National EA Empty!!

[Niagara2]

Flew into MCO Wed. at 1 pm and EA was empty....so was the full size lanes and so were the Premium Lanes. We waited around and asked two clerks who said take anything...I asked their names and they laughed and said they can't give names and wouldn't say for sure that we wouldn't be charged extra so we waited longer. Went to return area and they looked for a return and finally said take a SUV or a mini van. We got a Blazer with 6 miles in it. When we checked out the guy was very nice but explained that we deserve anything as they do not have enough help. He also told us that alot of the inventory was removed as this is the week that new cars are delivered and alot had not arrived or had not been brought up ready. Well our brand new SUV is great and EA came through. If you are going to MCO soon you can expect nice new vehicles. Hopefully you have a choice. I have never seen that garage so empty.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

last feb on the EA aisle we had a new blazer with 25 miles on it! it was great!

 

[Pluto4President]

That's a good way to start the trip!

 

[CarolA]

You were nicer than I would have been! If they would not give me their name, I would hike into the counter and throw a FIT! I can be a real you know what if I have to be and if they would not give me a car or help me someone would have heard about it!

 

[Pluto4President]

That's why you get more with honey than vinegar Carol

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Why throw a fit? What would be the point? No one is under any obligation to give you their name for any reason. The end result for Niagra was fine. Probably because Niagra was even tempered and nice.
The fact that they were obviously turning over the inventory was not the attendants fault.
The fact that they are short staffed is not the attendants fault.
I run into customers like you all the time and you know what they get? Exactly what they paid for. Good customer service, the product and nothing more. Someone who takes an understanding approach can have the "world", I will go the extra mile.
Sounds like that is exactly what Niagra received. People tried.
IMHO, short tempered, insensative people need an attitude adjustment, or, a month in customer service.

 

[idontknow]

I guess I'm an idiot, but I didn't think Carol's response was as bad as it was taken.

Niagara said:

I asked their names and they laughed and said they can't give names and wouldn't say for sure that we wouldn't be charged extra so we waited longer.

If I reserve a car and there are no cars there for me to drive, I would be upset, too. I would proceed to find out what happened to my ressie. That entales me going to the counter, which is why I have joined EA, to avoid the counter. If I saw someone in the lot and asked them what to do (this has happened to me at MCO) and they told me what Niagara was told, I wouldn't be too happy either. We (those of us on this board) spend hours trying to get the best rate that we can. Only to show up to get the car and be told that they don't have any cars and that you have to take what they have at whatever rate they want to charge us. Not. I wouldn't want to show up at the hotel and have my confirmation in hand only to be told that they are going to charge me $100 more a night.



I have not typed this trying to flame anyone. I'm just saying that I read the post a little differently than you did. If "I" read the post incorrectly, I apologize. I mean no ill intentions typing this and do not mean to offend anyone.

To OP: I'm glad that everything turned out alright for you. It sounds like you were very please with the SUV and National's service in the end. Thanks for the heads up on the new vehicles! Can't wait until Thanksgiving when we get to go!

 

[DVC California]

...two clerks who said take anything...I asked their names and they laughed and said they can't give names and wouldn't say for sure that we wouldn't be charged extra so we waited longer...Went to return area and they looked for a return and finally said take a SUV or a mini van.

You could have saved yourself some aggrevation if you had just followed their advice in the first place. I have used EA several times at MCO and never have been lucky with selection in the EA area. In fact, I have also arrived when EA had empty stalls - TWICE. However, I've always nicely asked a National Servicemaster (Dispatcher) if anything else would be available and have always been told to help myself to anything "Premium" and below.

I usually pick a nice size SUV that can hold all our luggage, drive up to the booth with my Emerald card, license and any coupons, and tell the clerk that I was given permission to take out a larger size. The clerk changes the class on the computer and away I go. (I also carefully check the receipt when I return the car because you don't actually have any paperwork when you check out). I have never been overcharged, never get angry with staff, and ultimately have a great car at a great price.

My two pesos, Steve

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I don't know,
I would imagine if there were no cars available, I would be a bit upset too, however, I would not have a fit or insist someone give me their name, especially if, as Niagra said, they are not allowed to.
I would try to find the dispatcher and straighten things out. Nicely, without a fit or bad temper. Things happen.
As Pluto said, you catch more with honey than with vinegar. Most agents get bad attitude all day, why not turn that around, preserve your humor with a friendly attitude. Make your day and that of the agent's.
DVC's post illustrates my point exactly.

 

[MinnieMe2]

As someone who works at the bottom of the feeding chain, I know that I'll bend over backwards to help someone who's nice to me. But if someone gets in my face, as some of our students have in the past, my assistance will be minimal to none. And I try to be nice to service people, which is why I usually don't let DH handle things. If there's a problem and you're nice about it, acknowledging that it's usually not the messenger's fault there's been a screw-up and without screaming and throwing a fit, I have found that things will be straightened out, sometimes for the better.....

 

[mikek]

dvc cal. and everyone else-

A little heads up- if you specifically ask for paperwork at check out - they'll give you the same form as inside. I usually dont bother, but when i get into these 'unusual' situations, i do ask.

 

[hercamore]

On August 7, we also found the full size and premium lanes at National to be empty. Only compacts left. We waited about 5 minutes and they brought one full car to the area, which we took. Turned out to be a very nice Buick.

Guy in line behind me at National said they had reserved a car at Dollar and was told the wait would be l hour for a car. Dollar had absolutely no cars at all. People in line at Dollar were pretty ticked.

 

[Niagara2]

The two ladies I asked for help and who told me to take anything were very nice but I have been charged wrong at EA for my last two visits so I was being careful. I didn't want to have to run to the counter at return. I was very specific to ask them both if I would be charged my ressie rate due to the lack of cars if we took "anything". They basically shyed away from taking responsibility for the final rate. I only asked their names so at check out I had someone to help me out and back me up if I was not given the same rate as I was once told to take a min van if I wanted as I asked if one was coming up to EA and I was charged three times higher then my ressie. I had no name and no back up so I lost that one! They were very nice but I think they felt like the nice guy at checkout - they knew nothing was around and we should have a car. Like I said - it all worked out fine....we got a real nice SUV and maybe waited around 10 to 15 minutes to figure out the situation and get a car....better than the hour wait the Dollar customer mentioned in the post above got. I also work in the service field so I expect good customer service and what I pay for and I got both. Staff can help and they did, just remember that sometimes miracles are not always possible. We were happy with results and the MCO staff did what they could. If I was to complain, it would be to managment as inventory was low. Believe me, others were wandering around too. I try to work the situation, if no ond helped me than I would of been upset but all staff I had contact with were nice and tried to help.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Niagra,
Thanks for filling in more of the missing pieces. Working where I do, I have learned just how to treat others in the same line of work ( the public, in general really s**ks when they are on the customer end, no respect given to those of us who work hard to please them) and that is with respect and tolerance for the job they are trying to do. Frankly, if I did not love my line of work (photo finishing and I just got promoted to Lab Manager at Wal*Mart), I would go back to raising and training Arabian Horses. They appreciate what you do for them. And....whoever decided that the "customer is always right" should be shot, they obviously never worked with the public. Customer service number one, definitely, always right, rarely.