Lowes' Truck Rental Issues

[silly34]

Yesterday, my husband and I went to our local Lowes Home Improvement store (Store #425) to buy outdoor furniture. We wanted to rent their truck to take it home, since our car was way too small. We purchased our furniture, and proceeded to the Customer Service desk to fill out the paperwork to rent the truck. The first lady we spoke with (whose name tag said "Department Manager") asked us to wait for the other associate (whose title was "Cashier") since she wasn't comfortable filling out all the papers. The other associate finished with her customer, and came to help us. She pulled a red three-ring binder out from under the counter, and flipped through it multiple times trying to find a blank sheet to write on (there were numerous sheets loose in the binder, all fully filled out). After about 5 minutes of searching, a manager showed up and found the forms for her. The cashier asked for a driver's license, insurance card, and credit card. All understandable. She began filling out the forms, which had a place for name, DL #, insurance information, truck information, etc. We stood there a good ten minutes while she tried to figure out which information to put where. Then she got to the part about credit card information. She seemed surprised as she said, "Oh, they want me to put your credit card number on here... ok." She started writing my CC# on this sheet of paper. I immediately stopped her, and asked if she was putting the full # on there, or just part of it. She looked on the other forms, and found they all had FULL NUMBERS on them. I obviously said there was no way she was writing my full CC# on this paper. She just looked at us like we had three heads. She walked over to her manager (leaving the binder open within our reach), brought him over, and we explained our situation. We told him on no terms were they going to write our CC# on this sheet of paper that anyone could access. They tried to say that it was locked up and it wasn't open-access, even though we had seen her pull it out from under the counter, and leave it to go get him. He then proceeded to show us the other papers where they had written CC# down, and also COPIED the DL, insurance card, and CC. We were both standing there astonished, and told him that they weren't doing that with our CC, and he just said, "Sorry, it's policy." I told him he would lose a lot of business over this, and he just shrugged his shoulders. We made sure they shredded the partially-filled out form, and got the number for the district manager. I just tried to call him, and he is already gone. We left and went to Home Depot and rented their truck. It took all of 5 minutes and they didn't write our CC# down, either! *As I was writing this, the store manager called; I spoke with him regarding this experience and he assured me that the service we received would be addressed. He also stated he would contact corporate and see what could be done about this policy. He stated he would call me tomorrow after speaking with corporate, as well as have the District Manager call me. We will see what happens.*

[Anonymous]

funny they don't trust you with thier truck, but you're supposed to trust them with you information which is arguably much more valuable (dollar wise and personaly).

i get so frustrated when people do stuff just 'cause it's policy. think people! just becuase someone writes something in a manual or procedure doesn't make it right, prudent, or legal.

[Anonymous]

It used to be so common place for places to keep CC numbers on file or to require them on forms vefore ID theft beacem the problme that it is today.  Alot of businesses just have not updated their policies.  You can't get mad at the worker who is just doing what they have been told.  Now as far as her leaving the folder right there in plain view/grasp that is another deal.  Anyways, stuff like this is a corporate problem that the people in the store have no control over.  You have to go to the corporate level to change it.  As much as it seems common sense, and the CSR may even agree with you, their hands are probably tied if that is how they have been told they have to deal with it.  

[Anonymous]

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mickie08 wrote:

It used to be so common place for places to keep CC numbers on file or to require them on forms vefore ID theft beacem the problme that it is today.  Alot of businesses just have not updated their policies.  You can't get mad at the worker who is just doing what they have been told.  Now as far as her leaving the folder right there in plain view/grasp that is another deal.  Anyways, stuff like this is a corporate problem that the people in the store have no control over.  You have to go to the corporate level to change it.  As much as it seems common sense, and the CSR may even agree with you, their hands are probably tied if that is how they have been told they have to deal with it.  

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i agree, but even as an employee we should stand up and try to make or orginaizations better.

yes i walk the walk. i told the chief of a dept i used to work that i refuse to make an arrest for kids who were playing in our buisness district and violating a 6pm curfew. these kids had no previous contact with the pd and were living in an above store apartment and didn't have a yard to play in.

i simply told the chief i didn't see a criminal offense and would assit him in contacting the parents to pick up thier summons and kids, or transporting them to the jail. however, i would not be the officer to make the arrest.

we spoke further, at a later date. i wouldn't budge (neither would he), so i resigned. the kids never did get arrested that night.

this is the same chief that ordered another officer to break up a hop scotch game for violating the same curfew ordinance.

[Anonymous]

I commend you on standing up for the kids.  I just think in a retail environment it tends to get beaten into employees that follow policy at all times.  It sucks.  I don;t get mad at the kid, I get mad at the management of placeslike that.

[haulingthescoreup]

Good for you, ducky.

OMG, hopscotch hooligans.

I'm lucky in that my profession has a published code of ethics, and we have to pinky-swear every year when we cough up our dues that we will abide by them. Twice I have had management lean on me to do something that I thought was wrong, and I just told them that by my interpretation, the action was unethical, and if they persisted, I would consult with the national organization. Never heard another peep.

I don't give a rat's patootie what they seem to think is right; I want to be able to peer at myself in the mirror each morning when I brush my teeth. If following their orders keeps me from doing that, then to hell with them.

[Anonymous]

haulingthescoreup wrote:
Good for you, ducky.

OMG, hopscotch hooligans.

kind of what i thought. i know some reading this won't beleive it, but it did happen.

I'm lucky in that my profession has a published code of ethics, and we have to pinky-swear every year when we cough up our dues that we will abide by them. Twice I have had management lean on me to do something that I thought was wrong, and I just told them that by my interpretation, the action was unethical, and if they persisted, I would consult with the national organization. Never heard another peep.

I don't give a rat's patootie what they seem to think is right; I want to be able to peer at myself in the mirror each morning when I brush my teeth. If following their orders keeps me from doing that, then to hell with them.

good for you! at the end of the day, if you can be honest with yourself and know you held to your principles it was a good day.

[Anonymous]

Policy-

I love when I hear that one.

"may I please see this written policy"  

I am sure Visa/MC/Amex and Discover would love to hear about this- CLEAR PCI violation-

They are not even allowed to store this data on their computer systems without limited access and encryption.

[MattH]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Policy-

I love when I hear that one.

"may I please see this written policy"

I am sure Visa/MC/Amex and Discover would love to hear about this- CLEAR PCI violation-

They are not even allowed to store this data on their computer systems without limited access and encryption.

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Yes, OP should call Visa and MC to tell them about this -- by their policies that store should get fined enough to concentrate a few minds over there.

[Anonymous]

Actually, I believe they can store the info legally.  The difference is that the card is not being stored as a method of payment, but as a guarnantee against return of property.  Think about all the bars that take you card and leave it sittng right on the counter to keep tabs open.  It is basicly the same thing.  Instead of making you leave the card, they write down the info so it can be charged if needed.   As far as the folder goes, they may have people that request or have cards on file an useable for authorized employees or because they use the service regularly.

When you use your card to pay for a 1 time pruchase, the company can not store the card number or preint a receipt that show more than (I believe) the last 5 number.  That is not he same as guaranteeing a large item. 

The scary thing I heard in the story is how non-chalant the clerk seemed to be about the whole process and the fact that the book was left sitting there open while he/she went ot ask for help.