sharing a rental car 1

[langleymass]

I have been on a job that involves travelling for a couple months. There is one aspect of it that I absolutely loathe. Since I am always working with someone else, the company has us share a rental car. It is something I had not considered before I took this job.

As a result, this means we have to co-ordinate flights, agree on hotels, and so on. I think you can see the problems this creates.

I absolutely, positively hate sharing a rental car. Is this a hopeless situation? Or is there something I can do about the rental car problem?

 

[h0h0h0]

seduce the rental car?

seriously though - if it goes longer than a couple months you can typically work out different arrangements with your manager. Having to sync your schedule like clockwork for 2 months is difficult - anything longer and you really need to arrange it with the boss.

And learn to like something about sharing a rental car! Hate to say it but something good comes from it - more time spent with a co-worker, you can work out issues during that time, and spend time observing them, yourselv and both of your dynamics ----- you can gain a lot from that time.

 

[langleymass]

You are hitting on part of the problem right now. I am scheduled to go to Memphis next week. Nothing is planned ahead. Then when things do come up, it's: "Get this planned now." For example, I tried to contact the guy I am working with next week all day.

Finally, he calls at 9pm after I had left him a voice mail at NOON. He called mainly to rant because I suggested flying to Little Rock and then driving to Memphis. This was going to save about $1000 on the flight.

This is also one of those guys who is late for everything.

On my previous trip, another guy told me to pick out a hotel for both of us. Then he is dissatisfied with the hotel and decides he wants to go somewhere else.

Nothing good comes out of it, and I can't stand most of these people.

 

[Dollie]

If you get paid hourly, any time you spend making arrangements should be done on the clock. I'm sure that's MUCH cheaper than the cost of a rental car, right? Either that, or put it in the lap of someone else that is paid hourly and they can spend several hours trying to contact Mr. LateForEverything and making arrangements to his satisfaction as well as yours, that will be much cheaper than the cost of a rental car as well.

(Please read the above statement with some irony in it, I was trying to be sarcastic. Companies see cash as more expensive than time until they have to start paying for the time.)

 

[MDXer]

Are these people that are travelling a lot? Sometimes people who are on the road a lot do things because they have had issues with a company in the past or they know a companies offerings are better for the money. Yes a Holiday in might be 19 more a night but they may alose have a better breakfast service than the other choice, not saying this is the case. I've known people who have travled a lot and have done so myself, and sometimes a bit of convience or little luxury is needed. I've also had differences with people but in the end you do what you can and don't worry about it to much. I mean if your getting reimbursed for your travel does it really matter if you spend slightly more for a flight or hotel room? If this is in a consulting or support role I'm willing to bet everything gets expensed back to the client. Your company probably doesn't sweat the $19 for the room but would if it was $100 over per night.

Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!
- Daffy Duck

 

[langleymass]

MDXer,

What are you talking about?

 

[CajunCenturion]

langleymass - I can certainly appreciate the frustrations, but I have to ask, is the problem with the arrangements, or that particular person?

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[langleymass]

Well, I was riding with another guy who managed to get lost. I told him he was going the wrong way. His line: "How the ffff do you know you?"

It is quite frustrating because I do not get lost. I know where I am going. In another case, some idiots I was riding with started going the wrong way. Then they saw a sign and turned around.

It's interesting how when a job goes bad, it's almost always because of things you never considered beforehand.

I remember something a former flight attendant said to me a few years ago. She basically said that she went to all these different places, but never really got to visit them. Fundamentally, this is one problem with sharing a rental car. You go to places, but never visit them.

Memphis next week should be a blast, since I will have a car to myself.

 

[chiph]

Memphis is a fun town - I spent about 6 months being based out of there, working for one of the banks, installing software at all their branches across the state.

Beale Street is a must, of course. I had lunch there one day a couple of tables over from Bobby Bland. Sun Studios has tours, so you can see where Muddy Waters, Roy Orbison, and Elvis recorded their hits.

