Thrifty Car Rental experience

[Skytrooper]

The wife and I were in Salt Lake City 11/6-11/11. To help our son. He was driving and we of course flew. Since our arrival times were very similar (and his car was loaded with his dogs) we decided to get a rental car. I did the deal online for 143 for the week in a Chevy Cruze (being cheap). It was 7pm when we got to the Thrifty counter. There were only two representatives working, each at different ends of the counter (about 30 feet). When we got to the counter it was obvious that our rep had some strong physical disabilities. She was young, less than 35 I would say, but had trouble with lower extremities and speech. Anyway, me being me, started chatting it up with her. It took a while for her to get through all the information and at one point she dropped my license on the floor. I saw that she waas having problems, so I went around the end of the counter and picked it up for her. You know just being nice. She was very thankful and we continued talking like nothing had happened. At almost the end she said "ok, I see you have a Chevy Cruze". I aknowledged that was correct. She looked at my wife and then at me and said "you are too nice for a Chevy Cruze". Your car is in #571. I figured it was just a joke, but when the wife and I found #571, it was a brand new red Dodge Hemi Charger R/T. I almost hit the floor. My wife was laughing and taking pictures of me and "my car". It was a blast ripping down the expressway to meet our son at his house. Man, what a fun car !

Moral: It pays to be nice to people

 

[Potts]

Good things happen to good people.

 

[padam]

I hope you melted the tires off that thing!

 

[conv67bdere]

You're a good man for all you did to respect her . . . Sure she appreciated being treated "normal" . . . Karma and payback . . .

She's awesome and you got what you deserve . . .

Thanks for sharing . . .

 

[1967coronet]

Your a good guy skytroop .
Can you imagine how many rude idiots that gal has to deal with each shift ?
What's great is there was some rude yuppie thinking he was getting that charger that ended up with the cruze and a couple coffee coupons

 

[Hey-O]

You did good!! The same happened to me in Scottsdale Arizona, I ended up in a Charger too.

 

[Don Frelier]

I still like the 71 better... but the color is close.
I'm sure it was fun "Cruzing" around in it.

 

[65Bel]

Thanks for sharing. Great start for my day! From a brother Eleven Bravo. B 3/8 4th Inf 67-68 VN

 

[zyzzyx]

See? There are still some nice people around! On both sides of the counter!

 

[33 IMP]

I fully expected a slam. Great for you, and her, that it was a great experience!

 

[Kern Dog]

A rental car that is a faster and better car than the daily driver that most of us have? That is great!

 

[Skytrooper]

I drove it like it was a rental !! It was an incredible car, so much power and the growl...priceless !!

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I travel for work, rent cars all the time.. Being nice never costs anything & I've gotten many upgrades... Makes you and the person your dealing with both have a better day.... That said every time I go to the rental counter this flashes through my head..

 

[Hey-O]

I always go out of my to be kind. You have no idea what others are going through and I know in my life people didn't know I was suffering and being kind helped me make it through an already hard day. The old adage, walk a mile in my shoes.

 

[Ron_M]

When I was traveling back and forth to Maryland for work, I was always at Enterprise getting cars to the extent that I knew the staff on a first name basis and they knew that I preferred Dodges, typically getting Journeys. The Manager one time goes "I got a car for you!" and drove up in an '18 Charger R/T. I has an extended trip to North Carolina and I was extremely happy. LOVED that car.

 

[YY1]

When we were there, I learned that SLC has an additional surcharge on cars rented at the actual airport.
It's so much of an issue that all the companies have off-site locations.
We had the people we were staying with drive us over to one, and saved $100.

Driving in SLC was "interesting". Several places where you could get on the highway but not off, or off but not back on.

Accidentally found Kendig's shop (Bitchin' rides).

 

[MarPar]

Good on you, Skytrooper!!

I saw the title and thought this...

 

[68BabyBlue]

Having worked a lifetime in a service industry (trucking), I appreciate what folks behind the counter go through, and have always tried not to be a jerk with them, like so many of you have stated above (are Mopar folks better about this stuff maybe?). Always got the upgrades, more often than not, during my corporate days, when I typically flew at least twice a week. When I attended industry conferences, my wife would travel with me, and our experience with hotel desk clerks got to be an inside joke within that small circle of trucking company lawyers.

My spouse is perhaps one of the most empathetic humans on earth, and better than half the time when we checked into an overbooked event, her kind ways at the desk got us bumped up to a suite. We hung out with another couple who had the opposite experience. Ralph and I had graduated from the same law school, and he was an easy going, likeable guy. His wife, on the other hand, could be a shrew, and always created issues when checking in. They always got the worst room in the hotel, and a few times, got downgraded off site.

 

[Budnicks]

The wife and I were in Salt Lake City 11/6-11/11. To help our son. He was driving and we of course flew. Since our arrival times were very similar (and his car was loaded with his dogs) we decided to get a rental car. I did the deal online for 143 for the week in a Chevy Cruze (being cheap). It was 7pm when we got to the Thrifty counter. There were only two representatives working, each at different ends of the counter (about 30 feet). When we got to the counter it was obvious that our rep had some strong physical disabilities. She was young, less than 35 I would say, but had trouble with lower extremities and speech. Anyway, me being me, started chatting it up with her. It took a while for her to get through all the information and at one point she dropped my license on the floor. I saw that she waas having problems, so I went around the end of the counter and picked it up for her. You know just being nice. She was very thankful and we continued talking like nothing had happened. At almost the end she said "ok, I see you have a Chevy Cruze". I aknowledged that was correct. She looked at my wife and then at me and said "you are too nice for a Chevy Cruze". Your car is in #571. I figured it was just a joke, but when the wife and I found #571, it was a brand new red Dodge Hemi Charger R/T. I almost hit the floor. My wife was laughing and taking pictures of me and "my car". It was a blast ripping down the expressway to meet our son at his house. Man, what a fun car !

Moral: It pays to be nice to people

View attachment 1194726

You're a good & thoughtful/respectful man
she was reciprocating, she figured you deserved it
(I agree too)
glad it was fun
way better than 'a damn Cruze'

 

[joe smith]

I hope you melted the tires off that thing!

Attitudes like this are why NOBODY drives my cars EVER...