Posted on 11/23/2015 12:59:45 PM PST by machogirl
From Avis Facebook, new statement. Guess they Varsity team took over. (much better statement)
We have investigated the denial of a rental that recently occurred in Manhattan. We have found that we have been inconsistent in applying our policies with respect to documentation requirements with this customer, who has rented from us in the past without providing a second form of identification. We are committed to providing an outstanding car rental experience to our customers and believe that we should have done better here. We have spoken with the customer and apologized for the misunderstanding that occurred as a result of this inconsistency in applying our documentation policy, and the customer has accepted our apology. We reiterate our policy that we do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin or sexual orientation. We intend to take steps, including additional training, to improve the consistency in our application of documentation policies.
lol, you are right! It would have gotten attention much faster. My bill would have been thrown in the trash.
I did see that. I do believe, had that customer service person been me, my arse would have been canned. No retraining. The entire episode is odd. Odd that after he called and presented his passport they refused to rent a car to them. If I had truly messed up, I would have been more than happy to apologize profusely and get a car ASAP.
This couple did AVIS a big favor to get their act together on policy and documents. (the Israeli couple)
He never did present a passport to the agent in the office.
That’s why he wasn’t able to rent.
He offered a passport to the national agent later when complaining on the phone, after they explained that yes the agent and manager were right in requiring one.
Why do you think the agent should be fired for requiring a passport as called for in her training and company policy?
I thought the pastrami on rye in Duluth was pretty accommodating.
One problem that I read on the Avis policy was the word “may”. May have show a passport or International Driver’s License along with your Country DL is not the word “required”. If I had never had to do that before, I might have asked why.
That’s Avis company problem. Change “may” have to show, to required and everybody is clear.
Me, I’d have showed my passport even though I hadn’t have had to before, rented the car, called Avis and told them they have a very BIG problem with their policy and it’s inconsistency and it could cost them legally.
At least one of your statements is directly refuted in one of the articles: i.e. that "he only offered to show his passport on a later call..."
The article stated that the call to Avis National Office was while he was in the Avis Rental Office.
How many other "facts" are you serving up that are false or are poorly read between the lines?
The customer didn’t do the national company any favors in falsely smearing them as racist, and getting people to boycott them on fradulent pretenses.
This is a victory for idiocracy, but it also is a victory for bullying bigshot customers who falsely scream “racism” to get companies to break their policy or get freebies, etc..
You’re flat out lying.
I never said he made the call after he left the office.
I said he made the call “later” which is correct, he made the call
1) after agent correctly requesting a passport per her training and company policy
2) after manager explained the agent was correct in doing so
3) after the customer had tried to bully them into taking just the license anyway.
4) after the office decided not to rent to him because of his rude response to a valid request for documents.
So, Avis will still rent to Muslims, even though they may load that van with explosives and off a bunch of Infidels? < /sarc >
One reason, I worked in Law. The word “may” have to show passport in addition to DL. If they rented before with only DL, they probably did wonder why. There has been some things going on with Israeli merchandise in France and things going on in this Country with colleges and anti-semetic actions. The couple might have thought there was some new denial of Israeli citizens.
Assuming the workers had no malice intended and I am assuming they did not (unless video or audio comes out), Avis had a problem with consistency.
The Selective Service Law uses the word “may” on Illegal Immigrants that haven’t/didn’t register. It “may” effect their citizenship. Strangely, the Govt. also had no problem in the same paragraph denying Govt. jobs/benefits/finacial aid for college.
Like the Clinton “is” delemma.
That’s all I’m saying. It’s too bad that whomever is in charge of policy review over at Avis, hadn’t cleaned up and company-wide made clear the requirements.
I get real ticked if someone thinks I am a racist because my skin is: yellow, tan, slightly green, mixed with red/peach.
I know they won’t rent to me. I have no credit card. I would hope, that all rental companies require passports and DLs to compare the names and check Govt. “no rent to” lists. But we live in Obamaland so who knows. DHS thinks American Veterans and “climate-bull change” are more of a threat than terrorists.
I never saw the initial response. Does anyone have a link to a screenshot.
That is the he said/she said, double edged sword of social media. Easy for all types of people to tweet out threats, bully, get people fired, falsley accuse individuals of actions. (Does have some positives, but the more I see of social media, the more dismayed I am).
I think that calmer heads needed all around. There must have been some real disatisfaction going on for the media to have jumped in.
I really wish that Avis hadn’t written their first post they way that they did. For their own sake, other employees, the couple that wanted to rent. I think that it caused an escalation that didn’t have to happen. I am glad though that they are taking care of their “inconsistencies” to avoid problems like this and a possible terrorist.
I used to love Pastrami on Rye. I am a vegetarian again, until I fall off the wagon for the temptation of bacon.
I don’t think the agents should be fired, unless proven by a shadow of a doubt they are a racist. The entire company needs to read a new, short, sweet, requirements to rent a car (documents needed).
I am a dinosaur using a Google Chromebook now because my other laptops bit the dust. I copied it into the other threads.
“On Friday, a customer seeking to rent a car from Avis Car Rental was not allowed to do so because he failed to provide the required documentation. Visitors to the U.S. From other countries must provide both a valid drivers license from their country of residence as well as a valid International Drivers License or passport in order to rent from Avis. We are aggressively investigating the customer’s allegations regarding the handling of this matter, as we do not tolerate any form of discrimination. So far, our ongoing investigation suggests that this customer is unfairly maligning us with unfounded accusations.”
This is what Avis said, but in reading other’s posts on what they have written as policy, that caused the problem.
Lawyer-parsing as we have seen from Clinton, etc, my own experience working in a law office and sadly Family Court, is a pox on the profession of law.
They use “required” in their FB post but other’s posted their docs use the word “may”.
I understand Avis’s initial response, they were disgusted by the false accusations of bigotry.
Their first response was accurate and truthful, but truth isn’t the best response in the world of public relations.
The exec really leaped to his lower impulses when he responded to a legitimate request for documents with wild accusations of bigotry in the press.
The damage from this irresponsible smear will cause others real harm — employees, investors, a brand, even customers who avoid them for reasons that turn out not to be true at all.
A lot of misdirected energy for one big shot exec’s ego.
And how about the agent who was unfairly smeared, will some overzealous reader decide to do research and cause her real life trouble?
I am still searching for an updated article of some sort (other than FB).
IMHO, cooler heads should have prevailed (to avoid a headache for sure) and the instant Avis was aware of the original article/report/FB posts, should have posted a concern to any company policy discrepancies. I don’t know either the couple or the two lady workers. I do know when I worked retail customer service, sometimes it could be a real pain in the arse. Either customers yelling, managers yelling, or management not supporting a worker when the worker was right. I did meet a lot of lovely people though who were customers and made up for the few jerks.
All that could be true and very sad all around. I do need a job. They could hire ME to do their social media. (lol at that)
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