Absolutely Disgusting Service

See below email to their head office.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to make a formal complaint with regards to my treatment as a customer from the Manager and staff at your Northampton branch.

My booking reference is

I had made the booking as I needed a transit van to go to Birmingham to collect a vintage fireplace that I had brought the week before.

I arrived at 0930 as I had pre book for that time. I entered the customer entrance which has a electronic bell to notify staff when customers enter. I then stood for approximately 5 minutes whilst I could hear in the connecting staff office talking about their private lives.

Eventually a man I know now to be the manager entered the front desk and asked how could he help me. I replied that I had rented a van to which his reply was to correct my English stating "booked a van," not exactly the best way to treat a customer by correcting their English.

It was clearly obviously from the way he looked me up and down that I didn't meet his approval. This is something I found quite amazing as who goes to rent a van (normally used for Loading and unloading objects) in smart attire.

I presented my driving licence which I thought was enough, but he stated I needed my bank statement and utility bill. As my wife had made the booking I was unaware of the need for other documentation. This was clearly an annoyance to me, but I returned to my home address and collected the other documents as required.

When I returned again I had to stand around in the customer office for several minutes listening to the staff talking. Only after opening and closing the door several times activating the electronic bell did a member of staff came to the front desk. He took my documents without any introduction or civilities. In fact his first words were "debit card." What is that meant to mean? There was no "May I have your debit card please Sir?" Nothing in the way of how a customer should be treated.

He then went into the rear office where I heard him mumble something and the staff commenced laughing and giggling. Clearly I must be funny to the staff so when he returned I said "Am I funny?" to which he stated they were laughing about something else. This was not the case and again I said "Is there something funny about me?"

I then noticed the Manager had also entered the front office and was staring at me.

Your member of staff replied "No it is your awkwardness," To which I replied " No not awkwardness it my annoyance,"

The Manager then interrupted stating "Right I don't like the way you are speaking to my member of staff I'm not renting you a van."

Well I was astounded by this. To be treated so disgracefully as a customer I stated to them both "This is disgusting," and left the office.

At no point did I use any abusive language, words or behaviour to warrant such treatment. I believe it was more the fact that the Manager was embarrassed by the fact that I had pulled them up on the way they had been laughing in the back office.

The result of this has meant that I have been unable to collect the vintage fireplace. This means that I have been unable to fit the fireplace which has now meant I have had to stop restoration works incurring me more costs.

Furthermore I have rented vehicles all over the World and this is not the service I would of expected from Thrifty as a international company.

Yours Faithfully,