose’ del Cabo(Mexico) , the vehicle was rented till the 10th of February 2009.
The contract number is SJD0007748
The day I rented the vehicle I was asked to sign a voucher charged on my debt card as preauthorization for the rental car fee.
I was assured that the amount will only be frozen but not charged until the deliverance of the vehicle when the actual final bill was to be calculated and an authorized voucher would be emitted for the real charge.
That same day , 04 of February 2009 , the amount of US $ 547.02 was charged to my HSBC Bank account and detailed as “COMPRA POR PUNTO DE VENTA PAY LES CAR RENTAL SAN JOSE’ DEL MX”(textual words).
On February the 10th , 2009 I delivered the car and the final bill was calculated as US $ 341.40 for which I signed a voucher to be charged on my Bank account.
(the charge was in Mexican pesos for an amount of Mex$ 4,967.37 at a rate of Mex$ 14.55 per US $).
This charge of US $ 341.40 on the 10th of February 2009 was never applied to my account , while the US $ 547.02 charge made on the 4th of February 2009 was the one applied , bottom line: I WAS OVERCHARGED US $ 205.62.
In spite of my many emails to Payless Rental Car Customer Service and subsequently exchanged emails with señora CARMEN CORONADO explaining and proving the mistake done by Payless , no adjustment to the error was made , I was actually asked to check my bank account which I know by heart and which I felt like a dumping on me and my Bank for whatsoever error was made , but the RESULT WAS THE SAME , IN MY BANK ACCOUNT THERE WERE US $ 205.62 LESS THAN WHAT WAS RIGHT ACCORDING TO CONTRACT AND IN THE PAYLESS ACCOUNT THERE WERE US $ 205.62 MORE THAN WHAT WAS STIPULATED.
Since I believe in fair trading , what struck me was the lack of interest and will in solving a mistake , my business too is about tourism and Real Estate , so I understand mistakes and refunds that have to be made because of those mistakes and that as “painful” as they can be , they need to be corrected because they are simply part of the business and eventually , “Businessway” , they PAY OFF.
200 bucks can be a big sum of money that can feed a family for a year or can be nothing , is very relative , in my personal actual case they do not change at the least my lifestyle , but in the business world they can be just a WRONG FIGURE.
As now I can feel free to discredit privately and publicly PAYLESS CAR RENTAL for the misdoings and lack of seriousness and fairness in the business , which most probably will not enable me to recover the stolen money , but SURELY will help other customers not to fall in the same trap as I did and hopefully to meditate and recover some integrity to the company YOU represent , own or work for , given that that Company will manage to stay afloat and keep operating in this very competitive world of ours.
Best regards
Massimo Monti"

DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AS I DID , THIS COMPANY IS TOTALLY BAD NEWS,DISHONEST AND UNETHYCAL

Massimo Monti
 
I am not at all in agreement with you that Enterprise Car rental is the best out there, I will gladly explain why.

I leave in Dorado Puerto Rico just 6.2 miles from the nearest Enterprise Dealership in Bayamon PR. I called for a reservation as my car blew out it's transmission and I have medical appointments scheduled for twice a week for the next 4 weeks.

The "person" that attended me said that they would not pick me up because I do not leave in Bayamon.

I called Enterprise Corporate and they stated that there policy was that the cannot pick up a customer if said customer lives outside of their maximum range of ten miles, when I asked why the Bayamon office would not pick me up she (Shiela customer service) said " I don't know why".

When I called back to the Enterprise office in Bayamon the manager said it was a time issue, it would take thirty minutes to pick me up and return to the office!

For the lack of desire to do your job, and to not comply with what you advertise on tv, internet, even newspaper ads, I say to you Enterprise Car Rental that you have lost a corporate member since 1987 and I will gladly share my lowely opinion of you to anyone and everyone I can.

Fianlly, my advise steer clear from Enterprise Car Rental here in Puerto Rico or anywhere for that matter.

Sincerly Frustrated,
David Padilla
President & CEO
PadCo Endeavors, Inc.
 
I too will never use Enterprise, What a night mare in Tampa, FL. They gave me a good price but the car had bad breaks and when I took it in they gave us a SMOKED up car that had not been cleaned. On return the counter person said it was discuting and that they will do something about adjusting my price as this was so bad. THEN corperate lied to American Express saying they had taken care of it and we were happy, NOT SO. They have yet to get back to me and take care of the situation so NEVER and I encourage everyone to stay away from ENTERPRISE.
 
Hi Guys,
Got great information here. I too faced a tremendous amount of problem while hiring a car for rental. As I need to travel a lot. But now I use to take my own car where ever I go, even on cruise. Some channel crossing ferriesare offering a great deal for for both motorists and freight drivers.
 
Great post!!! It is all about how to market your service and product in this online business market to generate lead and sales. All the three points you have mentioned I would like to sum up as business-centric, customer focused business is the key to marketing success.
 
Very Good blog on transportation it contains lots of information. I completely agree with you.
 
