Fueling Up the Rental Car

Which side is the gas tank located on?  Here are two quick tips to help you find it super fast.  1) If there is a little pull switch inside the car, pop the gas tank door and listen for the sound to determine the correct side to pull up to the pump.   2) Even easier...Take a look at the dashboard and see which direction the little arrow next to the picture of the pump is pointing on the fuel gauge.  Happy travels!

Find the fuel tank on the left side of this car (driver's side).

Rental Car Battery Died

This week Hertz rented me a Nissan Maxima.  Like so many of the new rental cars, the key is just a fob and the ignition is just a push button (you hold down the brake and you push a button on the dash that says 'start').  When they handed me the key they asked "Do you know how to turn it on?" and I said, "Oh, one of those, of course.  They are just so nifty until the battery dies in the key fob, then they are not so cool."  In Denver some time ago I went out to the car and the little fob had a dead battery so I had to take the key apart to manually open the door and I found it to be pretty frustrating and unintuitive at the time.

Well wouldn't you know that one evening this week I returned to the rental car after dinner out and the dash was all lit up saying "no key".  I looked at the key I had tossed into the cup holder and thought, "hmmm, well that certainly isn't true."  So I got out of the car.   Locked the doors.  Walked away about 20 yards and then re-approached the vehicle and tried again.  "No key"  I tried holding down the brake and pushing the start button and nothing happened so I began to worry that I was stranded.  Then I noticed that the little red battery icon on the left was lit up and finally the dash just went dark.  I see.  So I figured that the battery of the actual car (rather than the key) was dead; I was surprised the dome light and some dash lights were still illuminated.  Having had the distinct pleasure of renting an inadequately maintained Hertz vehicle in the past I knew exactly what to do and I thought I would share this with you all so you can be prepared if you are ever in a similar situation.

Even in daylight, you need to make sure
you are safe when you approach your
car, especially in a garage.

First I looked out the windows to make sure that no weirdos or transients had approached the vehicle or were lurking around in the parking lot.  Once I determined the area looked secure I grabbed my briefcase and returned to the restaurant bar.  I felt safe in the restaurant but sitting alone in a dead car in the dark waiting for a tow truck is decidedly not prudent.  I always carry the rental agreement in my purse (specifically for this reason) and I have Hertz roadside assistance programmed into my cell phone.  From the restaurant I was easily able to call roadside assistance and provide the address of the disabled vehicle.  I was told I would need to wait up to an hour and I explained that I was willing to wait no more than 45 minutes.  The operator stated that I would be reimbursed up to $50 for a cab and I could go to any Hertz to obtain a replacement vehicle.  I had taken a map from the airport rental location and I noted that there were three other locations near my downtown location.  I rang each one but they were closed so I called the airport location.  I told them to come pick me up and bring me a new car but it was late and the Hertz guy explained he was working alone.  He told me to take a taxi to the airport or wait for the tow.

I felt safe (although inconvenienced) so I waited for the tow truck.  The tow truck easily used his built in jump pack to start the rental car.  He told me the battery would need to be replaced and I should switch out the car.  I gave him $10 tip and he said, "Oh wow, thanks, follow-me to the airport!"  So it seems maybe you aren't supposed to tip but an escort to the airport (about a 30 minute drive) was pretty cool.  The guy at the airport apologized, told me not to worry about the fact that I returned the car only half full of gas, upgraded me to a new car, and I was back in the hotel and in bed before midnight but it was a long night.

So the take aways here are: 1) Do not ask strangers for help under any circumstances 2) be aware of your surroundings 3) immediately get yourself out of a compromised situation and go somewhere safe 4) be patient, to a point 5) Do not ask strangers for help.  OK, so number 1 and number 5 are the same but it is just that important.  All the major rental car companies have roadside assistance and if you try to mess around with jumper cables or fix the car yourself you will not be paying attention to what is going on around you plus you may damage the car.  Limit your liability and use the existing process to mitigate your personal risk.  Next time you rent a car keep the contract on your person and also program the roadside assistance number into your cell.  Happy travels!

Efficiency Tips: General and Administrative Duties

I work at a CRO so we have a fairly robust on-line expense reporting system and a thorough web-based system for reporting our billable and non-billable time through an interactive on-line timesheet. Well, I don't have the new iPhone and we still can't access the internet while in-flight so I am not exactly on-line all the time. The result of this is that I have a tendency to get behind in both my expense reports and time reporting.

Complete administrative tasks
while on the road by booking
hotels that have well-appointed
business centers. Internet access,
printing, copying, faxing, scanning,
and a FedEx drop are a major help.

