Valet gave car to another guest
Mar 7, 2008, 9:19 pm
#31
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: AA Gold .25 MM :) & Marriott Gold
Posts: 63
I'm so sorry!!!! This happened to me, but the overall impacts to my day or travel schedule were far less.
My experience occurred last summer at the St. Louis Renaissance near the STL Airport. I usually do not valet but arrived to the hotel very late, the parking lot was full and I didn't want to park far away for safety reasons. The next morning, I called down to ask the valet to bring my car up front (I was running late). When I came down 15 minutes later, I was surprised that my car was not there. The valet guy at the desk asked for my receipt number, and I told him (the important part is that the last number was a 6 or 9. I can't recall which). He told me that the car should be right around. When the valet guy who was away retrieving a car came back, without my car, the guy at the valet stand realized there was a problem, and he again asked me what the receipt number was. He said, "Are you sure it's not X-X-6/9?" I told him I was sure, and I showed him my receipt card that showed it was the other number, XX6 instead of XX9 or vice versa. As I was standing there I noticed that there was a rental car very similar to mine parked at the curb. It was a silver SUV, but not the same manufacturer, so I knew it wasn't my car (note MY awareness about the rental car I was driving). A few minutes later, the two valets were talking and began to look a little uneasy. I started to get worried and then irritated that the problem was going to make me more tardy to the office than I already was. Then, this man came speeding up and around the circular driveway driving a silver SUV--MY rental car-- in a panic. He jumped out, screamed something like, "This isn't my car!" and then pointed at the other silver SUV parked at the curb and yelled something like, "That's my car!" He shuffled his bags and coffee out, and over to his car. I made a very pointed comment to him about the need for him to be more aware of the cars he rents. He couldn't have cared less. He was in such a panic that I figured he drove a mile or two to return his rental car, only to find out that the car he was returning was not the right car. After he jumped in the rightful car and sped away, I put my computer bag in the car, and saw that he had spilled coffee on the passenger seat from his crazy driving. Not a huge mess but annoying. The two valet guys repeatedly apologized. I spent a lot of time at the STL Renaissance last year, and I was familiar with the nice valet guys after exchanging greetings with them day and night, so I simply instructed them to be more careful in the future. I considered speaking with a hotel manager, but I never did, and I never had any problems with the car when I turned it in.
I will say that the man who took my car gave me a bad vibe in the brief encounter we had. In retrospect I realize that rightfully or wrongfully, I attributed most of the fault to him. I figured that he rushed out, saw my car sitting at the curb since I had called down ahead of time, threw the claim receipt at the valet guy and hopped in. Since the numbers were very similar (let's say 406 and 409 or something), I figured the valet guys didn't catch it. I think I was foolish not to walk to the front desk immediately to draft a written complaint, copy it, and demand that a copy of it be added to my file in the event issues surfaced with the rental car. It's interesting that as a regular (and Platinum) guest, I didn't want to get the valet guys in trouble. After not going to that hotel for 3-4 months, I'm a little baffled that I didn't file a complaint.
Oh, and I also rented my car from National... and although I'm a National Executive Elite member, I have experienced horrible telephone customer service multiple times, even when calling the Elite line.
The biggest lesson-learned for me was the realization that I must not ever leave anything I care about in a rental car that I valet. Luckily, I hadn't left anything in the car in this incident, but I have left miscellaneous things in rental cars before (certainly not my company computer or documents though).
My experience occurred last summer at the St. Louis Renaissance near the STL Airport. I usually do not valet but arrived to the hotel very late, the parking lot was full and I didn't want to park far away for safety reasons. The next morning, I called down to ask the valet to bring my car up front (I was running late). When I came down 15 minutes later, I was surprised that my car was not there. The valet guy at the desk asked for my receipt number, and I told him (the important part is that the last number was a 6 or 9. I can't recall which). He told me that the car should be right around. When the valet guy who was away retrieving a car came back, without my car, the guy at the valet stand realized there was a problem, and he again asked me what the receipt number was. He said, "Are you sure it's not X-X-6/9?" I told him I was sure, and I showed him my receipt card that showed it was the other number, XX6 instead of XX9 or vice versa. As I was standing there I noticed that there was a rental car very similar to mine parked at the curb. It was a silver SUV, but not the same manufacturer, so I knew it wasn't my car (note MY awareness about the rental car I was driving). A few minutes later, the two valets were talking and began to look a little uneasy. I started to get worried and then irritated that the problem was going to make me more tardy to the office than I already was. Then, this man came speeding up and around the circular driveway driving a silver SUV--MY rental car-- in a panic. He jumped out, screamed something like, "This isn't my car!" and then pointed at the other silver SUV parked at the curb and yelled something like, "That's my car!" He shuffled his bags and coffee out, and over to his car. I made a very pointed comment to him about the need for him to be more aware of the cars he rents. He couldn't have cared less. He was in such a panic that I figured he drove a mile or two to return his rental car, only to find out that the car he was returning was not the right car. After he jumped in the rightful car and sped away, I put my computer bag in the car, and saw that he had spilled coffee on the passenger seat from his crazy driving. Not a huge mess but annoying. The two valet guys repeatedly apologized. I spent a lot of time at the STL Renaissance last year, and I was familiar with the nice valet guys after exchanging greetings with them day and night, so I simply instructed them to be more careful in the future. I considered speaking with a hotel manager, but I never did, and I never had any problems with the car when I turned it in.
I will say that the man who took my car gave me a bad vibe in the brief encounter we had. In retrospect I realize that rightfully or wrongfully, I attributed most of the fault to him. I figured that he rushed out, saw my car sitting at the curb since I had called down ahead of time, threw the claim receipt at the valet guy and hopped in. Since the numbers were very similar (let's say 406 and 409 or something), I figured the valet guys didn't catch it. I think I was foolish not to walk to the front desk immediately to draft a written complaint, copy it, and demand that a copy of it be added to my file in the event issues surfaced with the rental car. It's interesting that as a regular (and Platinum) guest, I didn't want to get the valet guys in trouble. After not going to that hotel for 3-4 months, I'm a little baffled that I didn't file a complaint.
Oh, and I also rented my car from National... and although I'm a National Executive Elite member, I have experienced horrible telephone customer service multiple times, even when calling the Elite line.
The biggest lesson-learned for me was the realization that I must not ever leave anything I care about in a rental car that I valet. Luckily, I hadn't left anything in the car in this incident, but I have left miscellaneous things in rental cars before (certainly not my company computer or documents though).
Last edited by Yes, I'm over 15!; Mar 7, 2008 at 9:36 pm Reason: Note about personal property
Mar 7, 2008, 10:35 pm
#32
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Phoenix
Programs: UA1k;HH Gold;MR Gold
Posts: 6,112
Aobut 4 yrs ago; the bellhop at the Watergate hotel loaded my luggage into another guests car. The other guests drove away. They had no cellphone and were unreachable till they returned home to CT that nite.
I missed a day of work .
The watergate
paid to fedex everything to me
drove me to the airport for free
comped my stay
bought me lunch
and gave me a cert for 3 free nites
I think they also paid for my missed work but its been a while.
I missed a day of work .
The watergate
paid to fedex everything to me
drove me to the airport for free
comped my stay
bought me lunch
and gave me a cert for 3 free nites
I think they also paid for my missed work but its been a while.