My parents are off to see one of the grandchildren who is at university in Dublin. Then they plan to rent a car and tool around the countryside seeing relatives and making their way to Belfast. At least, that was the plan.
They ran into a hitch -- when they tried to rent a car online, the same way the rest of the trip had been booked, they discovered that no one would book an online car rental to someone over age 65. Yikes! They knew train service was good, but wanted the freedom of their own car. And the certainty that they had firm arrangements in place before leaving home.
They did some more internet searching and discovered that Hertz had given this situation a bit more thought. According to my Mom,
"I kept checking various sites online and found that Hertz will rent to our age group. (75 - 79) but you need a letter from your Dr stating you are in good health and a letter from your insurance stating you have had no claims for 5 years. [My father] was able to get both this morning so we are back to Plan I. Doesn't matter in Dublin of course but when we go to Belfast we did want to be able to get around on our own - most people we want to see are in rural areas and not all the same spot."
Way to go Hertz! This little policy enhancement won you the business.
Believe me, no-one understands better than another 70-something that not all older people should be behind the wheel. But if you are still driving, you keep it as long as possible. Because driving is freedom, and not just psychologically. It means you go where you want, when you want. The Hertz solution feels like a good one. It manages their risk, but provides a solution to the customer.
