I Will Remember to Rent From Alamo
Written: May 12 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fair pricing and ideal customer service.
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: Alamo impressed me by being interested in providing competitive pricing along with a commitment to customer service.
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| Bounty628's Full Review: Alamo |
For a recent trip to Indianapolis we decided that a rental car was certainly going to be needed. When researching the various options available, the most reasonable on airport rental facility to select from appeared to be a rental agency with which we have never previously done business with. Since we booked our rental car through the travel website Expedia.com, the regular major named renters like Enterprise, Hertz and Avis were all available but the price of Alamo, which in its own right is a big name renter, as well, was certainly the most competitively priced and therefore we decided to go with Alamo.
The initial rate that we locked in at online was $16.00 per day which would have afforded us with a compact 2 or 4 door automatic vehicle complete with air conditioning. Since previous rental experience has shown me that upgrading is an option once at the rental facility, I decided that locking in at the $16.00 per day rate was the way to go.
Once we arrived at the airport in Indianapolis, we quickly located the main rental car facility which featured several desks each with all of the available rental agencies represented. The Alamo desk shared space with National, as the companies are part of the same group. There were two representatives available at the desk that could have helped either those with National reservations or Alamo reservations. As I was the only one in line at the time, we were immediately assisted by the friendly and helpful customer service representative.
All that was needed to bring up my reservation was my last name and as suspected an upgrade was offered at the desk. The customer service agent offered not just one upgrade, but two upgrades for the same price as one upgrade would have been. For an additional $10.00 per day we were upgraded to the intermediate level bringing our total pre-tax daily rental to $26.00 per day for the intermediate level which in fact is quite reasonable and more cost-friendly than competitors' pricing for less car.
An option to pre-pay for fuel was offered but was declined. Interestingly enough, the pre-purchase fuel price was exactly in-line with what could be found for a price per gallon cost outside of the airport. I was impressed with Alamo in this regard since they did not appear as though they were looking to gain additional money unfairly at the expense of the renter by offering the gas price at cost.
Though the traditional up-selling of additional insurance was offered, since my own insurance would cover any loss incurred while I am driving a rental car I respectfully declined the additional insurance. For one of the few times in my years of renting cars, the customer service agent did not try jamming the additional insurance down my throat and instead simply inquired as to who I was insured with in case of a loss.
Once the reservation was complete, we headed out to the parking lot and a lot attendant greeted us. We were showed the row of close to 40 vehicles that we could choose from and were instructed that the keys were already in the vehicle and we were ready to load up the car of our choice and be on our way. We selected a 2009 Nissan Altima that was a dark gray color and was really quite sharp for a rental. The interior of the car was in perfect condition, there was still an almost clean car scent to the vehicle since it had so few miles and the exterior of the car revealed no dings or cosmetic damage. Once we were all loaded into the vehicle, we drove to the exit booth where they confirmed our contract and we were on our way.
The return process of the rental car was nice and simple and truly made the overall experience of renting with Alamo a positive one. We drove the vehicle into the designated rental return area and were greeted by a lot attendant who checked the rental car back in. The attendant had a handheld computer into which he entered in the odometer reading upon return, confirmed no damage was sustained to the rental car and then provided us with a receipt that showed our charges matched exactly what was outlined to us in the initial contract. It was good to see that Alamo did not attempt to throw in any last minute charges.
Though this was a first renting from Alamo, it certainly will not be a last. The lasting positive impression that Alamo has left me with is that as a rental agency they are interested in providing competitive pricing along with a commitment to customer service. These two qualities combined will certainly allow Alamo to reap plenty of repeat customers, myself included.
Recommended:
Yes
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