Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ittvax!swatt
From: swatt@ittvax.UUCP (Alan S. Watt)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: RE: Truck Rental Problems (ittvax!dipalma)
Message-ID: <982@ittvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 31-Aug-83 13:32:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: ittvax.982
Posted: Wed Aug 31 13:32:33 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 1-Sep-83 04:01:09 EDT
References: cbosgd.251
Lines: 39

This has generated quite a bit of traffic.  I have used U-Haul 3 times
since moving East.  Each time they had the truck I asked for when I
went to pick it up.  The only trouble I've had was the first time when
I found the gas cap had been tightened with a pipe wrench (on purpose;
the agent forgot to loosen it when I picked it up).

In all fairness, there is a limited amount a rental agent can do if the
cause for the delay is another customer returning the truck late.
There is also always the possiblity that there will be something wrong
with the truck, necessitating repairs.  Naturally, the agent doesn't
want the truck sitting around his lot all day, so he schedules the next
rental out as soon as he can after the truck is returned.

A reasonable policy would be to have a fixed turn-around time to fuel,
check, and clean the truck, plus a certain "delay" time to buffer the
time between return and next rental.  Suppose you allow 1 hour for
turnaround and 2 hours for various delays.  If the truck is scheduled
in at noon, it could not be promised out before 3.  If the returning
customer doesn't make it back within the delay period and the truck was
scheduled out again, he pays a fine which is then passed on to the
customer who was inconvenienced.  This won't eliminate the hassles for
the second customer, but it does make the apology a little more
substantial.

The last time I used U-Haul, they also wanted me to leave a signed
credit form with the amount blank.  I too thought it was a bit strange,
but I  had dealt with this particular agent before and had received
good service, so I was inclined to trust him.  If you object to that
practice, offer instead to leave a signed credit form for the amount of
the deposit.  All he can do is refuse.

By the way, don't forget the most important part of moving:

	Make sure you have enough beer and pizza to feed the crowd
	of friends you've invited to help load and unload the truck!

It still beats living in the same place all the time ...

	- Alan S. Watt