Here is an example of bad, very bad customer service at the Hertz car-rental counter. The entire sequence was caught on video tape. Next, comes an old-time travel reel about Chicago filmed back in 1948. It is fun to take a look at how Chicago was portrayed. Finally, our own Christopher Elliott has been quietly making videos in his closed studio. Here is one on using suggestion forms.
Hertz fails with customer service
Paula Revera, Hertz’s PR person, had a hard time deflecting this one. Here is her response.
We appreciate the video posted online about Mr. Nemcoff’s experience at Fort Lauderdale Airport. It’s always helpful to get feedback on one’s experience with Hertz. While there are numerous explanations surrounding Mr. Nemcoff’s time with Hertz, none negate the overall experience and wait time he and the other customers had with us.
Hertz is in the process of reengineering its operations and one area we are intensely focused on is the customer experience and alleviating the time one spends in line while renting a car and we certainly will take this video and Mr. Nemcoff’s experience into consideration as we move forward.
Hertz offers a variety of ways to help get customers to their cars quickly—online checking and Hertz #1 Club Gold service, for example—both of which help expedite the rental process or, as in the case of Gold, bypass lines all together. Feedback is extremely valuable to Hertz and we encourage all customers to take our customer survey so that we can get real time feedback and correct any issues as they arise.
Chicago back in 1948 — fun
They don’t make travel-logs like this anymore.
Christopher Elliott on customer service — use the suggestion forms
After several decades working in a variety of jobs as a newspaper writer, event publicist, communications specialist, and marketing director, Karen Cummings is now “retired” and working on Travelers United’s social media and newsletters in addition to occasionally contributing a travel-related article to TU’s blog. She lives close to her family in Fryeburg, Maine, and travels as often as she can.
