Rude customers

Hello again. I only worked 3 days now this week and already have stories to tell. There was the usual complaints of why won't I take a check card (can not be forced charged, but we actually say the owner blocked the use in the system, which he did) and will not take cash (you are renting a $25,000 car and we want it back). My coworker practicing her steno almost jumped in to save me, but he finally gave up arguing.

My coworker had a couple try to rent a car with cash and with the lady, who was a bitch from the get go, stating they were using her credit card for back up. Huh? We don't set up back up payments and we don't take cash. You hand over a credit card that matches the name on your driver's license or you don't get a car, period. That rule applies to every single car rental at this airport (Reason: fraud and denial of payments if signature not on contract). She then argued to the death how she didn't want her name on the contract because if a crazy person hits the car, with her friend actually driving the car, the accident would go on her driving record from her renting the car. Huh, Is this lady stupid? If there is an accident, the actually driver of the car goes on the police report. Plus, the insurance they are purchasing she argues won't cover the car if someone else hits it, just if they hit somebody. When purchsing insurance from us, it guarentees we won't ask for any money regarding damage to the car, whether someone else smashed into it or not. Does she not comprehend the way insurance works? My coworker gives the total. Third member of their party who is not part of this coversation jumps in stating that was not what we were quoted. Lady states that we will honor whatever the reservation operator told them and do whatever she wants. The hell we are. We not responsible for misinformation coming a place other than us, bitch. My coworker is advised to call the reservation line to get the scoop from the opeartor. The quote did not include all the insurance they wanted. Lady don't want to be explained this by the operator, she demands what she was quoted NOW. My coworker says he can take off the insurance and additional driver they added. NO. She gives up her argument and pays for the extra stuff. Next, her credit card does not go through. "What does that mean?", she asks. Means no car, tough cookies. They are told who takes check cards, nobody takes cash upfront. They leave. At another counter they tell somebody they will go get someone with a credit card, rental agent calls over informing my coworker they are returning. He is psyche up from all the commission he will get, he earned it. I tell him that I won't fight for them, he can have them. They do come back, without the bitch in tow. No problems the 2nd time around.

Next came the man wanting change for the telephone (making phone gesture) who did not speak much English. He held out a Canadian $20 bill. Not only can I not exchange foreign currency from not being a bank, I have no change to give. He kept asking the same question and I tried my best to explain I have no change to give him (omitting the foreign currency problem). He said, "Si, change" (Si means yes in Spanish). I simply waited for him to give up and walk away. After 5 minutes , he did.

Same night, I had to argue for 5 minutes with a man wanting to rent one of many Mustangs in the rental lot outside. We do not carry Mustangs, never did. He swore up and down that our company sign was in front of the stall of the car he wanted, NOW. I explained and argued that those Mustangs belong to another company. He informed me that our cars are parked in the lot outside. Yes they are, along with all the other rental companies' cars beside ours. Each company has a row or two in the same lot. He finally gave up and walked to the next counter.

Tonight, I had a lady (who was not an actual customer) ask me if we had only one Catholic Chrurch in this small town (if you call a state capital with 250,000 people, excluding the suburbs, as small then fine). I told her we lots of churches here. She proceded to ask where the nearest Catholic Church was from her hotel and when the churches here have services because they do not want to be late for church. I asked my coworker who is Catholic if he knew of any nearby churches. He only knew of one that he was married located in the suburbs. He leans over with a map to show her. She doesn't want a church in the suburbs, she wants one next to her hotel (one she never gives the name of). He backs off and I lean toward the phone book. She asks me in that snotty tone I often hear from people who think I'm a peon who is suppose to take verbal abuse as part my job description, "You don't know where there is a Catholic Church around here?" I stood up and told her that 1, I am not Catholic and 2, I never go to church so I am not familiar with Catholic Churches around here (sorry my sweetness wore out at this point). She demands a phone book, as if there are none by the pay phones she passed before reaching my counter. The phone book is missing in the cupboard. My coworker was using it. I look in the yellow pages for the listings of Churches-Cathlolic and point to the heading. Now she wants paper and pen, bitch. Then asks where the listing I pointed to was again. She writes a bunch down and says Thank You while dropping the pen and paper on my counter. My sweet voice says, You're Welcome. Excuse me, but does my shirt say information desk on it? I think I bitched enough for tonight. Post later. Bye!