Comment

Comment on Hertz' AI System That Scans for "Damage" on Rental Cars Is Turning Into an Epic Disaster

I think it’s generally a brilliant solution but there are a couple of problems here:

The scanner seems to flag fucking everything and charge for minor damage where a human would probably flag it as wear.
No one is allowed to correct the scanner:

Perturbed by the apparent mistake, the user tried to speak to employees and managers at the Hertz counter, but none were able to help, and all “pointed fingers at the ‘AI scanner.’” They were told to contact customer support — but even that proved futile after representatives claimed they “can’t do anything.”

Sounds to me like they’re just trying to replace those employees. That’s why they won’t let them interfere.

source

Sort:hotnew top

CyprianSceptre@feddit.uk ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
You are spot on here. AI is great for sensitivity (noticing potential issues), but terrible for specivity (giving many false positives).

The issue is how AI is used, not the AI itself. They don’t have a human in the checking process. They should use AI scanner to check the car. If it’s fine, then you have saved the employee from manually checking, which is a time-consuming process and prone to error.

If the AI spots something, then get an employee to look at the issues highlighted. If it’s just a water drop or other false positive, then it should be a one click ‘ignore’, and the customer goes on their way without charge. If it is genuine, then show the evidence to the customer and discuss charges in person. Company still saves time over a manual check and has much improved accuracy and evidence collection.

They are being greedy by trying to eliminate the employee altogether. This probably doesn’t actually save any money, if anything it costs more in dealing with complaints, not to mention the loss of sales due to building a poor image.

source
- phutatorius@lemmy.zip ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  AI is great for sensitivity (noticing potential issues), but terrible for specivity (giving many false positives).
  
  AI is not uniqely prone to false positives; in this case, it’s being used deliberately to produce them.
  
  source
- Ulrich@feddit.org ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  If it’s fine, then you have saved the employee from manually checking
  
  Exactly. Not only that but the human is more likely to overlook some things. It also creates a digital record of the complete condition.
  
  Have the AI go over the vehicle, being insanely meticulous and then pass that info off to a human who verifies any flagged damages in a couple of seconds and makes decisions about what needs to be charged.
  
  Combining the 2 improves efficiency and accuracy.
  
  source
MisterFrog@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
The US lacks even the most basic consumer protections it seems.

In Australia, companies still try to give you the run around, but I am extremely confident this wouldn’t fly here. Even though I’m not a lawyer.

If you literally can’t get a hold of them, they’re breaking Australian Consumer Law, that’s a slam dunk to charge back the card and dare them to take you to your state’s relevant tribunal that hears cases like this. It costs either like $70 to file, you can represent yourself easily, and if you’re low-income, it’s literally free.

They don’t want to waste money on fighting you. If you’re confident you’re clearly in the right, it’s very easy to get a company to back down.

This is a great time to remind everyone to take photos before and after getting a rental car, because otherwise it’s your word against them.

source
Lizardking13@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
It’s really funny here. There already exists software that does this stuff. It’s existed for quite a while. I personally know a software engineer that works at a company that creates this stuff. It’s sold to insurance companies. Hertz version must just totally suck.

source
- phutatorius@lemmy.zip ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  It’s designed to suck.
  
  source
tiramichu@sh.itjust.works ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I’m not sure how you can make the points you make, and still call it a “generally brilliant solution”

The entire point of this system - like anything a giant company like Hertz does - is not to be fair to the customer. The point is to screw the customer over to make money.

Not allowing human employees to challenge the AI decision is very intentional, because it defers your complaint to a later time when you have to phone customer support.

This means you no longer have the persuasion power of being there in person at the time of the assessment, and means you have to muster the time and effort to call customer services - which they are hoping you won’t bother doing - who even if you do call can then easily swerve you over the phone.

This is all part of the game plan.

source
- Taleya@aussie.zone ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  That’s why you chargeback. Don’t waste time arguing with the machine, cut it off at the cashflow
  
  source
- Ulrich@feddit.org ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  I’m not sure how you can make the points you make, and still call it a “generally brilliant solution”
  
  Because the technology itself is not the problem, it’s the application. Not complicated.
  
  source
  - Trouble@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    The technology is literally the problem as it’s not working
    
    source
    phutatorius@lemmy.zip ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    It works as Hertz intended. And that’s the problem.
    
    source
    Ulrich@feddit.org ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    There’s literally nothing wrong with the technology. The problem is the application.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Sounds like they want to lose those customers.

source
- ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  That’s why the matching strategy is mergers to combine all the competitors into one company.
  
  source
- Ulrich@feddit.org ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Companies have been fucking consumers since the beginning of time and consumers, time and time again, bend over and ask for more. Just look at all of the most successful companies in the world and ask yourself, are they constantly trying to deliver the amazing service possible for their customers or are they trying to fuck them at every available opportunity?
  
  source
  - Rolder@reddthat.com ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I feel like the go to strategy would be to offer incredible service at first, then once you are big enough to force out competitors and the like, then you start fucking the consumer
    
    source
    WanderingThoughts@europe.pub ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    The word used for that strategy is usually “enshittification”. It happens a lot after digital tech is introduced in a new sector.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
- SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  But they know their competitions are doing to adopt the same type of tech, so where are those customers going to go when they have no choice?
  
  source
  - Ulrich@feddit.org ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Sometimes there’s no competition. Many times there is. And still customers will ignore them.
    
    Look where we all are right now. Was it hard leaving Reddit? Did it cost you anything? And yet millions of people return there every day. Reddit fucked them, they protested for 2 days, and then almost everyone went back to business as usual.
    
    source
  - kwarg@mander.xyz ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I use an app called GoMore in some places in Europe that allows you to rent cars from other peers. The rental process is cheaper and faster–everything is done through the app–and you avoid these shady corpo practices.
    
    source
    Auli@lemmy.ca ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    For now till the shit that happens with Airbnb happens there. With the corporations just renting all the cars.
    
    source
    sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    In the US, Turo is basically that.
    
    source
    Pieisawesome@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Turo is probably the closest equivalent in the US
    
    source