Complaint Review: UBER/Cary Quattrocchi

A Ride from Louisville to Cincinnati, Ohio on Thursday, 17 August 2017

Last Thursday I called for a car at Louisville Airport. You sent a Cadillac Escalade, which was exactly what I expected, save for a few things. The exterior of the car was filthy, and once inside, there were used cans of soda and candy wrappers on the floor. If that were the only issue, I would not have written. It’s because the mess inside was not the major issue that I am writing.

Cary Quattrocchi said very little to me. But when he did speak, he was rude, insulting, and used a few profanities. Now you might think that I was requesting him to perform feats of magic for me, but I only asked a few things of him.

Once we got going, I asked him to pull over at a coffee shop. I had no preference, a drive-in would have been fine, even McDonald’s would have been fine. He ignored me. When I shouted that we were coming up on a McDonald’s ahead, he disregarded what I was saying.

The ride was supposed to last about an hour. I decided I could survive without coffee. Maybe five minutes later I asked Mr. Quattrocchi to put on the radio. I told him I preferred either jazz or classical music, and I asked him to put the radio on in the back of the car, softly.

Again, he ignored me. So I gently tapped him on the shoulder. I did not hit him or slap him or in any other way act rudely. But his response was unnecessarily profanity-laden, insulting, and honestly shook me slightly. Riding with your service is supposed to encourage comfort and a sense of security. From that point on, I no longer felt secure, relaxed, or pleased I chose your car service.

To finish the drive, Mr. Quattrocchi took me to The Great American Ballpark, but he dropped me on the left field side of the stadium and I had to walk around the stadium to enter. It cost me a few minutes and as a result I was late for my appointment. By that time I was glad to be out of his car, glad to be rid of him, and watched as he rode away. Yes, I took a deep breath, and then released a sigh of relief. I knew I would more than likely never see Cary Quattrocchi again. And that pleased me.

I thought about what I would say in this email before I wrote it. There was no reason for Cary Quattrocchi to act the way he did. I did not ask him to do anything unusual. In fact, I was surprised he did not offer me a water or peanuts. The mess in the backseat, well, it could have been worse. But when he wouldn’t stop the car to allow me to buy a coffee (and I would have bought him something as well), and he wouldn’t put on music, I thought that went beyond the pale.

This job is about customer service, and even I know the customer is always right. Apparently Mr. Quattrocchi did not learn this. Is this his first customer service position? I can’t imagine, but maybe it is. In any event I think someone should take him aside and explain the ABCs of effective customer relations. Or, fire him and find someone who not only understands how to drive safely, but knows that the customer is always right.

A Disgruntled Passenger