I had a mix of good and not-so-good experiences with the rental process. Ultimately, the staff at JB Hostetter & Sons (Shawn, Zach, Tony) made the overall experience a positive one. They've only been operating their site for about six months, so there is still a bit of a learning curve, which is to be expected. When they couldn't answer some of my more unique and extensive questions, they knew where to find answers or who to refer me to, and they went out of their way to ensure I was satisfied. A real pleasure to see dedicated customer service in this day and age where "you can find it online" seems to be the more common answer. The folks at JBH&S also had great support from Justin, their regional manager. They spoke highly of how he supported them, and it was obvious they were comfortable reaching out to him for assistance with my transaction. This easy sense of teamwork was commendable and made my experience much better. First, knowing my tight timeline, Shawn referred me to Justin to ensure that the truck I needed would be delivered directly to the JBH&S site for me to pick up, rather than surprise me on pick-up day that I would have to go to another location further away to get the truck. That made a huge difference. Second, I have a new cell phone number and when I used it to log into the site to confirm my reservation, it brought up the name, address and email address of the previous holder of the phone number (who had previously rented from U-Haul). This was a major red flag with the U-Haul security system (not JBH&S), and Justin helped to update the system to protect my (and the previous owner's) privacy. Shawn (JBH&S) also alerted me to the availability of an extra day's use of the truck for free and made the reservation accordingly. In the end, I didn't need the extra day, but it was a stress-reliever to know that if I had any mechanical issues with the truck, or had a problem unloading at my final destination, that I had an extra day to compensate for it. Although the truck had 102,000 miles on it, the condition of the truck was excellent. I even commented at both pick-up and drop-off that I was impressed with the condition of the cab and the cargo area, as well as the exterior of the truck. And the truck operated smoothly and effectively--it was obviously well-maintained. I had zero issues or concerns during my 300-mile trek. At pick-up, Tony allowed me as much time as I needed to inspect the truck, get comfortable with the operation, and he provided several tips on operating it, as well as what to watch for when I dropped off the truck. He even tried to help adjust the passenger side mirrors, though they seemed to be frozen in place (but they were already within in usable position--just not quite perfect for where I'd have preferred them). Finally, I found the $5 environmental fee annoying. I'm pro-environment, but U-Haul's corporate explanation for the reason for the fee was unacceptable to me. The reasons cited should have been part of their overall mission and incorporated into their operating expenses, even if they charged $5 more for the rental base price. It smacked of a hidden up-charge designed to deceive customers into thinking the base price was more reasonable. Again, I commend JBH&S and the regional manager for doing everything they could to ensure my experience was as positive as possible. U-Haul policies and procedures could use a little tweaking, though.
TIMOTHY R
Customer Reviews for JB Hostetter & Sons
(U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer)
Testimonials From Recent Customers
Customer feedback is extremely important to us. We use these reviews to guide our efforts and improve our service. Everything that follows is direct from our customers, without any filtering or editing on our part.
Nothing, it was so easy to get and return
MICHELLE ESalesman in the morning was very friendly. Hooked trailer up after we inspected it. The return had no issues other than the rental door location was locked, so we had to walk around the outside of the store to find a door to go in. People were very friendly and courteous. Would definitely rent from this location again.
THOMAS BThe person who rented the trailer to me in Pennsylvania led me to believe that there was no option about getting the insurance. I did not learn that it was optional until I dropped the trailer off in Tennessee.
RICHARD FThe uhaul employer was very helpful and made the process completely painless.
JOYCE BExperience here was so much better than at the larger location in East Petersburg.
Alice MGreat friendly staff
Richard NVendor said I didn't need paperwork with total cost!I insisted that I get it!
Ronald CN/A
Jose GCustomer service was great! Kudos to the guys at J.B.Hostetter & Sons in Mount Joy, PA!
craig BTrailer did not have a jack and it was very heavy to get off or on hitch other then that excellent services at this location thank you
PAUL DFantastic drop-off experience. I indicated that backup up the trailer to a specific spot might be a challenge but the man there said he would just unhitch it where it was and he had a tool to move it where he wanted it. Very easy.
william p