This past weekend I rented a car for the first time. I was surprised and chagrined at the degree of truth in this scene from Seinfeld:
Jerry: Seinfeld. I made a reservation for a mid-size.
Agent: Okay, let's see here.
Agent: I'm sorry, we have no mid-size available at the moment.
Jerry: I don't understand, I made a reservation, do you have my reservation?
Agent: Yes, we do, unfortunately we ran out of cars.
Jerry: But the reservation keeps the car here. That's why you have the reservation.
Agent: I know why we have reservations.
Jerry: I don't think you do. If you did, I'd have a car. See, you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to *hold* the reservation and that's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them.
I had made a reservation using the Avis website, in which I told them the exact period during which I wanted the car (five hours), the type of car, my name and phone number. When I went to Avis to get the car, there was no evidence whatsoever that they had any knowledge or connection to my 'reservation.' They swiped my credit card, which gave them my name. They asked for my phone number, and how long I wanted the car (twenty four hours seemed to be the actual minimum). The agent asked what kind of car I wanted. Me: "Well, we made a reservation." Her: "I know. What kind of car do you want?" Me: "...mid-size." Her: "Do you want an SUV? Because I can get you an SUV right away, if you want a mid-size we have to go look for it. I'm authorized to give you a discount because of that so it will only be ten dollars more." Ah, the upsell. I of course behaved like a complete sucker because, with a long line out the door, I wanted nothing more than to get out of there. Where were they planning to 'go look' for a sedan, anyway?
I can understand to some extent why they wouldn't put much faith in reservations, as there is no cost to make them and then not show up--no credit card number is required. But why then have the website give the illusion that it matters? I guess the answer is to lure in suckers like me. But now that I know the real deal, I would certainly be willing to have to pay at the time of my reservation, or pay a cancellation fee, if it meant that I could actually get the car I wanted at the time I wanted.
