Okay, so I was absolutely DREADING getting my first rental car from this location. I think I read almost every single yelp review, not that I trusted most of them, but still, I was flying into Phoenix with an almost crippling fear. I didn't book through Hertz and instead used my credit card miles to rent a car for almost two weeks. I read the tip about signing up for the Hertz Gold Club, which I recommend EVERYONE do, mostly because it makes it easier and just generally pays to be a (free) member of anything.
This was my experience, and it was pretty goddamn good:
1. I get an email (a Hertz Carfirmation) before I landed, which I read during a layover, telling me what car I was going to get - a Toyota Corolla, the stall number where the car was located, plate number and the color. It was a higher model than I requested, but I was pleasantly surprised. I picked a Compact/Ford Focus or similar, but again, no problem with a 2015 car with -3,000 miles on it. I'm already thinking this is great.
2. I get to the airport rental car terminal, an annoying but brief shuttle bus away, on an early Friday night and expected to weave through hours of throngs of cranky people waiting online and an even crankier Hertz rep - nope. No one there. As a Gold Club member, you don't even need to WAIT on the line, there is a clear sign that says so. You can head straight down the escalator to the cars. I confirm this with woman, working what looked like a pre-service desk, a sort of FAQ station, and her attitude was not quite pleasant, but she confirmed.
3. I take the escalator downstairs. Someone almost immediately asks me if I need help. There is a gigantic electronic board with Gold Club member names and stall numbers, the same as the email, and I tell him I'm good. I walk to the car, but my name isn't displayed on the overhead name board by the car which worries me for a minute, but then I decide after a day of flying, I don't care and get ready in my clean, new whip.
4. I drive to leave, they check my id, the tag on the car, double-check the mileage, the gas, ask if I want to fill up upon return (no and he only asked once, thank you guy), and then I am cruising down the streets of Phoenix, windows down, within 10-15 minutes of getting to Hertz. It took me longer to sync my iPod to the car's bluetooth than to get the car.
5. Two weeks later, I return the car at 5:30AM. The guy checks two cars ahead of me and then checks mine for dings and to make sure the gas is full (it is), gives me my receipt that says $0.00.
That. Is. It. I will update if I see any crazy charges over the next few weeks, but honestly, I had a great experience.
Only qualm- I called Hertz halfway through the two weeks to ask about tire pressure, to see if any of their locations would fill the tires, which they would not, which I found annoying, a buck or two or not, because this is your car. The rep literally advised me to just go to a "7-11 or convenience store, it's only a dollar usually" because they don't service the cars at their locations.