A Promise Kept - Fox Rent A Car

Giving Credit When it is Due

Road Warriors are fiercely loyal to travel companies. Treat us well and we return over and over. We track of our points and fantasize about where our points will take us. We hit lifetime milestones one by one: million miler, two million miler, lifetime titanium elite, lifetime platinum, lifetime diamond.

The road to forgiveness for companies that burn road warriors will be bumpy.  

One sector where my loyalty waned is rental cars. As familiar companies were devoured by bigger companies they all sort of lost their soul. And, after repeated disastrous customer service experiences (i.e. agonizingly hours long checkout lines in DC, Denver and Chicago etc.) I rigorously avoided two discounters: Fox and Advantage.

 

I quickly say adios to any car rental company that subjects me to a long line to reach a customer service rep intent selling me stuff I don't want. I opt for companies that get me in a car and on the road fast. SilverCar by Audi is the best at that hands down. 

A few years back I realized it was even faster to bag rental car lines altogether and use ride shares. And my use of rental cars plummeted.

But a recent trip to San Diego required me to rent a car. The trip was for marketing so I was trying to keep costs low. I had some time on my hands and Fox offered a blindingly low price. Against my better judgement I decided to give the deep discounter another try.

I arrived expecting the worst. But, the Fox check-out time was perfectly decent. The car was clean and the check-in at return in was fast and efficient. 

I figured it might be a fluke, but vowed to try them again.

So last week I reserved a car from Fox at SeaTac. But, when I arrived the Fox counter was closed. OK I thought "here we go again". A note informed customers that staff tested positive for Covid. There were instructions to rent a competitors car and submit an "Off Sell" form to claim the difference in price.

My Fox rate was only $19.95 / day for a small SUV, so no one was willing to come close to matching it. But, after some horse trading, I got a car at Dollar for a bit more than twice the Fox price. 

When I returned home I filed Fox's paperwork but my cynical side was screaming "you'll never see that refund".

Two days later a confirming e-mail notified me my claim was received and being processed. 10 days after that I received a check for the full amount.

Bravo Fox! 

Sometimes a company deserves a second chance. So, Fox if you can keep lines reasonable (better yet, institute a touch-free express check-out), keep your staff healthy and keep prices competitive, you will see more of this road warrior.

 

Roadboy's Travels © 2020