From Maui with Love: Business Is Alive and Well In Hawaii? Judgment Withheld? National Car Rental

Filed in archive Entrepreneurship on April 18, 2007

I am vacationing in Hawaii and got caught in a vacation mind set.

This is the view out the front of the condo where we are staying.

Sorry I missed a few days, but it is interesting coming from Canada to Maui and seeing that in so many ways business owners in Canada have the same challenges as in Hawaii.

Attitude Means Everything

I am standing at the counter of National car rental being served by a very serious young lady.

While processing my contract the phone rings, rings, and rings. With a frustrated look on her face she answers the phone. From the conversation I could tell that the caller was asking for someone who was "away on holidays", as the conversation continued the frustration on this young lady's face grows increasingly stern, the caller is looking for a special rate reserved for 'locals' to which she responds, "Do you have a Hawaii drivers license?", silence ensues as she repeats the question two more times.

The clerk slams down the phone on the counter with the person she's talking to still on the phone! She starts looking for a piece of paper, walks to another counter still unable to find the piece of paper - walks back to the phone and states $26.00 a day. Then in a very polite tone (nicest thing she said while I was their) says, "Your welcome."

She acted like a spoiled brat in front of another customer (myself) while putting on airs of being civil and polite. Why do employees think that sort of behavior is acceptable?