For an upcoming Independence Day weekend trip with my family - we decided to rent an SUV to haul the family and all the things that a family needs for a weekend trip. After reviewing rates - I found this Avis in Johnston had some decent rates for the Independence Day weekend. I'm a frequent renter, but this would be the first time with Avis in Johnston. I arrived at this location on July 3rd and was greeted promptly by Omar (who is the owner/operator of this location). He said he was finishing with a customer and would help me next. Once it was my turn - Omar worked on processing my reservation. He had indicated that it has been a crazy day and at the time I was picking up my SUV mid-afternoon - he had indicated that he had 35 rentals to get picked up before closing time at 6PM. I told him this was my first time with this location and he thanked me for my business and as a token of that, he upgraded me from an intermediate SUV to a standard SUV (which when you're hauling a family and luggage, additional room is always welcomed) :). Finished up the paperwork and was on the road with a 2019 GMC Terrain. Later that night - I was going to load up the SUV with luggage and whatnot and the entire rear cargo area was not cleaned. There was debris everywhere and a partially opened case of water remained. I was shocked - as a consumer, I shouldn't have to check to ensure that the INSIDE is cleaned. Someone missed the mark, and because of that - my family was the one who was impacted. Unfortunately, with the July 4th being the next day and the location being closed for the day, I called the AVIS Preferred Plus hotline, and talked with them. They apologized for the inconvenience and offered to exchange the car...at the Des Moines Airport since this branch was closed. I called the location to make sure they they did have a vehicle to exchange with since AVIS customer support could not verify as they only accept inbound calls and cannot make outbound calls. The agent on the phone was helpful. When I arrived to the airport, the exchange paperwork was pre-printed and car was selected and was on my way. The Airport apologized for the negligence that the Johnston location showed and ensured that the vehicle I was receiving from them was clean and they were spot on. The 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee was spotless. Well oiled machine at Avis DSM! When I returned the vehicle to the Johnston location, Omar was working. When I told him about the issue - he acted like I was telling a lie - nonchalant attitude. He explained that with so many cars going out that day - things can happen. In fact, he said he WISHED HE DID NOT give me an upgrade as he drove an SUV earlier in the day that was cleaned. Who tells a customer that they wished they haven't given them an upgrade!? I was taken aback when he said that. He did not offer any compensation for the issue until I asked. At that point and after looking at the system - he took $20 off the bill as that is all that "management" would allow him to do. He did give me his personal cell phone number and asked that I texted him the pictures I took of the dirty interior. He also said that he would "put me on his list" (not sure what that means) and that this would not happen again the next time. Overall, it was an interesting experience; I certainly want to try this location again and put a full five-star review. However, if you tell a customer that "you wished you hadn't given the upgrade" it's hard to not remember that when choosing a rental car agency. read more