May 6, 2011, 6:50 a.m. CST, Dallas, TX – This past weekend I had the priviledge of meeting Andrew Kulatunga at the UHAUL located at 412 North Central Expressway, Richardson, TX 75080 (Phone: 972-234-1343). Andrew is a hard worker. Andrew has NOT lost the “art” of GOOD customer service. Andrew is a determined individual, who after losing a good paying job in construction has been “forced” to take a job at UHAUL earning much less than he has been accustomed to. But after being out of work for quite some time, Andrew has a job, and he is remarkably peaceful and content with a stoic resolve to succeed no matter what. In the brief time I spend with Andrew on a hectic Friday afternoon at the end of the month, I realize that not only can I definitely identify with Andrew’s situation (having been severely UNDER-EMPLOYEED as a Papa John’s pizza delivery driver and drawing unemployment after losing a GOOD job as a Sr. Finance/Operations Analyst 10 months earlier myself) but that I really like Andrew, and WHO Andrew represents…the very “fabric”, “stones” and principles our GREAT NATION of America was founded and built upon…
But unfortunately…the company he works for seems to have lost a lot of these principles…this resolve to do the right thing no matter what…apparently abandoning such policies at “The CUSTOMER is ALWAYS right” and “CUSTOMER SATIFACTION GUARANTEED”…Let me explain…
Around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2011 I dropped by another UHAUL location (Coit & Plano Parkway in Plano, TX) to inquire about the cost of a renting a truck and possibly a motorcycle trailer. My plan was to load up a large amount of Borders Bookstore (filed chapter 11 bankruptcy in February, 2011 with plans to close 30% or 275 of their stores) books, shelves, audio, video and general merchandise I had acquired through a North Dallas liquidation sale (as well as some of my own “garage sale type” items and a 2007 Suzuki Boulevard I am selling for $4500, obo) and take this to Canton, TX (First Monday Trade Days) to sell outside the Texas Workforce Solutions facility. I figured that after being unemployeed for 10 months, and knowing this facility was closed on Saturdays and Sundays, this was a viable SOLUTION to assist both me and the state of Texas, as I knew I could not afford the typical $50 to $175 booth fee most First Monday Trade Days vendors pay…I even communicated to UHAUL that 400,000 people seeing their truck could benefit THEM.
But I was told there were no more trucks at this location, and was given a quote and reservation at the aforementioned location in Richardson, TX. I met Andrew at 4:17 pm and quickly found out the reservation and quote I received at the other location included the motorcycle trailier in spite of me specifically deciding NOT to rent the motorcycle trailer due to the cost. Andrew went on to say that the original reservation contained several other errors, including what he thought to be a round trip return (i.e. return of the truck to the location in Richardson, TX, when I was supposed to be dropping off the truck in Canton). Andrew quickly resolved the issue by stating that I simply needed to return the truck to Richardson, TX and that he would take care of ensuring that I only paid the one-way rental fee (approximately $160) vs. the round trip fee of about $250…I also learned that I was entitled to ONE FREE MONTH of STORAGE which would enable me to store any of my items that did not sell in Canton, TX until the NEXT First Monday Trade Days in June, 2011.
To make a long story shorter, the truck broke down; took about 2 hours to get a wrecker to my location; required a new part, I was told the FREE STORAGE was ONLY available at participating locations and the closest AVAILABLE space at a PARTICIPATING DEALER was in Mesquite, TX meaning I had to load up ALL my unsold items, bring them back to Dallas, TX (where I already have a $20/month storage unit at the Chatham Apartments located at 7825 McCallum), unload them in the RAIN all day MONDAY (I would have MISSED the RAIN had I been able to take advantage of the FREE STORAGE in Canton, TX), and drop off the truck in Richardson, TX so that I could pick up my MOTORCYCLE and ride it back to my apartment IN THE RAIN…
I am certain that the General Manager (Brady) is as good a guy as Andrew, but I was essentially told “their hands were tied” and the BEST they could offer me was a $50 gift certificate for the NEXT time I rented something from UHAUL, even after I explained to them there would NOT be a NEXT time if this situation was not resolved to MY SATISFACTION, which included finally conceding (on my part) to a compromise of agreeing to pay 50% of the $160 fee I had been accessed, which was NOT accepted by UHAUL (as neither did I accept the $50 gift certificate as I was told that this would be viewed as having RESOLVED the issue between myself and UHAUL).
UHAUL, there are a few more details I will be glad to discuss with you in person, a phone call, or in writing, but I feel I am well within my rights to DEMAND a FULL REFUND of the $160.60 you charged me, and quite honestly believe you should pay me for a portion of the $75 I spent in FUEL as well as a FULL DAY’s WAGES of unloading YOUR truck in the RAIN due to MISCOMMUNICATION and MULTIPLE ERRORS on YOUR PART…
I ALSO believe YOU, UHAUL need to recognize (and COMPENSATE) GOOD EMPLOYEES like Andrew and Brady who WANT to TREAT the CUSTOMER with Dignity and Respect, but whose hands are tied due to a corporate structure and mindset that apparently disregards a Customer’s Satisfaction as important. A GM (Brady) should not feel he has to HIDE in the BACK, pretend to be reviewing my account on the computer, and then leave his employee (Andrew) to fend for himself and explain to me the answer is still NO, and that I STILL need to pay the $160.60. UHAUL, like I stated before, YOU have TWO EXCELLENT EMPLOYEES who WANT to DO the RIGHT THING…but YOU…perhaps UNINTENTIONLY have TIED THEIR HANDS to do so.
Will you CHOOSE to do the RIGHT thing NOW, UHAUL? You STILL have an OPPORTUNITY to SHINE…
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