Driving You Crazy, Part 2
(It is the Friday before Memorial Day, and we only have enough cars for people who made reservations in advance. My coworker and I check our reservation sheet regularly and call any same-day reservations to tell them we do not have a car for them and to check back at the end of the day in case of no-shows. We cannot reach one such customer, who comes in only an hour after making her reservation.)
Customer: “My name is [Customer], and I have a reservation for a car now.”
Me: “I’m very sorry, ma’am, but due to the holiday weekend, we are completely out of cars right now. I tried calling you—”
Customer: “How dare you tell me you’re out of cars?! I made a reservation! I demand a car!”
Me: “I understand you made a reservation, which is why I tried to call you as soon as possible to explain the situation. We will have more cars coming in about two hours, and if any come earlier, I will be happy to call you and let you know.”
Customer: “I don’t believe this! Can’t you tell I’m dropping this off at the airport? I need a car now!”
(Her reservation does confirm she is dropping her car off at an airport, but it is a two-day rental and the airport is about an hour away.)
Me: “I see that, ma’am. Unfortunately, that does not change the fact that we do not have a car for you on such short notice. As you can see, there are no cars in our parking lot right now. I’m not trying to keep one from you.”
Customer: “This is unbelievable! I am a [Rewards Club] member! I am guaranteed a car when I reserve it!”
Me: “You are guaranteed a car if you make a reservation at least twenty-four hours in advance. And because you are a member, you are put at the top of our list when more cars come in in the next couple of hours. Otherwise, I would be telling you to come around closing in case of no-shows.”
Customer: “I work for this company! I work at [Other Location]! I know how things work around here!”
(My patience has worn thin at this point. It is my second to last day at this job, my next job is secured, and I know there will be no real consequences if this customer ends up complaining to my manager.)
Me: “Then honestly, you should have known better than to make a same-day reservation at a small location on a holiday weekend.”
(The customer’s jaw drops, but she remains silent.)
Me: “As I said, I would be happy to give you a call as soon as we have a car for you, which will likely be in an hour or two. Is there a number I can better reach you at than [cell phone number on file]?”
Customer: “No… No, that’s a good number… I’ll wait for your call.”
(The customer literally ran out the door, which only barely closed behind her before my coworker burst into a laughing fit at my comment and the customer’s response. We had an unexpected return fifteen minutes later, and I rented that car to the customer less than an hour after her reservation.)
Did you find this story using our Memorial Day roundup?
Question of the Week
Tell us your story about a customer who couldn't understand the most simple concept.
