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Car rental FAIL? Industry misses a “D” by one point — again

November 17, 2009

endPretend, for a minute, that car rental companies are high school students. The average class grade on a recet test is 73 percent, which is a C- and, truth be told, just a point away from a D.

Would you:

a) Shut up and try to do better on the next exam.
b) Complain to the teacher.
c) Tell the world about your achievement.

Did you say “C”? Well, after our friends at J.D. Power and Associates released its 2009 U.S. Rental Car Satisfaction Study, the industry seems pretty pleased with itself, particularly those who scored more of those mysterious but ultimately meaningless circles.

Overall satisfaction averaged just 733 on a 1,000-point scale in 2009, down from 734 in 2008. In comparison, overall satisfaction declined by 16 points in 2007 and 17 points in 2008.

What does this mean to you?


J.D., which won’t reveal the actual scores of the car rental companies — at least not in its news release — offers the following analysis:

The stabilization of overall satisfaction is largely a result of the rental car industry effectively responding to economic pressures. In particular, many rental car companies have focused on containing operating costs by “right-sizing” their fleets to meet changing consumer demand and extending the service life of their vehicles, allowing them to delay orders for replacements. This has enabled many rental car companies to decrease their rental fees.

I’m not sure if that has anything to do with your rental experience, other than that it will probably be worse this year than in years past.

This is nothing to celebrate. The “winners” should be embarrassed to be a part of this industry. And the rest should be ashamed of themselves.

And J.D.? They ought to release the actual scores instead of publishing euphemistic brownie points that just confuse the average customer.

(Photo: PhotoGraham/Flickr Creative Commons)

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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8 comments

  • Carol Rydstrand

    I have a Budget Truck Rental, from Everett, WA to Fargo, ND that turned into a nightmare. And all the letters and calls have gotten me no where. I do want to be heard because the truck they put on the raod was a total indangerment to the party and others on the road. Can you help, where do I go next.since thier Corp. is in Tula, OK and I am in Everett, WA?

  • Mike

    I have never had a problem with a rental car, but have had plenty with the customer service/rental agents. They tell you no problem or to bring xyz paperwork with you for whatever reason and then the next agent expects you to have something different. (I don’t do credit cards and bank debit cards with the credit card logos aren’t accepted at most agencies) When you get a car after an accident they give you the smallest possible vehicle on earth even though when they ask you what you wrecked you tell them an extended cab full size truck. then they look at you strange when they have to get approval for a larger vehicle, as though you should be grateful they have anything for you at all. (I also blame the insurance agents for that one) Just spend some time in a line at the rental agency and you can see why they all score so low.

    I will have to say though that the agents who deal mostly with commercial accounts at some locations are far better at handling certain requests and getting the needed vehicle for their customers.

  • http://www.janaoliver.com Jana Oliver

    To my surprise, Budget/Avis has added a stealth fee of $13.99 that is an “automatic refueling charge” for those renters who drive less than 75 miles even if you decline their refueling option. I happened to catch this on my husband’s most recent rental (he drove 68 miles) and asked what it involved. It’s a clever way to net more $$ since they end up with the $13.99 and your fuel as well. We’ve also learned to retain the paperwork we receive upon rental rather than handing it back to them. Without the paperwork it comes down to our word against theirs if we agreed or declined a certain option. Budget/Avis indicates they will credit us for the refueling charge, but we shouldn’t have to take this step in the first place. It makes me wonder how many individuals/businesses miss this additional amount. Thought your readers should know to audit those car rental receipts thoroughly. It’s the first time I’ve had a problem of this nature.

  • Steven

    (FROM THE ARTICLE) “The stabilization of overall satisfaction is largely a result of the rental car industry effectively responding to economic pressures. In particular, many rental car companies have focused on containing operating costs by “right-sizing” their fleets to meet changing consumer demand and extending the service life of their vehicles, allowing them to delay orders for replacements. This has enabled many rental car companies to decrease their rental fees.”

    DECREASE THEIR RENTAL FEES???? ON WHAT PLANET IS THIS WRITER LIVING? The single most significant INCREASE in my travel budget this year was huge increases in rental fees for what are older, dirtier and poorly maintained cars (I am Hertz President’s club and have been for many years). ADD in the ways localities are adding fees and surcharges to the rental costs, and most times I’m paying more to rent a car than to fly to/from the location.

  • Greg

    I agree with Steven. In the last year, I’ve needed to rent a car in Orlando, Florida twice, and the cost of those rentals were quadruple the price I’ve paid for rentals previous to that in Orlando, but airfares and hotel costs have dropped. I don’t get it and no one has been able to give me a straight answer as to why. I’m needing to be in Orlando again in February, but this time I’m driving down myself with my own car. Much less expensive overall.

