Consumer Correspondent
Hertz Rental Car 225 Brae Boulevard Park Ridge, NJ 07656
Dear Hertz:
I currently prostitute my intimate knowledge of Microsoft Word and my ability to operate a copy machine as an “office manager”; I’m partial to “Ethel.” When not engaged in the Zen of database maintenance, I arrange travel for my superiors. On more than one occasion, I have been hoodwinked by Hertz promotional coupons.
My mother has been known to wear through two scissors a year with her incessant clipping, so the lure of coupons, for me, is mere heredity. Be proud of your phone operators; they are detail-oriented workers, quick to inform me of the infinite clauses invalidating every coupon I’ve ever attempted to use. For instance, to save $15.00 off a week’s rental, the fine print tells me that a five-day reservation is required. I booked Sunday to Friday, a total of six days; no problem, right? Wrong! Because I was not renting on a Saturday, the offer was void. Nowhere on the coupon was this restriction mentioned.
Like many liberals, I do not believe in biblical justice until something happens to me. On the scale of human misery, this experience rates somewhere between a paper cut and an Oliver Stone film.
Sincerely, Kenneth H. Cleaver
Dear Mr. Cleaver:
This letter is in response to the letter you wrote to the Hertz Corporation. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience that led you to write.
Thank you for taking the time to let us know of your experience. The Hertz Corporation’s goal is to provide the #1 service in the car industry, and it is a concern when we do not meet our expectations. I do apologize for the trouble you had with applying the coupons and for the overall quality service you received. Your experience has been shared with the management so they may take appropriate corrective action.
As a goodwill gesture I have enclosed a $25.00 rental certificate that you can use for your future rental needs. The Hertz rental certificate is good for one year at any one of our Hertz worldwide locations.
Your business is valued, and we hope you continue to use Hertz for your car rental needs.
Sincerely, Kristen Ritschl Customer Relations Correspondent
From the July 12-18, 2001 issue of the Northern California Bohemian.