Timely reporting of billable hours and submission of accurate expense reports are two of the main conditions of my employment. My other big responsibilities are showing up when and where I am supposed to for site visits/teleconferences (that includes making travel arrangements far enough in advance that I am getting the best fares and being cost-conscious for my company and the study sponsor) and getting my reports done on time. I'm never actually late with reports, timesheets, or expense reports, but at times, I have felt like I was not always as on top of it as I would like to have been.

For each of these job responsibilties I have a few tips that have helped me stay under the radar of the big bosses and consistently make my submissions accurately and on-time. I'm always on the lookout for new methods of reducing my workload and working more efficiently, so feel free to post a comment with other suggestions. This is a big topic and I have a lot to say so I will tackle it in three different posts: MV Reports, Timesheets, and Expense Reports

I hope you find this series helpful!

Tips for Frequent Travelers

So I have already written to you about travel safety, and now I am going to write about some travel perks; mainly hotel points and airline miles. It is to your benefit when traveling for business to accrue some rewards for yourself. First you will want to obtain and read a copy of your company's travel policy so you know where they can flex and where you will need to flex. For example, my company requires me to book through their travel agent and we have preferred hotels and a preferred rental car company. I must pay for everything with my corporate Amex and then be reimbursed (so other loyalty Credit Cards are not an option) but I can (and do) add Membership Rewards to my Amex account for $75 a year and collect membership rewards points for every dollar of my employer's money I spend on travel to and from sites.

I spend a lot of time on airplanes and
collecting reward miles is a real perk
that I can use to obtain discounted or free
 leisure travel.

In regards to airfares, it is wide open so I can research and communicate to the travel agent which fares I want provided they are within the travel policy guidelines. In this way, I can maximize my reward points and choose to focus my reward accruing efforts on a preferred airline/chain so I can rack up miles/status/points for leisure travel. Be careful of diversifying too much or you will only achieve a low level of status/rewards in many programs whereas it is typically better to have a lot of status/rewards in just a few programs. This is less flexible but in general, you will see greater returns when you focus your efforts.

I was first going to attempt to download all the tidbits I have learned over the years but then decided a list of my favorite web links would be much more effective.


Find the Lowest Airfares

• ita software - Click on the graphic in the lower left called 'Search Fares using QPX'. Be exact with your entry as this system can't really 'guess' at what you want. When your results come up use the third toggle button at the top to 'choose flights (graphical)' Now you can sort and stack and filter or just choose one segment at a time. I love this site! The only airline I have found not listed so far is SW so I just check them separately.

• Kayak.com - Another price aggregator as above.

• FareCast.com - Will the fare be cheaper if you wait until next week to book it? This site tells you!

• Yapta.com - Tag a fare and book it once it is cheaper. If the fare does drop after you already booked (assuming you booked directly through the sirline website) you might be entitled to a refund or future credit thanks to the low fare guarantee).

• Many airlines will give you bonus miles for booking through their site. I can't do this because we are required to use the agency but this is especially powerful when you own and book with their co-branded credit cards. Something to look into...

Booking Hotels

• tripadvisor.com - great reviews and rankings of so many properties

• PointMaven.com - hotel bonuses!
  

• Again, pick one or two chains and accrue status so you get upgraded rooms and executive lounge access, free breakfast, bonuses, etc. Plus, once you are at the higher tiers you typically accrue points faster. This chart is helpful for comparing the different loyalty programs - thanks Starwood Preferred Guest program!

• One more tip here, once you get high level status in one program call competing programs and ask them to 'status match' or to allow you to 'challenge' the high tiers of their loyalty programs. These promotions are usually offered in the first half of the year. Airlines will status match, too -- never hurts to ask, anyway!

Misc

• seatguru.com - Make informed decisions when choosing your seat - make sure your seat fully reclines and that it doesn't have a blocked view of the TV or limited space.
  

• seatcounter.com - How many seats are left in each class of service on a plane. Helpful when you are hoping for operational or status based upgrades to a higher class cabin or if you are looking to get bumped (sometimes you can plan to miss a flight because you will be compensated with a free roundtrip US ticket or a discount voucher for future travel).

• MileMaven.com - Airline bonuses and promotions.

• flyerguide.com/wiki - An ever-changing Wiki that has aggregated information about traveling and loyalty programs. Companion website to flyertalk, see below.

• flyertalk.com - This is an online forum with lots of frequent travelers who share their tips. I subscribe to posts and threads and I get these emailed to me weekly. I download my email to a local client so I can browse through them in digest format while on my frequent flights. I have learned so much here and love this free site.

