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Avis - paying attention online

The saga continues. I'll post the reply if I receive one.

From: Brett Wayn

Date: 7 April 2009 1:56:17 PM

To: XXXXX@avisbudget.com

Subject: Re: AVIS Customer Satisfaction Survey

Thanks Kathie,

I'll try and keep this to bullet points.

(1) I used to have an Australian created Wizard profile. It was originally created before I was a Microsoft employee. Once I became a Microsoft employee, no matter how hard I tried (online, at the Preferred counter, on the phone, at the regular counter) noone was able to attach the Microsoft WW discount code to the profile so I was consistently overcharged for rentals. I was also unable to attach my California drivers licence and my corporate Amex so I was never on the board, and always had to go to the booth.

(2) after much discussion with a variety of teams over several months, we eventually resolved this by deleting the Australian Wizard proflle and starting from scratch with a new US profile.

(3) My next reservation after that was screwed up again by AMEX travel who, even though I had advised them of the new profile, managed to book using my old profile and once again I had to go to the booth to sort it out. In this case, no fault of Avis.

(4) My most recent reservation was made on the new profile and when I arrived at the airport, once again I had to go to the booth. By now, as you can imagine, my frustration level is off the charts. Turns out - wait for it, Kathie - that the new Wizard Profile that I created via avis.com with my California Licence, Microsoft corporate discount code and Microsoft corporate Amex - is, for whatever moronic reason, not a Preferred profile. WTF? Someone at the booth put me on a "Hot" list and said that they promised they would amend this. I have yet to book again to see if everything is working. Maybe you can give me hope?

Kathie - for years and years I flew around the world before working for Microsoft, and I used Hertz Number One Club. I never had these issues with Hertz even with multiple changes in credit cards, drivers licence numbers and so on. 

This was obviously a very poor customer experience, which is why I have frequently blogged and Twittered to my social network and other followers recommending that they don't use Avis. I will however also post this email as evidence of the fact that if you complain loudly enough, someone at Avis is listening and I do so hope that once and for all, my problems will abate and I will be able to use your service with ease. I might even start recommending you as a company that listens, responds and makes amends for their past mistakes.

You might also give some thought to managing your Wizard systems differently to respect the need that there are people who are global travelers and for whom being tied to a single geography makes no sense.

With kind regards,

Brett Wayn

Dear Brett Wayn, Thank you for taking the time to complete our online survey regarding the rental specified below:  Renter Name: Brett Wayn  Check-in Date: April 03, 2009  Check-in Location: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport  Reference Number: U619808501  I am sorry to hear we did not meet your expectations.  We would like the opportunity to better understand why you were dissatisfied and resolve any outstanding issues.  If you would like to provide more feedback on why your rental was unsatisfactory, simply click on the "reply" button to email our customer service team directly.  Thank you for your time.  Kathie Sullivan Manager Avis Customer Service

Australian broadband decision

So, doesn't this mean that the privatization of Telstra by prior governments was a complete failure?

That is to say that the now private, previously 100% government-owned telecommunications company (run by an American because no Australian was deemed competent) which failed to even lodge a bid according to the rules has been completely bypassed ... in favour of the government itself deciding to fund the buildout of a national network in conjunction with the private sector. And the government, whilst eventually planning to divest itself after 5 years, will control the network with a 51% stake until then.

So what's the next move for Telstra, Packer and Murdoch who own the monopoly cable programming franchise? Do they now offer to sell a TV package to the government-controlled fiber consortium? Or, somehow, is there room for an actual competitor in pay television in Australia? Probably not as I imagine that Foxtel has stitched up the programming deals with Hollywood well and good. Maybe Lachlan will come in and set up a company in competition with his Dad, which would be Oedipal to say the least. 

Well, then the smart thing to do would be for someone to negotiate IP video rights with the studios though I suspect that the Foxtel deal has geographic exclusivities that transcend the bearer. Their lawyers are, after all, pretty smart. Though hopefully not, and some wise person can actually bury cable TV as another useless monopoly in Australia that has held back from consumers there what people elsewhere freely enjoy. Like, say, HBO.

I think this is a policy coup for Rudd - not to mention the ultimate fuck you to Sol though, in his jet, he gets the last laugh. And God knows, Australia needs the network. But here's a sobering thought - Australia will get, in say 2017, what the Japanese started to build in 2001. Japan is now at Gigabit fibre, and who knows where it will be by 2017 when Australia is coming online with ethernet speeds.

Sad, really, the wasted opportunity. The whole sorry history is here. I wish someone would/could do the math - how many taxpayer dollars were invested into the PMG (Post Master General) which became Telecom which then became Telstra. And how many private dollars poured into Telstra stock which then went underwater? And then how much of the proceeds of the sale of Telstra flowed back to the government only to be reinvested by the government in building a fiber network. So by my math, most of us have paid at least 3 times for third world services (snap!), and the people who got rich were some private investors, a ton of lawyers and brokers, Sol and his cowboys. Everyone else seemed to get fist-fucked and we're the laggards of the region.

Way to go, folks. C'mon Aussie c'mon, c'mon, c'mon Aussie come on.