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A deer hit my car this week (I'm not kidding: it slammed into the side of my car as I was doing 65 on the highway). So, in juggling getting the car into the shop and getting to the rental place for the loaner, I wound up running very late. Called the rental agency and they were nice enough to let me come in a few minutes after their normal closing time to get me set up. This is important: it was already a quarter past their closing time when I got there, and they were supposed to be closing up.
I get there and there is a family trying to finish up a rental, and a guy gets out of a cab and hauls a rolling suitcase in ahead of me. Since Suitcase Guy (SG) went in the door first, I pull up my walker and have a seat to wait my turn. This is when the fun began.
SG was angry. Apparently, he had a confirmed reservation for a one-way rental at the local airport to which he had just flown in. The airport location had informed him that his reservation wasn't going to be honored because he was renting one-way out of state. They called this rental location to see if they had a car for a one-way rental and then told him he had to work it out with them. The rental place didn't have his reservation in the system, so they were quoting him a rate rather higher than his reservation was for, especially with the out-of-state drop off (the two-day rental cost +$150). This pissed him off: he had a confirmed reservation and wanted it honored.
The manager was trying to figure out who at the airport location had been the ass who wouldn't honor a rental agreement and try to find a way to get the guy's reservation honored, but SG was just getting madder about the delay and the extra fees. The manager asked SG to wait while he contacted the airport office. At this point a different worker had already called up my reservation and left to get my car ready. I was waiting when SG came and sat down next to me.
Me: Rough day, huh?
SG: {insert shortened version of his troubles and background on how he'd been awake for almost three days} I just need to get to {Name of town right across the border into the next state}.
Me: So you have the confirmation email on your phone, right?
SG: Yup, right here. {shows me}
Me: {I glance at it and can see right away that it says he has a confirmed rental from the airport, one way, to an out of state location} Wow, looks like they screwed up. Sounds like the manager's trying to help you, but these guys are franchises and each one has their own inventory to manage, so it can be difficult to get one office to take on another office's responsibilities.
{I can see the manager juggling three phones, trying to get the airport office and corporate on the line at the same time as he's calling his wife to tell her he's going to be late. The guy seems to be doing everything he can, so I figure I'll help him out.}
Me: I know you're on a tight budget, but you want to get home tonight, right?
SG: Yeah, but there's no way I can afford the $150 fee.
Me: I know that you're tired and frustrated, but the best thing you can do right now is to try to stay calm when you talk to the manager. He's trying to help you, but if you lose your temper he's going to get defensive and he doesn't *have* to help you if that happens.
SG: Yeah, I guess, but it's their screw up.
Me: It's the other office that screwed up. This guy is helping, but he can't do anything about that out-of-state drop off fee. So how about this: You're going to {Name of town right across the border}, right? That's only about 10-20 miles from {Name of town on *this* side of the border}, right?
SG: {looking a little puzzled} Yeah... why?
Me: You can't afford the $150 out-of-state fee, but the one-way in-state fee was already on your reservation. Got a friend who can pick you up this side of the border?
SG: {The light suddenly goes on in and he starts to perk up} Yeah, I do! {gets on the phone and calls a friend, confirms that his buddy will help him drop the car off in the morning}
This was when my car was ready and I had to go inspect it. When I left the manager seemed to be helping SG get his reservation settled with an in-state drop off, and everybody was looking much relieved. I hope it went well.
I get there and there is a family trying to finish up a rental, and a guy gets out of a cab and hauls a rolling suitcase in ahead of me. Since Suitcase Guy (SG) went in the door first, I pull up my walker and have a seat to wait my turn. This is when the fun began.
SG was angry. Apparently, he had a confirmed reservation for a one-way rental at the local airport to which he had just flown in. The airport location had informed him that his reservation wasn't going to be honored because he was renting one-way out of state. They called this rental location to see if they had a car for a one-way rental and then told him he had to work it out with them. The rental place didn't have his reservation in the system, so they were quoting him a rate rather higher than his reservation was for, especially with the out-of-state drop off (the two-day rental cost +$150). This pissed him off: he had a confirmed reservation and wanted it honored.
The manager was trying to figure out who at the airport location had been the ass who wouldn't honor a rental agreement and try to find a way to get the guy's reservation honored, but SG was just getting madder about the delay and the extra fees. The manager asked SG to wait while he contacted the airport office. At this point a different worker had already called up my reservation and left to get my car ready. I was waiting when SG came and sat down next to me.
Me: Rough day, huh?
SG: {insert shortened version of his troubles and background on how he'd been awake for almost three days} I just need to get to {Name of town right across the border into the next state}.
Me: So you have the confirmation email on your phone, right?
SG: Yup, right here. {shows me}
Me: {I glance at it and can see right away that it says he has a confirmed rental from the airport, one way, to an out of state location} Wow, looks like they screwed up. Sounds like the manager's trying to help you, but these guys are franchises and each one has their own inventory to manage, so it can be difficult to get one office to take on another office's responsibilities.
{I can see the manager juggling three phones, trying to get the airport office and corporate on the line at the same time as he's calling his wife to tell her he's going to be late. The guy seems to be doing everything he can, so I figure I'll help him out.}
Me: I know you're on a tight budget, but you want to get home tonight, right?
SG: Yeah, but there's no way I can afford the $150 fee.
Me: I know that you're tired and frustrated, but the best thing you can do right now is to try to stay calm when you talk to the manager. He's trying to help you, but if you lose your temper he's going to get defensive and he doesn't *have* to help you if that happens.
SG: Yeah, I guess, but it's their screw up.
Me: It's the other office that screwed up. This guy is helping, but he can't do anything about that out-of-state drop off fee. So how about this: You're going to {Name of town right across the border}, right? That's only about 10-20 miles from {Name of town on *this* side of the border}, right?
SG: {looking a little puzzled} Yeah... why?
Me: You can't afford the $150 out-of-state fee, but the one-way in-state fee was already on your reservation. Got a friend who can pick you up this side of the border?
SG: {The light suddenly goes on in and he starts to perk up} Yeah, I do! {gets on the phone and calls a friend, confirms that his buddy will help him drop the car off in the morning}
This was when my car was ready and I had to go inspect it. When I left the manager seemed to be helping SG get his reservation settled with an in-state drop off, and everybody was looking much relieved. I hope it went well.
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