Dive Brief:
- Hertz drove a nearly 50% NPS increase year over year in North America as the company put a greater focus on its customer experience, executives said on a Q3 2025 earnings call Tuesday.
- The car rental company rolled out new customer experience training in the third quarter, according to Sandeep Dube, EVP and chief commercial officer. The training was complemented by tools designed to make it easier for customers to modify reservations or purchase upgrades digitally.
- The CX wins came as Hertz on Monday hired Mike Gomez as chief customer experience officer "to help build further momentum,” Dube said. Gomez has previously held CX-focused roles at Disney and property management company Cortland, according to his LinkedIn page.
Dive Insight:
Hertz’s investments follow on the heels of a CX meltdown that sparked consumer backlash, but the incident has not deterred the company’s experience push.
The implementation of an AI system to scan vehicles for damage and bill customers automatically garnered media scrutiny. The inability to contact a live agent through Hertz’s mobile app, though the function was planned for later release, contributed to the backlash and served as a warning of how AI efforts can fall short.
However, Hertz’s leadership sees its AI investments as a success. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. inbound chat and call support is handled by an AI, which is delivering faster resolutions, improved satisfaction and increased cost efficiency, according to Dube.
Hertz is taking other steps to improve its experience as well, including enabling self-service rental extensions and improving post-rental communications, according to Dube. The company expects its focus on CX to improve loyalty and drive durable demand, according to Dube.
“Our focus is on delivering greater consistency, convenience and care across our customers’ rental journey, knowing that when we invest in our customers, they invest in us,” Dube said during the call.
Membership in Hertz’s loyalty program, Gold Plus Rewards, is up 90% year over year, according to Dube. The growth was driven by a simplified signup process and exclusive benefits.
Hertz’s total revenue fell 4% year over year to $2.5 billion in the third quarter of 2025, according to a company earnings report. Despite the lower revenue, net income was $184 million, a significant increase from the $1.3 billion loss reported in the third quarter of 2024.
