are they trying to push me under the bus or worse?
Discussion
Firstly i want to apologise for this being a little long but i want to explain this whole thing properly.
So I work for a car rental company and my primary role is to deliver to corporate customers. clean the cars and get them out to business users.
so a few thursdays ago a customer wanted a van. we didnt have one at our branch so i was told to go to the next nearest where we had one. I was to clean it there and deliver it straight to the customer who was getting the van late as it is. we checked the van over and it was fine - we delivered it and as a courtesy thing i said we'd collect it too. some nice customer service.
Next day I collected the van checked the van for any damage and left it at our branch. this was the friday.
On saturday i wasnt working and the van was rented out. once the customer had the van he noticed two of the tyres were below 3mm. our company legal limit. he complained that he had to get the tyres changed himself *though it was at no cost to himself i do appriciate it took out his time.
the complained followed down the chain to my area manager who asked my manager who was responsible and i got named. now before every rental checks have to be done to ensure the vehicle is roadworthy which we did on the thursday. we also have to sign a form that says we checked it. because we were in another branch late at night we didnt have access to this form and we've never been told that we have to sign this form if we clean the vehicles at other branches. though again i understand this makes sense.
the 2nd time this vehicle was rented out - on the saturday when i wasnt working - nothing was signed to say that this vehicle was checked over. before every rental we're meant to walk around with the customer checking the vehicle over a 2nd time to ensure the valet guys have done all required checks and if there is any damage to the vehicle. again this wasnt me.
next thing you know after the complaint has come in i get called into a hearing for this. in the hearing i explained how i had nothing to do with this rental, i wasnt working on the day nor was i told to check and clean the van the night before. the area manager was rather surprised by this. he carried on saying that my work recently had been below par even though no complaints had been received and because of this i was to receive a verbal warning.
realising this was going to be a rather futile argument and i had made up my mind that i would seek alternative employment where i wouldnt be pushed into being the scapegoat.
i got the email today and everything in the email contradicted what was said in the meeting. i was once again blamed for the bald tyres because i'd been the one who picked up the van a few days before and the warning was now a written rather than what i had been told in the meeting.
needless to say i'll be escalating this to the higher powers but i wanted PH's opinion on this. is this a futile fight where they will be looking to pin this on someone (me being the bottom of the food chain) or is it worth going forward.
edit: what i would like to add is a few weeks before this went down i'd emailed the area manager with a view to a promotion and he replied we would have a sit down and discuss it. that never happened. i know i'm very good at my job and the people i deal with have been very happy with my service. i was told that with good work after 6 months employment i would be considered. all this happened just before my 6 months was up. i do have a feeling they want to keep me in this role.
So I work for a car rental company and my primary role is to deliver to corporate customers. clean the cars and get them out to business users.
so a few thursdays ago a customer wanted a van. we didnt have one at our branch so i was told to go to the next nearest where we had one. I was to clean it there and deliver it straight to the customer who was getting the van late as it is. we checked the van over and it was fine - we delivered it and as a courtesy thing i said we'd collect it too. some nice customer service.
Next day I collected the van checked the van for any damage and left it at our branch. this was the friday.
On saturday i wasnt working and the van was rented out. once the customer had the van he noticed two of the tyres were below 3mm. our company legal limit. he complained that he had to get the tyres changed himself *though it was at no cost to himself i do appriciate it took out his time.
the complained followed down the chain to my area manager who asked my manager who was responsible and i got named. now before every rental checks have to be done to ensure the vehicle is roadworthy which we did on the thursday. we also have to sign a form that says we checked it. because we were in another branch late at night we didnt have access to this form and we've never been told that we have to sign this form if we clean the vehicles at other branches. though again i understand this makes sense.
the 2nd time this vehicle was rented out - on the saturday when i wasnt working - nothing was signed to say that this vehicle was checked over. before every rental we're meant to walk around with the customer checking the vehicle over a 2nd time to ensure the valet guys have done all required checks and if there is any damage to the vehicle. again this wasnt me.
next thing you know after the complaint has come in i get called into a hearing for this. in the hearing i explained how i had nothing to do with this rental, i wasnt working on the day nor was i told to check and clean the van the night before. the area manager was rather surprised by this. he carried on saying that my work recently had been below par even though no complaints had been received and because of this i was to receive a verbal warning.
realising this was going to be a rather futile argument and i had made up my mind that i would seek alternative employment where i wouldnt be pushed into being the scapegoat.
i got the email today and everything in the email contradicted what was said in the meeting. i was once again blamed for the bald tyres because i'd been the one who picked up the van a few days before and the warning was now a written rather than what i had been told in the meeting.
needless to say i'll be escalating this to the higher powers but i wanted PH's opinion on this. is this a futile fight where they will be looking to pin this on someone (me being the bottom of the food chain) or is it worth going forward.
edit: what i would like to add is a few weeks before this went down i'd emailed the area manager with a view to a promotion and he replied we would have a sit down and discuss it. that never happened. i know i'm very good at my job and the people i deal with have been very happy with my service. i was told that with good work after 6 months employment i would be considered. all this happened just before my 6 months was up. i do have a feeling they want to keep me in this role.
Edited by MadMullah on Saturday 18th March 00:15
MadMullah said:
so a few thursdays ago a customer wanted a van. we didnt have one at our branch so i was told to go to the next nearest where we had one. I was to clean it there and deliver it straight to the customer who was getting the van late as it is. we checked the van over and it was fine - we delivered it and as a courtesy thing i said we'd collect it too. some nice customer service.
Was there anything signed by the customer when you dropped it off on the Thursday to say the tyres were above 3mm?Edited by MadMullah on Saturday 18th March 00:15
How come there wasn't anything signed on the Saturday when somebody else handed it off to the new customer?
