What a day I had dealing with U-Haul yesterday!  What should have been a very smooth day to move my parents from Mimico to Mississauga, turned into a fiasco Saturday morning.  My mother had booked a reservation with U-Haul 6 weeks ago for the big move, and as per her information, I was dropped off at the U-Haul location around 7:30 a.m. on Queensway (Etobicoke) to pick up the truck.  Got there, they had no truck and no reservation under the Warnell clan.  This must be a mistake, it was booked WEEKS ago!  However, the staff at that location did find out that the truck pick-up location was actually at Budget Storage on John St. in Mississauga, moments from my condo.  So Ernie, Phil and I drove 15 minutes to the first U-Haul place to find out the truck was actually 3 minutes away from our starting point. Okay, no problem, we will just have to drive back to Missy to get the truck.  Well, we get to the Budget Storage and that location does not open until 9:30 a.m.!  WHAT!!  No truck and several friends (well, not Donny and Keating yet) waiting at the Warnell apt. on Elizabeth St. to load a truck.  Alrighty then, let's phone the Customer Service people at U-Haul.  After waiting on hold for several minutes to get a rep, Cassandra chimes in.  Well, without getting into the huge detail of a 12 minute conversation, Cassandra (whom claims she is in management) has no concept of Customer Service.  Not only did she manage to infuriate me more around the whole situation and blame the pick-up location and my mother, she hung up on me!!!!  Yes, a manager at U-Haul hung-up on me!!  Was I rude to her...nope, did I curse or use any F-bombs..nope, did I call her names....nope.  I just asked her for help and challenged her to explain the whole process of booking with U-Haul and why my mom's booking from 6 weeks ago was not ready for a 7 a.m. pick-up, at any location. 

 

Well, next Ernie Phil and I went back to Ernie's to cool down, have a coffee and wait til 9:30 a.m., what other option did we have, the Queensway U-Haul location had nothing to offer, do we call several other rental places or wait to 9:30 a.m. to pick-up the truck.  Well it was 8:45 a.m., let's wait.  At 9:05 a.m., I called the Budget Storage place and hey, someone is there, excellent, we will go get the truck and the move will begin.  I spoke to the gentleman at that location and he looked up our reservation and said yes, there is a booking for the Warnell's at 5:30 p.m.!!  WHAT, 5:30 P.M.!!!!!!   Let's look back, friends are booked for 7 a.m. at the Warnell's on Elizabeth St to load a truck, the service elevator is booked for 12 noon at the new place in Missy, this timeline will not work.  What the hell happened to the U-Haul booking 6 weeks ago for this move!!  What is wrong with U-Haul????  Now, on a Saturday morning at 9 a.m., will it be possible to get a 17 foot truck for the move, our chances feel low.  My brother Todd and his friend Matt start calling Budget and Ryder, I call National.  I spoke with Joel at National, they have a truck.  Will the move be salvaged?  The truck is a 16 foot truck, perfect.  We will be right there.  Joel responds, "Take your Time as there has been no bookings the last couple of days."  Not a chance, Ernie, Phil and I race to the National Rental place at the Queensway and East Mall and get the truck, time now 9:45 a.m.  Interesting little note, as I was booking the truck, someone called Joel looking for a truck.  With all the help, could we make the service elevator time of 12 noon?

 

Well, after all the crap from U-Haul and the fact that National Rental was able to do (on short notice) what U-Haul couldn't manage with a 6 week advance booking, we had the truck loaded by 11:15 a.m. and was ready for the travel and unloading in Mississauga.

 

Last thoughts.....A big thanks for National Rental for helping us out!  And a big "U-Haul sucks" chant to U-Haul.  Let it be noted that, myself and no-one from our family will ever book with U-Haul again, or refer bookings to them from this day forward. 

 

U-Haul Sucks!!