Having Reservations About the System

Imagine you are flying into a city and have a rental car reserved. You plan to take that car to an engagement two hours away.

Now imagine arriving at the rental car facility only to hear the words no traveler wants to hear:

"We do not have any cars."

If you are a fan of the old sitcom Seinfeld, you will undoubtedly remember this classic scene that mirrors this exact situation. That was me last week in Jackson, Mississippi.

I walked to a nearby competitor’s counter to see if they could help. "We do not have any cars available today," they replied, with zero urgency or concern.

"Are there any rental car facilities in town?" I asked.

"I guess you can try and search online."

Their tone made it clear that my question was interrupting their "sit around and do nothing" time.

I stepped away, grabbed a quiet corner of the baggage claim area, and Googled "rental cars near me." A few off-airport options popped up, which gave me a moment of hope. I called the number, only to be routed to a national call center where I sat on hold while being reminded, "We are experiencing high call volumes. For a quicker response, we suggest logging into www.WeDontReallyCareAboutYou.com and booking a reservation online."

Somehow, I managed to secure a reservation online. My host client even booked one for me as well. Now I had two options. Crisis averted.

Or so it seemed.

I ordered an Uber to take us to the off-site rental location, only to get an incoming call from the first company I had secured a new reservation with: "We see your reservation, but we do not have any cars here." My first thought was, This is so weird.

Then, while riding in the Uber, the second company called to say the same thing. No cars available. Again.

Long story short, my host client reached out to her husband, who jumped into action. He drove their family car to the nearby hotel we asked the Uber driver to reroute to, pulled up, tossed me the keys, and said, "Drive safely." A smile on his face. A humorous twang in his voice. A calmness that relieved the tension of the situation.

It was a perfect example of genuine Southern hospitality.

As we headed out on the road, our frustration and anxiety started to fade. We were not stranded. We were not going to miss the event. We were not going to be forced to find an Uber driver willing to trek two hours south. We had a solution because of teamwork, kindness, and a refusal to accept that we could not get there.

We made it to our destination, rested well, and delivered an inspiring keynote to the leadership team. The next day we hopped back in the borrowed car and returned to the airport.

I am still frustrated that a national rental car company can take reservations for cars that do not exist. It is disappointing to know that people who work in customer service can show so little interest in customers or service. I do not understand why we work to earn higher levels of recognition with a company only to be treated the same as a brand new customer.

What I did learn is that systems only work when they actually work.

I also learned that customer service only happens when you truly serve the customer. Customer disservice is a real thing and should be avoided at all costs.

There is a huge difference between providing satisfactory customer service and delivering a memorable experience.

And I was reminded that if you ever find yourself stuck or in need, people in the South will usually find a way to restore your hope in humanity.