Mim Car Rental is a popular car rental company in Mumbai. We providing all types of car in reasonable price.
 
I am also use only one car rental comapny, which also provides avis coupons
 
A lot of car rental comments over here :)
Inchirieri masini

Inchirieri masini prin Focusrentacar.ro, Car rental in Bucharest
 
Thanks a lot for this info..
its worth reading as well as implementing for every contract hire company..
i feel luck i belong to a company which provides a blend on friendly & respectful service..
still few points u mentioned are worth considering...
Thanks again....
 
Good info on your blog.
 
BEWARE - DO NOT RENT A CAR FROM NATIONAL in NYC
7 a.m. this morning I arrived at a National Car rental office on W 40 St. in Manhattan (NYC) to pick up a reserved car. All correct official ID was established. An American Express Rewards coupon for $75 was presented. The National Car Rental supervisor, Michael, refused to honor the coupon saying that I should have read the fine print because AMEX Rewards coupons are not accepted at NYC locations !!

That rebuttal was not what I wanted to hear after rising at 5 a.m preparing to drive several hours to a funeral!

When the original reservation was made with National over the phone I stated an AMEX coupon would be presented at the Manhattan car pick up address. I asked many question when reserving from National and getting the $75 coupon from AMEX to be sure all would run smoothly on the day of the funeral. The AMEX coupon was downloaded from the web following phone instructions from AMEX.

I gave the details of my reservation and coupon all substantiating the careful way in which I made the reservation and got the coupon but the supervisor continued to deny and rebut. He then suggested I take a cab to JFK airport and catch a National Car Rental from there where the coupon would be accepted! Absurd hardship! 45 minutes cab ride in the wrong direction (1.5 hours round trip) to give National my business! No thanks!

Thumbs down to National for bad, discourteous and insensitive customer service and double thumbs down for their original misinformation. Thumbs down as well for American Express for misinformation and misrepresentation.
 
One thing i like about hiring cars is that you can own a car for your needs then return it once your through.
 
Don't rent from Enterprise:
My daughter rented a car from Enterprise while her car was being repaired from a minor accident. The first car she got smelled like smoke and had stains on some of the seats, so she took it back the next day to get a replacement. The agent told her the replacement car looked ok and didn't go out with her to inspect it and this being my daughters first rental she looked the dark navy blue car over in the rain and didn't see anything. When she returned it the agent saw a small dent on the truck by the key hole that you could only see if you looked at it the right way -- I know, I was there when she returned the car. They charged my daughter with the damage and wrote up a damage report and charge her $500 deposit until they could get a repair estimate. I looked at my daughter pink copy of the rental contract and on the second auto diagram it only had a few items filled out and nothing about whether the car had damage or not when she took it off the lot. I went to the rental agent the next day and ask for the white original copy of the contract (which he made me a copy) and it showed all the info on the second auto diagram was filled in now on his copy, showing no damage to the car. He also said there was not damage report on the car from the previous renter. My contention here is that when my daughter picked up the second car he put her pink contract copy under the original white copy, but did not completely fill it out. Once she returned the car and he found the damage (which he may have already known about) he altered/fraudulently the original white page of the contract and filled in the rest of the information to say the car had no damage. This way he was able to get her to pay for the damage, which so far the damage repair came to guess what -- just over $500, plus admin fee=$100 and other misc fees have the bill up to almost $800 now. We have written the Enterprise Damage Recover Unit and explained all of this in writing, but they just send another bill saying pay for the damage. We don't believe the damage occurred while my daughter had the car, but was missed when she picked it up because of the cars dark color and the weather conditions at the time. I am not sure what to do at this point other than pay for damage to a car that I don't believe my daughter did ( she is 25). I believe the original copy of the contract was fraudulently altered to make it look like the car had no damage when she got it, but my daughter was never provided with a written contact fully completed that showed on her pink copy that it (did or did not) have damage at the time she picked it up. Do you have any advise on how to handle this situation at this point or do we just end up paying a bill for something that she did not do ??
 
Please visit my web for cars on rental in Barbados.. Thanks..
 
Yes the information conveyed here about the car rental is really superb. I was just going for a Rent car with driver Milan, but now I will take full care of this thing.
 
Clicca autonoleggio_alghero per visitare il mio blog!
 
I am completely agree with what you are saying. Most of the people would like to rent a car from brand car rental agency in the town. If you would like to visit you can visit my site like http://www.avis.co.ke
 
Very nice article. Thanks for the information.
 
Clicca quiCar Hire Alghero airport!
 
Discount Car Rental AlgheroCar Hire Alghero Airport!
 
Car Rental in Alghero, Car hire Alghero from Discount Car Rental!
 
You got it right. If only they thought things before doing any action then it would have been a perfect world. Thanks and more power to us~
 
wonderful car hire option with hertz car rental agency.www.hertz.co.uk/
 
Think carefully about what kind of vehicle you'll need. If you're traveling with children or with a lot of gear, you may want a large sedan or SUV. If you're simply looking to save money on rental rates and gas, you'll want to reserve the smallest available model.
 
