More people...

OK, here is another one dealing with the public. Understand, I am neither bitter nor angry at these people I write about. I have long since forgotten any ill will I might have held against them. I use these memories as sources of humor.

And I know some of the people that follow this blog appreciate them.

So in this instance, you need to know some background. From this story, you can read that we had a body shop that occasionally tried to extort us. Never worked.

I made it a point never to "deliver" rental cars anywhere - that is to say that we always returned to the rental lobby for a brief moment to do paperwork and select a car. This also gave us a moment to advise all renters to return the car to the location. This way, there would never be a question about how long to charge the renter or their insurance company.

So one Friday afternoon, I am there at the lobby, checking some renters into cars for weekend specials, and returning cars from other renters. Most of the other employees were gone, filling an order that one of our large corporate clients had for that weekend. By large, I mean they needed about 30 cars that weekend. It was a bit more than they normally needed.

With limited resources, I had decided to run the counter as I knew where everybody was and could get a hand returning a renter to their car if need be within moments. I was the manager, so I would be there to handle any complaints or special requests - thus speeding up the process for the renters. And finally, I was the quickest person in the branch for doing rentals and returns as the assistant manager was directing the movement of cars to the corporate client, and all the other employees we had there were less than two months in.

As the end of the day unfolds, I realize I will need to take two renters back to differing repair shops to get their respective cars. One renter wants to drop her car at the shop that liked to try to extort us from time to time. Of course, I knew the manager had told her to drop it there and we had told her not to do so.

This renter was really flustered. She could not fathom how she was going to get back to her car. All the while, I was assuring her (over the phone) that either myself or one of my employees would drive her the two miles over to the other shop. She kept insisting that time was of the essence. I assured her that there would be no problem, and she would have the peace of mind knowing she would not get accidentally overbilled or have to pay for damages caused by someone else.

Well, she gets there to return the car, just as I am returning another renter's car. She loudly proclaims she is there and needs to be served immediately. I look up from dealing with the first man who was right in front of me, saw the second man, who I knew needed to rent a car, and advised her that I would get with every renter in the order that they were in line.

30 seconds and I had processed the return of the first man. I asked him politely if he minded waiting less than five minutes for me to wrap up with the other clients, and then I would give him a ride back to the repair shop. He obliged.

And Ms. Insistent piped up: "Oh, no you won't give him a ride. You promised to give me a ride to my repair shop!"

I began renting a car to the next man in line as people all over the lobby shot looks in her direction. Let me tell you, there were people from the body shop our agency was located in looking at her, as well as some of their customers, not to mention the other renters (the one who had just returned his car as well as the one who was renting at the moment). Everybody looked in the direction of this pushy woman. Then they looked at me, kinda wondering how I might respond.

I looked up, all the while typing the second renter's information into the computer, and said,"Ma'am, I figured since he was going to a shop in the same direction that I would take the two of you at once. It will save both of you time, save me time, and it will be the more 'environmentally friendly' choice."

"I should have just dropped the car off at the repair shop, like that manager said." She retorted.

I smiled and kept at renting the man the car before I dealt with her directly, saying "Mr. Smith here will have his rental car in thirty more seconds. I am terribly sorry if thirty additional seconds will ruin all your plans this evening."

Laughter.

Ms. Insistent hushed real quick with all eyes on her.

As promised, in 30 seconds, "Mr. Smith" (I don't remember his real name) had his car and I began the 60-second check in process on Ms. Insistent's car. She grumbled under her breath a few more times, but every time I would say "I beg your pardon?" She would immediately shut her mouth.

Oh, And she got the repair shop (yes, I drove her and the other fellow, too) and actually said "I'm here faster than I thought I would be!"

The other fellow and I had a good laugh at her as I drove him to his repair shop.