Mgr decided it was OK to lie

 
Old Dec 29, 2013, 3:01 pm
  #1  
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Join Date: Jul 2009
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Mgr decided it was OK to lie

For a family ski vacation to Snowshoe, WV over Christmas, my wife and I flew into IAD and drove the 3+ hrs. The lodge had expressed that AWD/4WD would be desirable but that ground clearance and power would be required to navigate the drive.

I reserved a "Standard SUV - Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo or Similar" over a month in advance. When we arrived we were told they did not have any Standard SUV's available. The offered a downgrade for about 10% less than our reservation price or we could switch to a car. Because of our travel requirements a downgrade wasn't acceptable.

The only upgrade available was to a luxury SUV at more than double the cost ($60+/day more - they offered to throw in a free tank of gas). I took the position that I should not have to pay for receiving the next available vehicle if they failed to provide the reserved vehicle class.

The manager even argued that we didn't need an SUV because the weather (in DC) had been too warm for snow. I was fully aware that it was currently snowing in Snowshoe and if we didn't get going we were going to have to drive after dark.

Then the manager must have decided that lying is an acceptable solution to a problem. He told us a Dodge Journey had just came in and that it was the same class vehicle AND was AWD. Never having heard of the Dodge Journey, I believed him and was glad to have AWD.

When we made the first steep turn in the mountains we knew we'd been lied to. It was obvious the Journey was smaller when we got in, but we were worried about time. What we discovered in the mountains was that this "SUV" only had a 4-cylinder engine and did not have AWD (front wheel only). The engine was so underpowered on the steep roads at altitude it was scary and getting up the drive to the lodge we were staying at was an adventure.

When did lying to a customer become acceptable over any other solution?
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Old Dec 29, 2013, 3:39 pm
  #2  
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What is the point of all of this? Other than using the word "lying" four times.
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Old Dec 30, 2013, 5:56 am
  #3  
 
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People are people. He didn't think he was lying because he believed he was solving a problem. Getting you in a vehicle and out of his view was his goal and it didn't matter if you didn't receive what you needed. I mean just the fact that he became a weather man and a consultant on every concern within your purview proved that he was just trying to do his job, which was, rent you a car and get rid of you.

Whether he was lying or not really depends on his intent. Did he mislead you? Yeah. But, one has to understand the staff doesn't care to understand the finer points of a car's benefits. Your problem is not their problem even if their company should stand behind what the automated res system booked for you. Their job is to get you a car that is on the lot at that particular time, that you agree to, and move on.


PS. I don't recommend this, I only confess to it. I double book sometimes with two companies in situations where there is concern the company won't have the car I need but that I booked and expected. Not every time. But, for example, once I booked with ET AND ZE, when I thought ET might be easier/less costly. Hope springs eternal! And, since my ET experiences have not always been positive, I was ready with a backup. Got on the airport shuttle, got the kind of service I expect at ET and worse, and turned my paperwork back in, got on the shuttle back to the AP, transferred to ZE shuttle and received a much better experience.

I can recommend becoming a member of "frequent renter" programs, as many as you can, even if you don't travel a lot. BTW, I gave up on Thrifty years ago and I was an early Blue Chip member. As long as the programs are free right now, sign up! When you can, go Hertz!

Last edited by jan_believes; Dec 30, 2013 at 6:10 am
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