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My birthday is coming soon.
Last year, I rented a Corvette from Hertz. It’s cheaper to rent from a nearby hotel than to get it at LAX, so I went to the LAX Marriot. I reserved it for 10am and arrived a few minutes early. They weren’t ready. They said it was currently being washed. I went out side and waited, only to see the guy go out, get in the dirty Corvette and drive it away to be washed.
I waited for 2 and a half hours before I got the car. I wasn’t happy at all. I wanted something. This was supposed to be the big driving birthday and they stole 2 and half hours of it from me. They called a manager in from another location to resolve it. We talked. He gave me a certificate for $100 credit, good for a year. I was happy.
That's what a Corvette is, driving down by the beach in Southern California. It's not just steel and fiberglass. It's the dream, the feeling, the ideal.
It’s now almost a year later. I wanted to rent a Corvette again, but before my birthday, to make sure the certificate worked. I rented from the Hilton this time. They actually pick you up from your house, which was nice. They got me to the hotel on time and we did the paperwork. The car was ready and they pulled it around front for me. Bam! Done. I was happy.
As we finished the paperwork, I told the guy that this experience was so much better than last year and I really appreciated it. He said yes, he remembered. He was the manager who gave me the certificate. Ah, yes. It came back to me. This was the guy. He was totally reasonable and made me happy. THIS is great customer service. He took an angry customer and turned him into a satisfied, happy customer, who came back a year later and was happy again.
Hertz rocks. Rent cars from them. I endorse them. If you want a car in LA, rent from the LAX Hilton.
And the day with the Corvette? We went down the 405 to Ortega Highway, a twisty mountain road in Orange County. We drove over that to Lake Elsinore and then back again. Down to the beach, in San Juan Capistrano, and turned right on PCH. We drove north on PCH through the length of Orange County, up to Long Beach, where we had dinner, then home on the freeway again. Over that whole trip, we averaged 20mpg. That includes the few short runs down by my local beach with blasts from 0 to 100. I think I went faster than 100mph a couple times, but I was too busy watching the road to look down and check.
Those short blasts made me laugh out loud. The sounds of the engine, getting pressed back into the seat, the road coming at you faster. I love that. That’s what a Corvette is, driving down by the beach in Southern California. It’s not just steel and fiberglass. It’s the dream, the feeling, the ideal. Laughing out loud in pure joy.
And it’s all yours for only $180 a day, 100 free miles included.