Tuesday, April 21, 2009

National Car Rental's "Pick any car" Feature is Broken


On a trip last month to Las Vegas, my crew had the chance to go to the Nascar race at Las Vegas Speedway thanks to a friend from High School and Facebook (more on that some other time). To get out to the track, we had to rent a car as the track is 18 or so miles north of the city. Looking online, National had the best rate on a car that would seat a large group so I made the reservation there. Normally, I am a Hertz guy, but the rates were very different.

Upon getting to the Las Vegas car rental center near the airport, National was tauting it's new feature where they don't assign you a specific car, instead you pick the car that's in the class you reserved.  I totally understand the insight behind this - people have preferneces in the cars they drive, why not let them pick? This matches my thinking also, so I was inclined to like this approach.... until I saw how it was executed.

I walked into a huge garage with confusing signage. There was nothing in the garage or on the cars to indicate which class any car was.  Additionally, the National representative directed me to a row labeled Alamo to find the car I need. "Directed" is probably too strong a word. Non-chalantly waved his hand in a sweeping motion probably does it more justice.  After reluctantly picking a car, we headed to the exit.  Here was watched as the attendant sent two cars back into the garage, they picked the wrong class as it turns out. When we finally got to the gate, hoping we were going to be able to move ahead, I asked how often that happens.  "All the time, 15-20 times a day"  was the answer. I was one of the lucky ones. We had guessed right.

How's that for a customer experience?

Posted via email from jsheldonus's posterous

Sunday, April 05, 2009

  • 08:02 On the other side of DC headed to Myrtle Beach, not quite half way there #
  • 08:11 @MichaelNozbe any previews for the GTD app you can share from your Omnigraffle experience? #
  • 10:46 just crossed into NC. @eliasheldon likes the 70MPH speed limit #
  • 10:48 @mhgoblue @eliasheldon and I both like TwitterFon also. good luck #
  • 17:24 In Myrtle Beach torn between going out with the fam and watching NCAA bball. #
  • 17:25 This story about the HS manager kid who goes in the game & drills 6 3s brings me as close as I get to a sobbing mess. New story on CBS next #
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Saturday, April 04, 2009

  • 06:58 Headed to lovely Enfield, CT for a client briefing #
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Friday, April 03, 2009

  • 11:59 had a full day of mtgs dissipate. Woo - time for real work. #
  • 12:17 @racarpenter dead air on twitter huh? #
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Thursday, April 02, 2009

  • 00:13 08:56 loving driving into the office and getting here in 33 minutes. #09:52 thinking about big vs. small(er)... ff.im/1QFLN #
  • 08:44 I'm at BBH Office -NYC. #
  • 08:57 excited to actually have "thinking time" today. #
  • 10:15 RT @colleddy: check out mary tomer and www.mrs-o.org on the today show this morning! tinyurl.com/69l457n - Mary is a co-worker. #
  • 10:19 RT @colleddy: Better link: check out mary tomer and www.mrs-o.org on the today show this morning! tinyurl.com/cpa3ey #
  • 10:23 RT @mchill2481: For the repentant Christian on the go: www.absolution-online.com/ #
  • 11:10 I hate 4/1 - should be called "Ignore everything you read on the net day". Totally unfunny, just annoying. #
  • 12:49 RT @itsharper: BBH NY in todays Times: see vitaminwater 10 launch: bit.ly/1jGzw #
  • 14:17 @sammie356 I haven't gotten on yet, but single point privacy policy (who can see pics, phone nbr, etc.) mgmt seems to be big also. #
  • 14:25 disconnecting all the interconnections between my Facebook, FriendFeed, Twitter accounts. #
  • 16:51 @sogrady please RT the answer to your Tripit ? #
  • 16:52 RT @sogrady: is there an easy way to pipe my Dopplr and Tripit calendars into my primary Google Calendar, one way? @shintz ? @TripIt ? #
  • 20:55 RT @eliasheldon: posting my review of "She's Gone Bridal" by Liz Razin at ATG: bit.ly/nt8xd -- a friend from my work. Go Liz! #
  • 21:21 is planning an early morning Skype session to S. Africa to talk to an au pair candidate. #
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Wednesday, April 01, 2009

  • 08:56 loving driving into the office and getting here in 33 minutes. #
  • 09:52 thinking about big vs. small(er) agencies and the pros and cons of each. #
  • 09:55 @sammie356 across from the Soho Grand. New place. #
  • 09:56 @mhgoblue I read and loved that book. A lil dark tho. Answer: That's what early 2001 felt like. Growing agency = very different. #
  • 14:23 @slapjack7 TwitterFon. Quick. It works. All the functionality I need. #
  • 15:41 trying to figure out when I can have my next "molecular gastronomy" restaurant experience. #
  • 18:22 At Naked Lunch for a BBH event #
  • 22:00 @smallseal I am looking forward to my wife @eliasheldon 's review of Liz's book on Allthingsgirl.net. #
  • 22:01 @neilssmith since all your excuses were up. Your W/D is in your apt. dude! (Honestly, I am envious - can you do my laundry?) #
  • 22:02 RT @wilw: "If you think you'll lose, you'll find a way to lose, consciously or not. You have to expect to win." - Phil Hellmuth. #
  • 22:05 @NYCBaby I am in your hood now with my new gig. Let's get together soon! #
  • 22:10 RT @BBHLabs: Looking forward 2 seeing BBH's Mrs T on the 2day prgrm 2morrow (Weds) morning at 0745 ET talking about Mrs-O (www.mr ... #
  • 22:13 @smallseal I will see you at the party. I will tweet the URL when she publishes the review #
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