Tools for Tracking Points and Miles

• Here is an application you can download to have a desktop view of all your mileage/points programs: http://www.usatoday.deskport.biz/

• I prefer a web-based program so I can recommend the following: http://www.mileagemanager.com/ (this site is free to try for 30 days and then $14.95 annually. It has rewards summaries but also lets you know which accounts are about to expire, and my favorite part is the 'Elite status summary' which tells you what you need to earn to get to the next Elite level in any given program.)
  

• http://moneycenter.yodlee.com/ (this site is free and will also manage your personal finances and help you set budget goals or you can just add your reward programs and have it manage those exclusively. Of note, your bank might already subscribe to this service for you as some major financial institutions like Bank of America, Fidelity, and Wachovia do... Check here)
  
  

Shoot me an email or leave me a comment if something important is missing from this post or you have more questions about this topic that I can answer. I would also love to hear your tips and success stories so feel free to leave those comments as well!
Read more about What to Pack in this post.

Business Travel Safety

So I have just printed my boarding pass for my first monitoring trip with my new company. This reminds me that there are some great travel safety tips I would like to share with you all. Most of these are common sense or things I have picked up along the way from employers and other monitors. I know this is long but I hope you will find it helpful. Feel free to add comments if you can think of other important tips I may have left out.

Before you leave:
Use common sense when booking your flight and hotel. Monday flights get delayed so take an early one or just fly in Sunday night so there is no risk that you will be late to the study site. Friday flights are always oversold and late, try to return home on Thursdays when possible or stay over the weekend and explore a new city. Think about what time zone you are traveling to so that your flight times are practical and safe -- don’t arrive after dark if possible. Choose the right hotel – ask the site for suggestions or speak to other monitors you know. I like to read reviews on Trip Advisor. The most important criteria are not necessarily the rewards, pool/amenities, and mini-bar (but good room service is important). Instead, choose a property that has at least 3 floors (more on this later), ensure that there will be no outside entrance to your room (like at a motel), and stay in a safe neighborhood (even if this means a longer commute to the site).

OK, this is a business trip, not a fashion show. Keep your luggage light. This is not just a practical suggestion but an important safety tip. When you are struggling with several bags you are distracted and less aware of your surroundings. This can leave you vulnerable and make you a target for crime. Not to mention, the more pieces of luggage you have, the easier it is for something to become lost or stolen. Pack only what you need and leave extra room for all the important souvenirs/shopping you will bring back (or CRFs and regulatory study documents, whatever).

Print your itinerary and boarding pass before you go. I always forward a copy to my personal email (since I can access that from the internet and I like to sync it to my PDA) and to my boyfriend or a family member and my admin. Print an additional copy of your itinerary so you have a backup and put it in a different location in your luggage. When you are at the airport fumbling around for your itinerary, it might give criminals the impression that you are unorganized and an easy victim. You should know where your documents are at all times and your cash.

Just bring enough cash to pay for a light meal and a cab ride. I recommend splitting up your cash and credit cards (put some in your pocket, some in your purse, some in your briefcase, etc.) so if you are robbed you will not be in such a bad way. I think it is a good practice to leave behind copies of your Driver’s License and Credit/ATM Cards (including a copy of the back which has all the number you call if they are lost or stolen).
Don’t forget to bring your insurance cards (auto/health) and personal/business contact info (# for your boss, colleagues you will meet at the site, the site’s contact info!). In addition, I always program the hotel phone number and address into my GPS and cell/PDA. Don’t forget to program in the travel agent’s name and #, too (as well as after hours contact info). Print maps to the site and hotel so you will know where you are going. The rental car place will help you with this, you can contact AAA before your trip, or just use a website like maps.google.com. Remember, even if you are taking a cab or black car, maps are still important. You will want to pay attention to the route the driver is taking and ask questions if necessary to avoid getting ripped off (running up the meter) or becoming diverted to an area that is unsafe or otherwise incorrect.

If you are in a public place keep
a low profile and try not to draw
attention to yourself. Casual
conversations with strangers can
be dangerous so ensure you are not
making yourself vulnerable by giving
away information about where you
are traveling, staying, or emphasizing
the fact that you are alone on the trip.

When you arrive/At your destination:
Now you are in a new and unfamiliar city and you are vulnerable for many reasons. You need to blend in (always know where you are going, pay attention to your surroundings, walk confidently, don’t flash wads of cash, and leave flashy/expensive items at home – like your jewelry and the Coach bag). Do not accept rides from strangers or unmarked cabs. When you are at the airport, restaurants/bars, or in the cab, do not give away personal information through conversation (always ensure that your name and address are covered on your luggage tags).

