U-Haul International ripoff Phoenix Nationwide

U-Haul International HOW U-Haul really works, every step of the so called "reservation process" BEFORE YOU CALL READ THIS! Phoenix Nationwide .....

On the tenth floor, south tower in Phoenix, Arizona, agents continue to tell scripted lies 24 hours a day. Working for U-Haul before on the sales and reservations floor, I will tell how uhaul gets customers to confirm "reservations" and how the scheduling process works. Everything that I have read on web pages, websites, and complaints, have been far too normal for me. I've delt with everything from midnight calls of desparation from a woman being beat, to stranded people on the side of the highway, to people having their goods left in the street from not having a truck and managers kicking them out.

So why does uhaul allow this to continue? Simple, its for the fact of money. When a person works at uhaul, they don't see the people. They don't know what they look like, how they smell, if they have kids. They will know nothing for the next 5-7 minutes except the sound of their voice, and the information they give. But after years of hearing horrific stories, the truth must be told and full disclosure given to a company that has been less than reputable.

After an agent answers the phone they must follow a very strict monitor call. If it is not followed, they will lose their bonus for the week, which can be up to $300. They are told by managers to do whatever to make the sale, and they can't hurt you. "they're only on the phone".
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Current Uhaul Script:

Thank you for calling U-Haul, this is (Agent's Name). U-Haul has the right equipment at the lowest cost. Who am I speaking with?

What city and state are you picking up in? What city and state are you dropping off at?

When are you moving?

How many rooms of FURNITURE (must say furniture) are you moving with you. (Since it is how hold moving, if they are moving anything else besides house hold stuff, they cant rent the truck)

I would recomment our (10,14,17,24,26) Foot Truck. it has a low deck and holds up to (amount) of rooms.

Are you towing a vehicle?

While I'm waiting for the computer to access the rates, can i get your telephone number please (You may say that you don't want any calls. If you give the number and don't reserve, your quote will be followed up by the call back dept, who will use a different script of lies to intise you to reserve.)

The rate for the (size) foot truck on (date) is (price). That includes ____ miles and ____days. I will confirm your reservation with your VISA card or other major credit card. (each agent MUST say visa atleast twice when asking for a credit card.)
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So what if a customer asks for information and doesn't want to give a credit card?
Agents will typically use a variety of scripted lies to trick the customer into confirming. Usually it's by letting them know that if they don't reserve now they run the risk of NO truck, or HIGHER rates.

Weekends are our busiest time, and many families have made reservations in that area.

The rates I've quoted are subject to change, do you want to use a visa card number to lock the rates from going higher talk it over, and call back if you need to change or cancel anything?

Do you have a friend or family's card number you can use. We also accept check by phone.

The agent, during this whole time, shows no Inventory, pickup times, location, phone numbers, or anything like that. They will explain that it is a " Two Step Process"
The first step is done by me in making your reservation with your credit card. The second step will be done by the regional office when they schedule your exact pick up time, location, (and number of hours) for your rental."

If you do decide to make the reservation, it gets sent to the Regional office. This isn't always your nearest center.
Simply put, this is how your reservation is taken

1. [ Call into 1800 go uhaul]----> 2a.[ Confirm]---->3a .[Regonal office]
or 2 b[ Decline] ---->3b. [Call back to ask for you business again. If confirm to goes to 2a]

[REG. OFFICE]---->schedules any location in their area. Usually with in 200 Sq. Miles. if you pickup with in 30 miles, consider your self lucky.--------> [Pick up location] . This is where your get your bulk of your problems. Faulty equipment. Rude people. No trucks at all, empty tanks.

This is manly because

1) U-HAUL CENTERS are by no means BETTER than any dealer. They are usually heavily understaffed and have poor management to reflect the management in phoenix.

2) INDEPENENT DEALERS have varying hours, equpment types, (Intown or one way). Some don't do one or the other.

3) NO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENECE WAS DONE ON THE VEHICLE. You could get a truck that just went 3000 miles without an oil change, or belt change. AC check, or a laundry list of could've's.

4.LACK OF EXPERIENCE/TRAINING. They usually only get a book to read how to handle each thing.

If you get stranded in the middle of no where, and you call "Emergency Roadside assistance", you have to wait for the 1 or 2 emergancy vehicles that uhaul keeps in each state.

call back to sales and reservations to talk to a manager? Remeber, they're eating and gambling to make sure who will make the most reservations. You'll be promplty be transfered back to emergency road side assisatnce, who will transfer you to customer service, who in turn will transfer you back to sales and reservations.

If you ask for the corportate address, don't bother, joe shoen doesn't do much either, including answering inter office memos for HIS employees. Why would they listen to a customer?

So does uhaul discriminate between the customer or employee? Ofcourse not. Here's a personal story, short, of how u-haul screwed us over.
While working in sales, i made a reservation for a 24' GH one way from phx, to tulsa. Gave normal policies and such. P/U location was different. Regonal office had changed from glendale to avondale. Truck was just in from Portland, no pm was done on it, and still had trailer on it. It was June, so it wasabout 105 outside in phoenix, and the truck had NO ac.
My mother called RSA, and demanded another truck. They transfered her around and when she said " you screw over you employees too?" they promply took action replacing the faulty truck with a brand new 26 JH automatic with ice cold air. I know if we didn't say anything about me being an employee, they would have just left us there with that truck.

Just don't go with uhaul, its not worth the hassle, the lies, the run around any of it. Its too much trouble just for one day of moving. When it comes to right equipment at the lowest cost, uhaul definently isn't the one for that.

Brian
Phx, Arizona
U.S.A.

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