Of course, there's always Graceland to go see. It's an interesting place to visit (it's eternally 1977 at Graceland), but the surrounding neighborhood has gone downhill, so be sure to lock your car.

When I was there, there was this restaurant on Front Street that served the best cheeseburger ever. Of course, it'd kill you with all the cholesterol, but boy was it good! No idea if it's still there or what it's name was, but they've got a trolley system set up, so it'll be worthwhile taking a ride downtown and investigating.

Chip H.


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[langleymass]

Thanks for the suggestions, chiph.

 

[Thargy]

Guys,

w.r.t rental cars, a cautionary tale, if you'll allow.....

Where I used to work, the company was big enough to have a deal witha local car hire firm. shortly after returning their cars, three new-ish recruits got hauled in by their manager for excess fuel payments on their cars. All three had filled the tanks, before returning the vehicles, so they were bemused.

cutting a long story short, the cars had all had their anti-syphon traps removed, and the hire firm empolyees were using the petrol in their own cars, and then billing my company for excess fuel.

The other ploy was the 'cigarette burn' string. You have to return the car in the condition in which you received it. One guy gave it back, only to have the employee suddenly notice a concealed cigarette burn on the rear passenger upholstery - guess what, an excess was payable! This went to the aforementioned manager who was none too pleased until my colleague pointed out that he doesn't smoke.

The other classic move is to drop off a car early, so they leave the paperwork and get the security guard to sign for the car. You carefully drive it and return it, only to find that it's acquired some damage to the body for which you're liable. Obviously the car will have been delivered damaged, but since you weren't there to check it, how could you know?

Finally, if you both share a car and it gets damaged, who's responsible? If it picks up a camera speeding ticket, who gets the good news and points on his driving licence?

Regards

T

Grinding away at things Oracular

 

[SQLSister]

I travelled for years sharing a rental car. You learn good negotiation skills.

First, make an agreement with whoever you are travelling with that you will alternate having the keys to the car every evening. That means you can have some time to go where you want to go and so can the other person. Do make sure before you go off for an evening that the other person has had a chance to get dinner if the hotel has no restaurant. Priorities on the rental cars we shared were always - work use, dinner for everyone on the team (and we were 4 people to a car, so that was often difficult), then any entertainment use. It frankly is much easier to manage if you can agree at least on the dinner places. And go to the places the other person wants to go to sometimes, you'll have new experiences and then that person will be more willing to go to where you want to go.

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[Dollie]

SQLSister has a good point! Negotiating with the co-user should work well.

If it doesn't, start eating limberger (sp?) cheese sandwiches and lots of bean dip while on the road...

 

[LFI]

Perhaps, too, if you say something to your boss like: "Sir, would it be okay to just rent a car out of my pocket? The level of difficulty of coordinating schedules, sharing one car while on a business trip where customers are relying on me to be on time, and the frustration of being at the mercy of someone else's sense of direction easily costs me more than just renting my own car."

Naturally, be prepared to rent your own car of he (she) says that's okay, but hopefully the boss will come back with "Smith! You've been with us for years and you're a stalwart employee... Go ahead and rent your own car and expense it to the company. You deserve it!" ...or, simply, "Eh, don't worry about it. Rent your own car and expense it as usual."
I always say that you can't complain unless you voice your problem to the people who can make a difference and give them an opportunity to make it right. You are doing the right thing by asking for advice on how to deal with this. That's a start. SQLSister has a great idea for talking to potential car-mates (worth that star!). I think this idea might work to voice your concerns to your boss. It's an example of expressing the problem AND providing a solution. Since you're offering to rent your own car, it shouldn't even sound like complaining and, thus, should be heard with a more-open ear.

Dave

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[langleymass]

It would probably be okay if I rented my own car. I have only been with this Lord of the Flies operation for two months. I don't have much leverage yet and don't want to hang around long enough to get it.