I recently took a trip to Toronto.  I rented a car from Hertz at the airport.  Over the years I have rented cars on many occasions mostly from the big companies (Hertz, Budget and Avis)

On the whole, my experiences have been good but this latest rental from the Hertz Toronto airport concession was different.   The agent was focused on sales rather than service.

Caveat Emptor

The Latin phrase meaning “buyer beware” is probably an accurate warning however large multi-national companies recognize the need to focus on service over sales.

This reduces the need for the buyer to beware.  The corporation has recognized good service is more likely to increase sales in a sustainable way versus sneaky activities that might have a short term gain.

Taking advantage of the weak

Hertz disappointed me on the service front.  Given I was tired from my 5-hour flight and anxious to get to my destination my awareness radar was on low.

The agent took full advantage of this asking me if I wanted basic or comprehensive insurance.  In fact, I did not want any insurance and if I had been asked a yes or no question (as I should have been) my answer would have been no (i.e., Do you want optional insurance?).

Unfortunately, my brain translated the two options to mean basic is no and comprehensive is yes.  Due to this sneaky phrasing of the question, I ended up with optional insurance I did not want to provide coverage my credit card already provided free.

Short Term Satisfaction

Hertz got a sale but lost a customer.  This approach is just not sustainable.  When dealing with customers focus on providing service to them (give them what they want) and treat the sales as secondary.

If you have a good and fair product it will come naturally.