Seems like you've failed to cover your own back but there should be somebody else shouldering the blame too...
BlueFiestaST said:
Was there anything signed by the customer when you dropped it off on the Thursday to say the tyres were above 3mm?
How come there wasn't anything signed on the Saturday when somebody else handed it off to the new customer?
Seems like you've failed to cover your own back but there should be somebody else shouldering the blame too...
1) no - it was dark already by the time i got to the customers house - in that case we advise them to check the vehicle thoroughly in the morning and let us know if there are any issues. How come there wasn't anything signed on the Saturday when somebody else handed it off to the new customer?
Seems like you've failed to cover your own back but there should be somebody else shouldering the blame too...
2) This was my point that it seems that either the van wasnt cleaned and inspected at all and then given out to rent or it was and it wasnt signed off.
there should've been two points after i've bought the van back to the branch that the tyres should've been picked up. the area manager seems to have conveniently forgot this.
Raise a grievance with HR, state that the written information contradicts what was discussed in your disciplinary and you weren't responsible for the hiring of the car the second time. For all you know (and they can't prove otherwise) someone was doing burnouts on Saturday morning.
Take a witness with you in all disciplinary meetings from now on.
Take a witness with you in all disciplinary meetings from now on.
essayer said:
Raise a grievance with HR, state that the written information contradicts what was discussed in your disciplinary and you weren't responsible for the hiring of the car the second time. For all you know (and they can't prove otherwise) someone was doing burnouts on Saturday morning.
Take a witness with you in all disciplinary meetings from now on.
This.Take a witness with you in all disciplinary meetings from now on.
MadMullah said:
On saturday i wasnt working and the van was rented out. once the customer had the van he noticed two of the tyres were below 3mm. our company legal limit. he complained that he had to get the tyres changed himself *though it was at no cost to himself i do appriciate it took out his time.
I dont understand this bit - if I rented a vehicle and the tyres were legal I would't be changing them in my own time becuase they fell short of company policy?Edited by MadMullah on Saturday 18th March 00:15
Re: the rest however, if you have a nagging feeling the company are after you its generally accurate so proceed as above and head for HR.
ikarl said:
How much less than 3mm were the tyres?
no one knows for sure. the van wasnt bought to a company branch but was taken to a well known tyre fitter who switched them. it was the fact the customer complained over social media rather than a personal complaint they want someone to be held accountable. i do think if the complaint was a personal email nothing more than a slap on the wrist would've happened.Who changes tyres on a rental van?
Presumably they were below 1.6mm and not just under 3mm or why change them?
The full thing sounds a bit strange with the customer part being the strangest.
Hope it all works out ok for you but I think I'd be looking for another job in the meantime if that's how they treat your staff.
Presumably they were below 1.6mm and not just under 3mm or why change them?
The full thing sounds a bit strange with the customer part being the strangest.
Hope it all works out ok for you but I think I'd be looking for another job in the meantime if that's how they treat your staff.
MadMullah said:
no one knows for sure. the van wasnt bought to a company branch but was taken to a well known tyre fitter who switched them. it was the fact the customer complained over social media rather than a personal complaint they want someone to be held accountable. i do think if the complaint was a personal email nothing more than a slap on the wrist would've happened.
Right, so has anyone actually seen these illegal tyres or are we all relying on the customer telling you he has gone and changed them and you just have to believe him?I'm trying to work out why someone would do this, but there must be an angle. Maybe he knew the guy at the tyre fitters?
Strange.
This is weird; if they are over the legal limit of 1.6mm of tread then its just a company policy infringement. Having a policy of replacing tyres that early is also a bit odd but that's not the point.
Who on Earth would change the tyres on a rental van if they were legal? Its just a job that doesn't need doing. Good luck in getting this overturned/thrown out op.
Who on Earth would change the tyres on a rental van if they were legal? Its just a job that doesn't need doing. Good luck in getting this overturned/thrown out op.
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
This is weird; if they are over the legal limit of 1.6mm of tread then its just a company policy infringement. Having a policy of replacing tyres that early is also a bit odd but that's not the point.
Who on Earth would change the tyres on a rental van if they were legal? Its just a job that doesn't need doing. Good luck in getting this overturned/thrown out op.
Exactly, if its only been missed the last 2 times it has been rented out then unless the last person to rent it was doing doughnuts in the thing then I can't see why the customer was annoyed anyway at them being under 3mm, provided they were more then 1.6mm...Who on Earth would change the tyres on a rental van if they were legal? Its just a job that doesn't need doing. Good luck in getting this overturned/thrown out op.
Just seems like the last person to have the van was a bit of a dick and because he has gone wild over social media...about having to change LEGAL tyres?? They are coming down on you when really it should be a word in your ear, at most, and a bit of recognition that the although the customer is a dick, you should have checked them... Everyone then walks away happy...
This is a little odd.
No one changes the tyres on a rental if they are below 3mm and let's face it not many people actually check the depth at all. If they do and just happen to know the company policy on tyre depth, they simply phone the office and get a new van.
It seems to me that matey has taken the tyres off the van to fit on his own van then complain and takes the time out to visit Kwikfit who obviously will dispose of the old tyres whilst returning the rental with brand new tyres.
Think you've been taken for a ride.
No one changes the tyres on a rental if they are below 3mm and let's face it not many people actually check the depth at all. If they do and just happen to know the company policy on tyre depth, they simply phone the office and get a new van.
It seems to me that matey has taken the tyres off the van to fit on his own van then complain and takes the time out to visit Kwikfit who obviously will dispose of the old tyres whilst returning the rental with brand new tyres.
Think you've been taken for a ride.
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