This weekend, I flew to Atlanta and picked up a rental car to drive almost three hours north to the Chickamauga area in North Georgia. My destination? A regional grassroots leadership development retreat organized by Fast Company readers and Company of Friends members living and working in Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia.
When it comes to airlines and rental cars, I'm not much of a loyalist in Danielle and Alison's sense. I buy by price. While I belong to scads of frequent flier and driver -- and sleeper -- programs, I may miss out on some benefits available through those programs, but more often than not, I just want to get where I'm going as quickly as possible, and as inexpensively as possible.
This weekend, I split my flight legs between AirTrans and United, and I went with Thrifty for the rental. That's where my trouble began.
I always check whether a rental car location is "in terminal" so I don't end up taking a shuttle bus three miles away from the airport. The Atlanta airport Thrifty spot was supposedly in terminal but ended up being on a ring road, away from almost all of the rental car services.
When we got there, the car that had been assigned to me wasn't in its spot, so I had to go inside and get reassigned. The guy at the counter gave me the keys to a white Stratus with Jersey plates parked just in front of the office. I threw my suitcase in the back, got out my directions to Hidden Hollow, and began driving.
About an hour up I-75 or so, the battery warning light turned on. "That's odd," I thought, and kept driving. I figured that because the engine was running, I'd charge the battery as I went if it were low. Then, the engine warning light turned on. Nothing seemed mechanically amiss with the car, so I began listening intently to the engine for warning noises and other indicators that something was going on.
Everything checked out OK until just before exit 306, almost to Dalton. There was a chunka-chunka-chunk noise beneath the car, and the engine began revving and revving, all while losing acceleration. "Time to pull over," I thought. I pulled off exit 306, around a bend, and into the parking lot of a Wendy's near a truck stop and a gas station. Once I'd stopped, the car wouldn't start again.
After checking in at the gas station to see where I could get car repair help if I needed to, I called Thrifty and was connected with Roadside Assistance. The agent who worked with me, Miko, was awesome. She said she'd get someone to bring me a new car -- and to tow the old away. She told me they'd be there in an hour. And she told me that they wouldn't charge me for the day. All I had to do was wait.
And wait. And wait. After almost two hours -- giving the tow the benefit of the doubt -- I called Miko back. She checked in and said they were on their way, just two miles away. And sure enough, before long, a Paso's II flat-bed tow pulled in with an "almond" Stratus on its back. The driver -- a nice fellow who greeted me with a "Doesn't get better than this, eh?" -- unloaded the new car, handed me the keys, and began handling the old car.
On the road again! Long story short, I've been thinking about this in terms of customer service and business travel. All in all, it wasn't a bad experience. I didn't lose much time. Miko was helpful. But there are downsides.
One downside is that I got a healthy sunburn. Because the battery was dead and the car wouldn't start after I pulled over, I couldn't sit in the sauna of a car without air conditioning for long. And because I didn't want to miss the arrival of the tow so they knew which car was which, I didn't feel like hanging out inside somewhere. So I sat outside by the car reading the Journal-Constitution and drinking a Jarritos. I've already begun to peel, and I hope it's less red soon. That said, I'm thankful that I stopped when I did. Had I gone north much further, things on the side of the road would've thinned out substantially, and I might have lost cell-phone signal. I stopped in the right place; always try to pull over near a gas station or truck stop, even if you think you can go a little further.
The other downside is Thrifty's end game. When I went to return the car yesterday, I was doubly disappointed by Thrifty. Not only should they not let a car that begs repair leave the lot, everything that's happened should be reflected when I check back in. Customer records should be keyed by the customer and trip record, not the car-specific contract. Instead, when I dropped off the car, they had charged me for both days and had no indication that the car had changed. When I went inside to clear things up, the woman at the counter asked which manager I'd talked to. When I said I hadn't, that Roadside Assistance had handled this, she said she had to check with a manager.
In the end, they gave me the day's rental back -- a scant $23. They did not take off the taxes for that day, nor the insurance for that day, so I basically ended up paying full rental for almost three hours on the side of the road because of a broken-down Thrifty. Yet it's interesting. While I will probably not rent from Thrifty in Atlanta again -- the staff seems largely disgruntled -- I will rent from Thrifty again.
Why? The breakdown seems an anomaly. Rental cars don't break down. While I could be mad at Thrifty for renting a car that did break down -- something they should never do -- it's such an outlier that I can't quite pin the blame on the company. Besides, perhaps if I'd waited a couple of minutes, the car that had originally been assigned to me -- which could've been getting refueled or washed -- would've been ready and brought to its spot. Even though my Atlanta airport experience -- on the front and back end -- was less than impressive, my interaction with Miko in Roadside Assistance and the fella from Paso's almost makes up for it. So the problem is Thrifty in Atlanta -- local error -- not Thrifty systemwide.
