Vamp N's ~*~ Nightmares

vampire weekend touring

Working for a significant car rental company selling to wholesalers has its perks[phpbay] Over the years one manages to become friends with the major players either dealing with them or meeting them at domestic and international travel trade shows[phpbay] And the saying "one hand washes the other" does apply[phpbay] They could call on me for a discounted car rental rate and I could call on them for a discounted hotel rate[phpbay] But never request help during the busy season when cars and hotel rooms would be in short supply[phpbay]

I mention this because in the fall of 1986 we were doing a major renovation in our home from mid-September to just before Thanksgiving[phpbay] During that time we spent every Friday through Monday at a Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood Beach hotel to get away from the mess[phpbay] I asked my hotel friends for a discounted room rate and they helped [phpbay] We did not request a discounted rate during Columbus Day Weekend when rooms were in short supply[phpbay]

Now that you have the picture I received a call early January, 1987 from the son of an owner of a mid size Miami Beach hotel[phpbay] His car broke down and could I help him for a couple of weeks until it was repaired[phpbay] I need to mention that we didn't do business with this hotel[phpbay] However, previously their former sales director had given our company a $1,000 deposit to establish credit in the event that they would give us some car rental business[phpbay]

The request came after the busy Christmas holiday and about 4 weeks before our next peak period commencing Presidents Day Weekend and running until the end of March[phpbay] I offered him a mid-size car and would charge him the tour operator net rate for a sub-compact car, a two car upgrade with an attractive price[phpbay] He would return the car in two weeks[phpbay] It was a win for him with a good rate and a win for us by renting a car which would normally remain idle during a slow time[phpbay]

He wanted the car for two weeks but it was about two months later, the early part of March, when I got the call[phpbay] It was the Miami rental station wanting to know when the car would be returned[phpbay] The vehicle was sorely needed for reservations[phpbay] Imagine my surprise[phpbay] It was very unusual for people in the business to abuse favors knowing full well the importance of maximizing resources during the height of a season[phpbay]

I called the renter and spared no words[phpbay] The car he was driving for a very reduced rate should have and could have been rented to regular customers which was why we were in business[phpbay] He tried to tell me people in the business take care of each other[phpbay] I explained my situation only 5 or 6 months prior with discounted hotel rates and told him that he abused a favor[phpbay]

I then told him that I would honor the special offer for the two weeks requested[phpbay] For the balance of the rental period he would be charged the tour operator net rate for the mid-size car[phpbay] Also a bargain considering that we did not do business with them[phpbay] I also told him that the Miami station would go to his hotel and pick up the car[phpbay] If it wasn't available they would swear out a warrant for unauthorized use[phpbay] And that is when he hung up on me[phpbay] I said out loud to anyone who could hear, "What a baby[phpbay] He hung up on me[phpbay]"

It took about an hour before the father, the hotel owner, called me[phpbay] I mentioned at the start of the conversation that if the apple didn't fall from the tree that he too would hang up on me[phpbay] He said that he wouldn't and then proceeded to complain about the amount that was being charged for the car rental[phpbay] That it was only fair to work with fellow travel industry people[phpbay] I said that his son had abused the favor and I asked him when was the last time he discounted a hotel room during the height of the busy season?

No response to the question and stated that he wouldn't pay the charge[phpbay] I gave him the bad news[phpbay] He didn't have to because we had a $1,000 deposit of his thanks to his ex-sales director[phpbay] We would deduct the charges from the deposit and since we weren't doing business with his hotel would refund the difference[phpbay] Now we were on the phone and I didn't have a visual but I sensed rage[phpbay] His response was that he was going to do everything he could to get me out of the travel business[phpbay]

I need to mention that I loved what I was doing and thought that the work I did was like being on vacation[phpbay] As a joke I said, "I have been in the business for 20 years and have been trying to get out of it for the last 19 years[phpbay] Anything you can do to help I will appreciate[phpbay]" He slammed down the phone[phpbay] I said out loud not knowing who would hear me, "The apple does not fall far from the tree[phpbay]"

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 at 11:30 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.