On the Lot: A day in the life of Hertz LAX

Los Angeles International Airport is the fourth busiest airport in the world – and the second busiest in the US. So, it’s no wonder the Hertz LAX rental lot is one of our liveliest spots along the West Coast.

Sports cars, electric vehicles, muscle cars and SUVs – the variety is ready and waiting for customers arriving from across the world. But what’s life like on the lot for the staff of Hertz LAX?

We enlisted the help of the wonderful James Anthony (aka James Hancock III) to join our team as an employee in training and experience a day in the life at our LA location.

Meet the Manager: David Payne

David Payne is our dedicated General Manager at Hertz LAX. With so many cars at such a busy location, it can be a tough but rewarding job. David and his team aim to get customers on the road as quickly as possible.

“Being the GM of LAX I am extremely lucky to lead a team that understands the responsibility of being the front runners for the organization. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing my team exceed expectations day in and day out!” says David.

So, just what vehicles can someone touching down in LA expect to rent from the Hertz team?

“We carry small cars like the Chevy Spark all the way up to the Suburbans. Our range accommodates customers who might want a sports car like our Shelby Mustang or an Escalade to go to a wedding. We also carry Jeep Wranglers and mustang convertibles so customers can enjoy the LA weather!”

And it’s not just the cars that make up life at Hertz LAX – it’s the memorable moments too.

“Two of the best stories from my time at LAX have been when we hosted the Superbowl last February here at LAX and when we had the FoodGod, Jonathan Cheban, here for Memorial Day weekend,” says David. “The atmosphere at LAX was so fun and electrifying during the Superbowl. It was great to see the employees and customers enjoying all of the festivities.”

You can take a look at the Hertz LAX Superbowl events and FoodGod visit over on our Instagram. 

What does the Hertz LAX Team have to say?

Marlette is a one-woman checkout machine. “Less than a minute,” she says. That’s how fast she’ll have your car returned and checked in so you can get on with your day. “Instant return helps the process. You put the sticker down. Give me all the information. What I put in is less than a minute”.

The lot is a busy place, so the speed of service is key. And though it’s a fast-paced working environment, the Hertz LAX staff still have a lot of fun on the job.

“I love customer service. I like to see people from everywhere and I love their stories. And I love my coworkers. I’m proud to be a part of the Hertz family”, says Sonia, a 17-year veteran.

Patrick agrees: “I enjoy working with my coworkers. They are my second family. I deal with people from all walks of life – different cultures, and different characters. I find it interesting.”

Meeting new people from across the world seems to be the main reason many of the Hertz staff love what they do.

“The best thing is that you meet a lot of different people from all over the world and I get to help them,” says Shirl, who has spent 22 years working this lot.

And it’s not just the long-serving staff who love the place. Zaenah, six months into her new role says, “I like interacting with the people. You meet a lot of different people and see how things are different with different perspectives.”

But what about our employee-in-training, James Anthony? Here’s what he had to say about his first day:

“Being able to drive vehicles I would usually never have the chance to, like the Special Edition 2022 Shelby Mustang, a Tesla or Porsche, has been A LOT of fun. And getting to upgrade people’s rentals to ‘cooler’ cars and seeing them have the same sort of experience is a blast”.

Hertz LAX: Quickfire Facts

Let’s get to know the Hertz LAX car rental lot a little better. We asked David some questions about life on the lot.

First up, how does the team keep all those cars looking clean and fresh?

“We average about 50-100 gallons of shampoo a month” says David. With each car taking about 20 minutes to clean and sanitize, according to David, that’s a lot of scrubbing and shining over at the Hertz LAX lot.

You’ll likely need an army of car wash kings and mechanic queens to tackle all those vehicles, right?

“We have just about 500 employees here at LAX”, notes David, “this includes managers, customer service employees, and operations team members.”

And finally, what car has been the most in-demand from the Hertz LAX fleet?

“Tesla’s are extremely popular at this time, as well as the Jeep Cherokee’s for anyone not looking to rent an EV.”

Thinking about becoming a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® member?

Take it from James Anthony himself. We asked him what the most surprising thing he learnt on his day in the life at Hertz LAX was…

“How much time you save being a Gold Plus Rewards® member and all that comes with it. Having your name on the board like a VIP and skipping the line, getting to take your pick of any car on the president circle, and all from a FREE membership! I signed up right after we shot the pilot.”

Follow in James’ footsteps and join Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® today.