If I can't rent a car through National, I'll just walk!
Written: Mar 02 '01
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: The staff was SOOO helpful!! Clean cars
Cons: like any other rental car it is expensive!
The Bottom Line: Maybe it was because I was pregnant, and it was very hot outside, but National treated me like I was their most important and most valued customer!!
|
|
|
| trthomp's Full Review: National |
I am going to write an experience I had with NATIONAL about 2 and 1/2 years ago. I had reservations to use one of their cars in Hawaii in February, but unfortunately we didn’t get to go. The service was the same 2 1/2 years later.
In August of 1998, I decided my daughter and I would fly to Texas from Maryland, to see my in-laws. My husband was off in Bosnia for 3 months, and I was 5 months pregnant with our second child. I had in mind that I would visit relatives, and wouldn’t need a rental car.
We flew into Houston Hobby, and were greeted by my husband’s brother and his family. We loaded into their van and set off for their house. I was there for about a week and a half. At this point, we all drove north to meet my husband’s parents in Central Texas someplace. We had lunch, and all seemed well.
My daughter and I then loaded into my in-laws van, and headed for Longview, TX. We were planning on being there for 1 1/2 weeks, and then repeating everything in reverse so we could fly out of Houston to go home. Gradually it became clear that my daughter and myself were not welcomed to return to my husband’s brother’s house. It seems that we used too much air or something else stupid like that. We offended them with everything we had done said or thought while at their house.
Anyway, it came time for my daughter and myself to head for Houston to catch the flight. Realizing the expense, I began to check my alternatives to renting a car. To change my airport for departure was INCREDIBLY expensive, and buses were out of the question. My father-in-law worked full time, so I decided maybe renting a car would be the best thing.
I called around, National offered the best deal on a small economy car for me to rent. Knowing I had a small child that I was traveling with, they asked me if I needed a car seat. I believe this would have been an extra charge, but since we had the car seat with us, I didn’t need one of theirs. I don’t know if or how much the seat rental would have cost me.
Let me pause here and tell you that we were in Texas in the middle of a heat wave. When we arrived, Texas had already had 14 days of temperatures over 105 degrees. The whole time I was there, the temperatures were soaring around that mark or higher. Being from Maryland and 5 months pregnant, I wasn’t fairing too well with the heat.
When I arrived at the county airport to pick up my car, I was informed they didn’t have any economy cars, they just didn’t stock them there. Not to be upset though, I was upgraded to the mid size vehicle. The girl at the counter seeing that I was pregnant and very hot, had one of her co-workers go and start my car and let it cool off. They also pulled it around to the door, instead of making me walk to the parking lot like everybody else!! I felt like the Queen!!
Once my paperwork was finished, I turned to pick up my daughter and my luggage and bid farewell to my mother-in-law. I turned around and I was a bit startled to find that my daughter, my mother-in-law, AND my luggage were GONE!! The girl at the counter giggled and when I turned to her, she pointed to my car. The same employee who had started the car and moved it around to the door for me, had also loaded my luggage, installed (correctly I will say!!) my daughter’s car seat, and put my luggage into the trunk!! My mother-in-law was obviously impressed.
We said our goodbyes, and headed for Houston. I spent the night at a hotel, and went to the airport the next day. I had a bit of trouble following the signs to the car rental, but I finally got there. I unbuckled my daughter, and went inside to tell them that I was there. Once again, they treated me royally.
The guy told me to have a seat, he would tell me when the shuttle bus arrived to take us to the terminal. I told him I had trash that I needed to throw away. He told me it would be no problem, and darted out the door. My daughter and I sat watching out the windows as the took our stuff out of the car. They laid it in a nice neat pile, never throwing anything, or letting anything fall! When the bus came about 20 minutes later, the guy and the driver loaded everything onto the bus, AND THEN came to tell me it was time to go!! Once we arrived at the terminal, the driver got all of my luggage and the car seat off the bus. As I reached for a bag to have it checked, he practically snatched it out from under me! It became clear that I wasn’t to do anything :-)
The driver took both suitcases over to the check-in line. He also opened up my daughter’s stroller, placed her in the seat, and arranged all of my carry on items so I would have only the car seat to carry! Once my luggage was checked , the driver left, and I went on with my day.
To this day, I still praise the service NATIONAL gave me. I have rented cars from both DOLLAR and ENTERPRISE. I only went to these other agencies because I wasn’t paying, and I had no choice. One was an insurance claim, and the other was the Mercury dealer. While my experience at these agencies was not bad, I just didn’t have that feeling like I was the most important customer they had ever had!!
I will NOT ever rent from another agency if it is MY choice! I don’t even think a bad experience with NATIONAL could tarnish their image in my mind!!!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
trthomp
|
|
Member: Terri
Location: Portland Area, Oregon
Reviews written: 189
Trusted by: 75 members
About Me:
God's idea of natural exfoliation is kitty kisses!!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.