Check the full workflow of your system when adding something new

Last week, I wrote about how Comcast did not sync with their systems to auto-credit people for their free “loyalty movie,” and I also encountered a similar problem with Hertz. These two events have shown me that people don’t always think through the potential issues that people could have with their newly optioned offers or systems.

Hertz Gold Prepay Fiasco

I love the Hertz Gold program. The rental car shuttle drops you off at a big board, and there is your name in big LED letters just like being in Vegas [but with about another 100 people], and tells you where to get your car.  You go to the marked spot and bam — there it is: your car, the keys, the contract, and a map.  In some airports, they have either turned on the A/C or heater, and the car is ready. But, in a brilliant way to maximize their cash flow, Hertz has instituted a program where you can pay now or later for your rental’s core car fee.  Below is an example of the savings for a week’s rental in Maui in November.

This was my most recent experience on a trip to Atlanta. I also experienced the same on a trip to San Francisco. I used the same prepay feature to get the discounted price and save some money. My favorite Gold membership benefit of passing the line and going straight to my rental became worthless. In both cases, I had to go inside the booth with 20+ people who also thought it was a good deal. Why did we not just go to our cars? Well, apparently since we prepaid we needed to go inside and pick up our paperwork.  In both locations, I really wanted to know why we had to come inside. Hertz got their money for the prepay and the rest will be put on the credit card as always.

Neither location could not explain why “corporate policy” was the party line. When I pushed harder, I got speculation from the various staff:

1. It is to show proof of ID since I could prepay for my minor child to get a car. It sounds like a good idea, but what about the guy who checks licenses and contacts at the gate – the response: oh, they are hired security people and not Hertz employees was the answer.
   Great, sort of like the airport-hired ID/boarding pass checkers they have that have their work checked yet again by Federal TSA employees when I asked them why they double-check the TSA people tell me the local hires can’t be trusted so why have them? But I digress.
2. They wanted to confirm that I knew I had prepaid so I would not pay the full amount when I returned the car.  Would the system not catch the prepayment and only show the balance due?
3. To remind you, I only prepaid the car fee portion and not the mountain of airport taxes and fees.
   So now, for the next Hertz rental I need to decide is the $20 to $40 savings worth the extra 20 to 45 minutes needed to pick up my paperwork rather then just getting to the car and being on my way?

People, you must look at the whole process. If you are adding a great feature that benefits you, please check to ensure it does not cause customer problems downstream. Yes, I am saving money, but if the hassle negates the primary benefit of the service and I am frustrated by the change, I will not use it, creating a loss for both of us.