Make sure that hiring the mini bus will come within your budget and ensure that you collect money beforehand form all the people who are going to be traveling with you.
 
Car leasing can offer advantages and be an attractive alternative to buying, like you'd have lower monthly payments.
 
Most people like to lease for a term that coincides with the length of the manufacturer's warranty coverage so that if something goes wrong with the car, the repairs are always covered.
 
The newest way to save on rental cars is to hook up with a car share service. If you live near a major city or you're a frequent renter, you may save money by joining a car share.
 
This is a super old post. I think this would do better at site like pissed off consumer. Amazig to see the # of complaints!
 
Save hundreds - get discounts on almost everything - use Just Damn Coupons http://www.justdamncoupons.com
 
Call several rental car companies for price estimates, or check rates through your travel agent. Ask about specials geared to the length of time you need the vehicle. Many companies offer weekly or weekend deals. If your plans are flexible, you may be able to save money by renting a car when price breaks are available. But be sure to ask about restrictions on special offers, including blackout dates when an advertised price may not be available.
 
Most leases require little or no down payment, which makes getting into a new car more affordable and frees up your cash for other things. However, you can choose to make a down payment, or trade in your old vehicle, to lower your monthly payment amount.
 
Renting a car can give you freedom and flexibility when you're traveling, and in some parts of the world it's the only feasible way to get around.
 
I would have to disagree with the Enterprise rental car company showing respect to their customers. It never fails they try to get more money from the customer with tricky tactics. It has never failed that when I go there, I leave stressed out.
 
Good information for peole who looking for rent car.......
 
Thanks for sharing this info..

We are offering rent a car services in Pakistan.
www.cnsrentacar.com
 
Before renting a car, you need to understand the full insurance cost. Often travel insurance can work out cheaper than paying the excess reduction insurance at the time of rental. If you already have travel insurance, make sure you don't pay for extra insurance that your travel insurance already offers.
 
Yea this is really a great post i love to know about it.because Transportation is a big issue for all.
 
Tremendous and informative post.. I have to agree that there are a huge differences in quality of service. The vast majority of the smaller providers really try and do a good job. Unfortunately there are some who don't quite measure up. As I need to travel a lot. It's really useful... thanx
 
Tremendous and informative post.. I have to agree that there are a huge differences in quality of service. The vast majority of the smaller providers really try and do a good job. Unfortunately there are some who don't quite measure up. As I need to travel a lot. It's really useful... thanx
 
Well next time you just have to be sure that you deal only with reliable and legit car rental sites to avoid hassle like that.
 
Thanks for the review about car rental. I will buy one form cardealerships
 
I found cheapest car rentals in Montreal; you can also try TransCanada car rentals
 
Hiring a limo will give you a smooth and relaxing ride. it's comfort and style rolled in to one.
 
Nice article
Thanks for your information
 
Great services provide by him
http://www.bestservicetorontolimo.com/
 
I could not agree more.
 
Van rental services are really very helpful. I am looking for a van rental services in Dublin city Center. Please suggest me best van rental companies near around Dublin.
 
I have found those guys in stockport http://www.masterrentals.co.uk and they have good price in cars and vans,they are very nice and they are giving me a good service.
 
In states that allow it, CDW is an optional charge of $9 to $13 a day. Rental car agents may urge you to buy this option. Although they call it collision damage coverage, it's not technically collision insurance.
 
This comment has been removed by the author.
 
Hello,
This above post is all about the Car rental in the Philippines. It is just a good service. Thank you much more for sharing this awesome post.
Car rental in the Philippines
 
Thanks for nice article you share with us


 
Thanks for nice article you share with us

Jual Pakaian Dalam
 
Hi! I will recommend this site toptransfersservices.wordpress.com
 
Hi! I will recommend this site http://www.toptransfersservices.wordpress.com

 
The best transfers services

 
Thank you very much. I agreee with your article, this really helped me. I appreciate your help. Thanks a lot. Good website.
Car Rental Singapore
 
I am very happy with this artiker, with no posting this artiker i learned a iot and I know a lot about a lot of things thanks for sharing. posting very useful. success for you brother.
 
i wish you much fun with my comments, perhaps this blog will be a great blog someday I hope, I really liked this part of the article, with a big and interesting topic has helped a lot of people who don't oppose things that people should know, thanks a lot.

 
I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.Thankyou i really love it

 
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Thanks for sharing

could you visit us in Jual Pakaian Dalam Wanita, Jual Bra, Jual Lingerie
 
Great article and thanks for sharing it.
http://www.transfer-private.com
 
Sometimes it is necessary and not something you chose to do. But one thing is for sure-moving is a pain! Packing up your possessions can take a long time, and you are probably busy enough already. This is why you should consider hiring some professional movers to help you pack up and move out. It is often better to help some professional movers help you, even though it will cost you a little extra money.
car rentals gold coast

 
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