This guy entitled, greedy or deluded?

I run a small campervan rental business, still early years as the investment costs are horrendous for the type of van we rent out.

We charge by the night, give a 10% discount for 7 day hire or longer and have a twelve/one o’clock pick up time and (officially) an eleven/twelve return. We do have a couple of exceptions in that for weekend hires we give a late return of five pm (not advertised) and we offer a 50% discounted ‘night before’ with a 6pm collection.

So this guy rings up who wants of best-spec for a two night weekend hire (Fri/Sat night). Ok, so far so good. Then he wants a drive-away awning because they’ll be meeting friends, but he doesn’t want to pay for it. Errr no, it’s only £30 extra, plus he wants a power cube as the site he’s going to had no electricity hook up pitches available, but again doesn’t think he should pay. Now to be fair if this was early season and he was booking for a week or more I’d have probably thrown them in, but for a weekend around Easter? Not a hope.

Then he follows up with ‘of course we’ll be picking it up at 7am on the Friday, and returning it at 7am on Monday. Errr no you won’t. Collection is 12pm Friday or 6pm on Thursday for half price, and return is either by 12pm Sunday or between 5&6 on Sunday. If you want it for Sunday night, it’s another night’s hire. ‘But I don’t want it for Sunday night, we’ll be getting home for around 10pm.’ Well you might be, but you’ll still have my van and your insurance of it will have expired at 12pm Sunday.

The guy flipped his lid. Saying we’d ruined his plans and he’d look a fool to his friends as he’d already told them he’d organise everything. Told him he could have the van, on our terms, but to make his mind up as wouldn’t hold it without a deposit. He hung up and I haven’t heard from him since.