Yet I'm wondering about renting cars now:
Let me know what you've learned, and I'll share this with Donna Williams, author of our Transit Authority feature. Perhaps there's a future column in this experience!
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Recent Comments | 9 Total
April 26, 2004 at 12:30pm by Doug Sutton
What I have done about the insurance is to call my carrier before I go on a trip and check to see if the insurance on the car that I own will work for the rental. And so far, it has always covered. The insurance company will need to know the state(s) where you are traveling to see if they can cover you there, and then you don't have to buy it. Do, however, check to see what your coverage is on your car to make sure that it suits your needs on the rental....and remember your deductable will apply to the rental car as well.
One mistake I made....rented a car in Ketchum, Idaho and hit a deer in 5:00 in the morning....I fortunately complied with an old habit that I have of carrying a disposable camera in the glove box...especially helpful if someone hits you. This gives you a time and date on the prints for when the car was hit. Try and take a shot with some local landmark as well, and make sure that it includes your liscence plate and theirs. (The proof that I had was deer hair in the grill.) The mistake that I made was not getting insurance that will cover the lost revenue to the rental company while the car is being fixed. And they can really get you here, by saying "We are waiting for a part", and there is no way that you can prove that they aren't, while you are paying daily for the lost revenue. Lesson learned.
With the mileage, I would check to see what the rate is to buy the plan with unlimited mileage. And I also would fill the tank before I bring it back. Some companies will charge up to $1.00 per gallon more if they fill it up.
And sometimes this works. Make a reservation for a compact car with stick shift and air conditioning. When you get to the counter, they rarely will have this type of car for you and will give you an upgrade while you pay rental rates on a compact car.
And personally, on the free day that they gave you and still charged all of the other fees....I would make them show me in writing where that is. And throw in the fact that you will be contacting the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Transportation Comission. (I have gotten free Amtrak tickets with this when they have oversold, and I had to stand for two hours.)
April 26, 2004 at 7:11pm by Michele Miller
Travelling as much as I do, I've learned the hard way that loyalty to a good car rental outfit is worth the few extra dollars I might pay. Great service carries a lot of weight with me, even when NOTHING goes wrong. I wrote recently of an awesome branch of Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Austin - their care for me relieves any anxiety I might have, and I even feel a little pampered by their attention.
I was surprised at your comment that Thrifty rounded up your mileage - do you mean there are still car rental companies out there that don't just give you unlimited mileage? Amazing. And forget that "full tank of gas" bit - it's usually inordinately more expensive and draining the tank completely still wouldn't make up the difference. Self-serve, I say!
I'll be interested in hearing about your next experience with Thrifty -- see if it's different with another branch. Good luck!
April 26, 2004 at 7:47pm by Cheri
Really surprised about the mileage -- as the previous post noted, I haven't paid for that in ages. And if you put the charge on a gold credit card (not so elite anymore), most cover any insurance needs that your regular coverage doesn't.
While self-serve gas is cheaper, I find that the pre-pay is usually a competitive rate, sometimes even lower than the market. Unless I know there's no chance of running out the tank, I take the pre-pay because it's one less headache on the return to the airport -- and it's a LOT cheaper than paying to have the rental company fill it up... in New York, they're charging nearly $6/gallon for that "service."
Because I love convenience when I travel, I almost always use Hertz #1 Club for airport pickups. Even if you have to take the shuttle (rare that you don't anymore!), your car is ready and waiting -- a great service!
April 26, 2004 at 8:53pm by Arjun Singh
I am very appreciative of the nuance (right word?) I find in your post. Thrifty is a really large outfit, I imagine, so to let one branch or one experience taint your overall feeling might not do you a service.
April 27, 2004 at 12:18am by Tony May / Mayday Media
As an Atlanta resident, I extend my apology for your local experience. Unfortunately, I had a similar experience here when I needed to rent a 15 passenger van from a local Budget office. The company has been fine in the past, but this one branch left plenty to be desired.
As to your questions:
Insurance - does your personal or corporate insurance already cover what the rental company is trying to up-sell you? My insurance policy does, so I don't ever buy it.
Pre-paid gas - Even with my trips to gas-pricy towns like L.A. (my hometown), I still maintain it's better to just refill the tank on your way back in. I've had plenty of business and personal trips that while I was glad to have the car at my disposal, I didn't end up driving near as much as I thought I would. Besides, they charge the 'average' price of gas in town. That's never been the case. Write down what they're going to charge you and pay attention to the gas prices as you leave the airport / rental company and you'll feel better about not having done it - typically within a few blocks.
I'm not trying to be cheap here, but why pay that much more for something that's already expensive.
Mileage roundups - Maybe that's a Thrifty thing. Of course, I normally get unlimited mileage on my rentals. I also tell the agent I make the reservation with that I expect the same rate as if I had to pay per mile over whatever their daily limit is. When I do have to log the miles, I normally do get my monies worth on it.
