*Advance warning* rant to follow.
Over the last few months I’ve travelled to Europe a few times – each time hiring a car. I have to say that car rental is one service where America is way ahead of the UK. I have travelled a great deal in the US and hired cars – mostly with a Avis where I have a preferred member card. On arrival at an airport I find the Avis bus, and the driver logs that I’m on the way. On arrival there’s a board which tells me where to find my car which already has all the contract details waiting in it. I get in and drive off. Many times on arrival in Chicago in the winter – I arrive at my car which has the engine running and the heating and bottom warmers on. Now that’s service.
The last few times I’ve arrived in the UK I’ve unfortunately used a different rental company. Despite similar preferred privileges I still need to wait in line for aaaages waiting for a bored and/or incompetent employee to laboriously process a significant amount of paperwork by hand. One one occasion I was told that I’d have to wait at least an hour for a car by some spotty oik who didn’t seem to think this was an issue (I went to another company – of course).
On return it is even worse. Coming back to London Heathrow the surly Eastern European car returns team don’t seem to appreciate that you probably have a plane to catch. Even if there are no other cars, they meander over impossibly slowly. There’s invariably a problem (some invented scratch that involves lengthy paperwork in their chaotic portacabin). Then, just as you think you are finally finished with them, the buses drive off just as you arrive at the door. Urgh.
These guys are particularly bad – but in general the service in the UK just isn’t up to the simplicity of car hire in the US. I don’t see why that should be – so come on chaps – sort it out!
I guess the one saving grace of the British hire companies is the cars. Nothing to rave about but they have nippy hatches and roomy diesels as opposed to the US offerings which make you feel like the missing Blues Brother and have an average of 4mpg. Also I know for a fact that the US chaps keep the PT Cruisers for people who are rude in the queue (I asked in case you are wondering 😉