Why do some businesses insult their best customers?
A large car-rental company almost lost a long-time customer this month, and a couple of its employees probably think they did everything right. The Honolulu resident has been a loyal customer of this company for more than three decades and is a member of its premium club. She has almost always received good service and the cars are in top shape. But she is mad — angry enough to consider switching companies the next time she travels. She had been to a Neighbor Island where she had rented a car for an agreed-upon rate of $55 a day. She didn’t look at the bill when she turned the car in at the airport but discovered later that she had been charged $155 a day. She called the company’s customer service line, where a recorded voice told her she would be on hold for at least 30 minutes. But, she had an option. She could leave her name and phone number and a representative would call her back. A nice, time-saving touch. As promised, the phone rang, but no living human being was on the line. A