Which brings me to the last question of...
Other car rental tactics tips and tricks - Everything is negotiable. If you don't believe me, you either don't work in sales or, like me, you don't own your own company. Case in point - I negotiated the price of coffee cake and a latte at a large (unnamed) coffee house chain. I was with 3 of my business acquaintances (who are also friends of mine). One of them is in sales (ironically) and the other 2 are in production. After successfully making my case (which was quite simple) the girl behind the counter agreed, I paid the discounted price I asked for and I proceeded to move down the counter to wait for my coffee. The ironic part is that none of the 3 guys I was with tried to follow up on my success. The point I did make, however, is that everything (even the price of expensive coffee cakes and lattes) is negotiable. The way to best determine the degree to which it is negotiable is to do your research to determine what the market will bear as far as your request for unlimited mileage, upgrades to better cars, etc. Once you look into that, you can typically replicate the same results no matter what market you go to. Reason being, once you have a success story of your own, you can use it as leverage to get what you really want with all consecutive transactions - regardless of which vendor (i.e., Thrifty, Budget, Hertz) you opt for. The other good thing to remember here is that life is about relationships. A good relationship with your banker (Branch Manager, Vice Pres., etc.) can help you with your business needs. By the same token, if you make all your reservations out of the city you live in and you develop a good repoire with the local manager of a car rental agency (Enterprise is still my favorite), you are likely to get upgrades and better treatment. When you arrive at your destination, 'one of their own' has likely given a heads-up to the branch where you'll be picking up your car, and you can often get the VIP treatment. It's kind of like getting bumped to Biz or 1st class on a jet because you know the flight attendant on that route.
As an advertising agency, negotiating pricing for our clients is a major part of what our company does for our clients. So my staff has been well-trained to research what the market will bear in each scenario we will likely encounter. I have plenty of case studies we could offer up, but then, I'd be giving away the 'family recipe' to everyone. Happy traveling.
April 27, 2004 at 10:17am by Jim Wesnor
My car rental experience is more along the lines of the reader who hit the deer (Michigan). I've never had a car die on me like the author.
When I worked for a company that managed the expenses a bit more strongly, it was my impression that the off-terminal rental agencies service was a bit lacking. The cars were just as good for the most part, but I really disagreed with how they handle things. When I travel I don't want to have to (re)negotiate the agreement made in the reservation - I want to get in the car and go. Rental agencies for the most part don't understand this, but then their service people and agents don't travel 300,000 miles per year. The one that really irks me is Enterprise. Before I can leave the lot the agent and I both have to check the car over for dings and dents. I've really tried to stop using them: I won't do business with people who don't trust me and that I don't trust. Enterprise's procedure seems to me as they want to rent cars but not be exposed to the risks of car rental. The whole rental experience can take 20 minutes from the time I first start talking to a counter agent.
For the most part I use Hertz and I'm a Gold member. That service is great - my car is (almost always) ready, my name is above the car, it's under a shed out of the rain, a map and the rental agreement are on the seat - all I have to do is put my bags in the truck (it's already open) and drive. When the car is not there, it's usually because the flight was running late.
April 27, 2004 at 11:14am by Katherine Stone
Hey Heath! I'm so terribly sorry you had such an awful experience here in my home state. Normally, we do pretty well when it comes to hospitality!
April 27, 2004 at 1:18pm by Paughnee
Heath, it sounds like your Thrifty experience was "not exactly" what you hoped for.
Before you read further, I should let you know that I work for a rental car company, but this isn't a commerical.
There are a lot of things to keep in mind when you consider accepting optional coverage on a rental car. I think the two biggest benefits to accepting loss damage waiver for a rental are that (1) you don't have to pay a deductible or have a claim against your personal insurance; and (2) loss of use is covered (see earlier comment).
As also mentioned in a previous comment, it's always important to check out what coverage you already have (personal auto insurance, credit cards, etc.) so you can make an informed decision. For example, if your personal insurance provides coverage for a rental, be sure to find out if it only covers a rental car up to the value of your personal vehicle. This could be important if you drive a '98 Camry but you're renting a 2004 Jaguar (or even a 2004 Camry).
One other thing to check out. . . if you travel on business and your company has a corporate discount program with the rental car vendor, some options may be automatically included or declined as part of that program (including the fuel).
As far as pre-paying for fuel . . . it really just depends on your particular situation -- how much driving you'll do, how big a rush you'll be in, where you'll be driving (are stations conveniently located), etc.
April 27, 2004 at 2:28pm by Shannon Scott
Heath, I'm glad to hear you got home in one piece after your adventure and it was great to meet you this weekend. What came to my mind after reading your story and hearing more about your adventure when you arrived in the mountains was your sunburn. I don't rent a car enough to notice, but do rental cars usually have emergency kits/first aid supplies in the cars? If you had broken down off the main road you could have really been in a world of hurt.