Difference between rental and reservation

Reservation means the company holds a car for the customer to rent. Now I do mean a car because often companies oversell their car classes so you may be actually driving something else. Usually it is a free upgrade, but sometimes it is a downgrade that I hear from other people's complaints. The reservation number customers are given are for cases the car rental agent has difficulty finding the reservation. People can commit typos and book the wrong day, switch the first and last name, or book the wrong city. That is when we would need it. I can not speak for all companies, but often at my airport we like the name given instead of the reservation number because simply typing one wrong number will pull up the wrong reservation. One can make a reservation by phone or online. One can change a reservation by phone, though often instead of changing it operators make a new reservation. If one does not change their reservation, it can be used on a different day or different location provided they have cars available if one does not mind the price will not likely be the same as quoted. I notice customers cling to their reservation as if it was as vital as their social security number. It is not that vital, we look up things various ways.

A rental means the reservation has been used and now a completely useless number. Customers now have a rental contract number. One now must call the renting city to extend a rental because the reservation line can Not help change rentals, only reservations that have not been used yet. I often get customers returning their cars miffed that they called the reservation line to change the date of return, but in our computer it is not changed. If one is driving one way, one must contact the renting city, not the returning city, to make changes to their rental because the return city just returns the car and they do not have power to change another city's contract without their permission. By this I mean we can add things, but not do credits. Yes we can add drivers to another city's contract, but the charges are determined by the renting city and any issue over the additional driver charges must be taken to the renting city.

Misconceptions: Customers call us giving us their reservation number thinking we will answer their question when it comes up on the screen. Actually, it helps to know the question first because I have 101 different screens to look up information with. If you need directions to the airport, I really do not need your reservation number.

Customers believe that anyone in the world may drive the rental car free of charge simply because they know the person. Um, no. Additional drivers cost extra. Some companies will allow spouses over 25 to drive for free of charge. Some companies allow coworkers over 25 renting under a company rate to drive for free. Some discount rates allow one additional driver for free and more than one additional driver cost extra. Otherwise, all additional drivers have a fee regardless of driving record, relationship, or age.
Post later. Genie out.