  • Jean

    I have had only good experience with National. I am an Emerald Executive member, so I pay for a mid-size car and then select whatever car I want from the Emerald Executive aisle (all fullsize or better). I love choosing my car, loading my stuff, and taking off, stopping only for a minute or so at the gate for them to process my rental. They politely ask me if I want to pre-pay the gas, and I politely say no thank you. There is never any hard-sell, unwanted add-ons, or pressure to buy insurance. All the cars I’ve rented (and there have been a lot of them) are clean and full of gas. Lately they’ve been slightly higher mileage than a couple of years ago, but still in very good condition. When I return the car, the attendant prints out my receipt and I’m on my way within 5 minutes of driving the car onto the lot.

    About 18 months ago I arrived in Las Vegas at about 11:00PM and went to National to get my car. To my surprise, I saw a beautiful red Cadillac on the Emerald Executive aisle, so I chose it and happily drove it away. However, when I returned the car I received a receipt for $1,100 instead of the $200 I was expecting. I immediately went to the National booth and told the attendant that I had a problem. I showed him the receipt, then showed him my reservation e-mail with the Emerald Executive rate and explained that I had gotten the car from the Emerald Executive aisle. He looked at my record in his computer, and said that he would have to call a supervisor. He made the call, explained what had happened, and was apparently told to correct my charge to my reserved rate. He quickly did so, handed me a new receipt showing $900 in credit, and apologized. I thanked him and left to catch my flight. That’s the only problem I’ve had in almost a dozen years of being a frequent renter with National, and it was quickly and efficiently fixed. I’ve had the opportunity to drive several brand-new cars, and many very nice cars. I love National and won’t rent from anyone else, even when I have to pay more than I could pay if I rented from another company. The service and having the ability to select my car make them worth more to me.

  • Stephen – NYC

    J.D. Power slices and dices things so that their reports suit their customers. I wouldn’t trust their reports any more than I could throw ‘em at 90 MPH.
    Maybe when they first started out, their reports meant something. But the way they put together the categories, it’s just about a given that any manufacturer or service provider could come out on top. To me, they are just smoke & mirrors for any given company to be able to say they are the best in something.
    As for this specific survey, well, what a surprise. I don’t think you’d be able to find a lot of companies these days doing so well customer-service-wise. Especially, when you read stories on consumerist.com.

  • Jim_J

    Many of those commenting here are complaining about the higher rates they are seeing from car rental companies. I have found a way to bring the cost of renting down, sometimes to the levels of 2008 or 2009, but it requires some work. Let me explain by telling you what happened as I prepared for a recent trip. I was flying into LAX on Thanksgiving eve and needed a mid-size car for seven days. I purchased my air ticket almost 3 months before departure for what I expected to be a very busy travel weekend.

    As I was obtaining my ticket on the airline’s site, I checked the rental car pricing that they were offering. The total cost for the car that I wanted was almost $400. I skipped that and went to Travelocity. Their best price for a rental from one of the major companies was about $325. They also showed Advantage rent-a-car at $250. I reserved that car but started checking prices each week. I discovered carrentals.com which gave me a good picture of what all of the companies were charging. As I found lower prices, I made new reservations and canceled the old. About a week before departure, Thrifty Rent-A-Car had a mid-size Hyundai Sonata or similar for $141 per week including all fees and taxes. That became the last reservation that I made.

    I arrived at LAX and caught a shuttle to Thrifty’s off airport location (all car rental companies at LAX are off airport). I couldn’t use my Hertz #1 Club or National Emerald Aisle cards and had to wait about 10 minutes before getting to the from of the line. After checking my driver’s license and verifying my credit card, the agent handed me my contract and told me to go into the garage area and pick out any vehicle from row M. I chose a Hyundai Sonata with about 15,000 miles on it, pointed out some minor bumper damage to the attendant and drove off toward my destination for that evening.

    The car ran perfectly for the entire week. When I returned it, the process was as efficient as it could be. The agent noted the mileage and fuel level, gave me a receipt and directed me to the airport shuttle. The total cost charged to my credit card was $141.15. Had I rented from Hertz or National, a similar vehicle would have cost at least $325.

    To sum up, the two secrets of getting a good rental car price are to forget brand loyalty and to check prices frequently. The cars from all rental companies are about the same. If you are willing to forgo some of the minor frills like the #1 Club, a lot of money can be saved.

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