Cabbies always ask me if I am in town for business or pleasure. It is fine to be polite and carry on a conversation but keep it light and be smart. I’ll often answer, “business, but I am meeting my friends/husband later tonight.” If they ask what you do, use your discretion, but a safe answer is always, “Oh, work is boring, have you been driving your cab long?” If you can ask them a question about themselves or the city you are in, you can divert the conversation to more neutral topics. If the cabbie is nice, I always ask for their card and usually book them to return to the airport (plus if you find yourself lost while walking, you can call the cab and have them come pick you up). Your hotel can also help you find a safe transport back to the airport.

OK, so you rented a car. It is best to put your luggage in the trunk but make sure you keep the maps your cell phone and your GPS up front with you within easy reach. After you glance in the backseat (make sure nobody is hiding there), get in and lock the doors. Now figure out how the windows work and adjust the seat/mirrors/steering wheel before you leave the garage. Don’t keep your purse on the passenger seat. When you pull up to a stoplight or an intersection, someone could smash your window and reach in to grab this. I keep mine on the floorboard of the backseat (next to the person who is laying there – jk!). Always keep the gas tank at least half full – this is especially important in the winter or in rural areas where gas stations are not as frequent and cell phone coverage may not be as reliable (if you are driving in these areas a GPS is not always reliable so pay attention to road signs but at least the GPS can help you find a gas station where you can ask for directions).

Only park in well-lit places and remember where you parked so you can walk purposefully back to your car instead of wandering around aimlessly clicking the button and looking for flashing taillights (this is unsafe!). Every time you leave your car, lock the doors and check the handles to ensure it is locked. When you do return to your car check for flat tires; Criminals will let the air out of your tires so you have to stop later along the roadside and you will be vulnerable and open to their attack. Don’t click the button to unlock the car until you are right next to it. If there is a large van or someone standing near your car you can go back inside and wait for them to move on (or request an escort from security). You could also enter your vehicle from the passenger side (I appreciate that you will look silly but it is most important to be safe and you could always pretend that you wanted to quickly check for something in the glovebox). Most abductions happen during the day in public places like grocery stores or strip-mall parking lots so please pay attention even if it isn’t nighttime. Lock the doors as soon as you get in and buckle up. This is the most important, leave right away – don’t sit in your car and organize receipts or talk on the cell phone. This is just not safe.

Every hotel starts to look the
same eventually but never
let your guard down and
keep these safety tips in mind.

OK, finally you are checking in to your hotel. Request to stay between the third and eighth floor. The third floor is high enough that it is unlikely someone would break into your room from the outside, the eighth floor is the maximum within the range of fire rescue equipment. The room number should be written on the key envelope and handed to you. If it is spoken aloud, you must request another room. It is not safe for other people in the lobby to overhear your room #. Always ask for 2 keys (this makes it look like you are not alone plus you are less likely to get locked out if you always have one in your purse and one in your pocket). If you lose your keys don’t just ask for another copy, have them re-key the room (this is really easy for them with key cards). If it is an actual metal key, you need a new room – sorry, but you do! If the parking lot is not near your room, use the valet and if it is very late, it is always prudent to request assistance to your room.

Placing the “Do Not Distrub” sign on your door at all times will give the impression that you are in the room and possibly deter would-be thieves. If you go out, leave a light on for the same reason. You can call room service and inform them that you are doing this so they will still come and freshen up your room while you are away anyway. If someone knocks on your door, don’t open the door, ask who it is and call reception first to ensure that they are hotel staff. This tip might be overkill, but I just heard it and found it interesting…If you must let someone in your room, first turn on the shower and close the bathroom door. This gives the impression that you are not alone in the room. I suppose if they are there to fix the bathroom or something you will look like kind of a knob so decide if you are willing to risk it. ;)

Also, because I haven’t mentioned it anywhere else, be sure to avoid conflicts when you travel. Remember, you are trying to keep a low profile. This means your conflicts or the conflicts of others. If the airline or hotel piss you off (unbelievable, I know, but trust me it happens –ha!) just write down the details of what happened, time/date, names of people who were involved and make a complaint to corporate when you are back home. When you are involved in conflict you won’t be paying enough attention to your surroundings and this could be dangerous. If you see a disturbance or someone who needs help or is hurt, feel free to go find them help but do not help them yourself! I know this seems heartless, but you can make yourself a victim by getting involved.

Conclusion:
Even if the city you are traveling to is a place that you frequent regularly, you always need to look AND be alert. Always follow your instincts. If you are in a place where you feel vulnerable or unsafe, leave. It is always better to look foolish than to become a victim. Use common sense and have a great trip! Add a comment or drop me an email if you have other great tips for business travel safety.



You may also like...more from The Lead CRA:

• Little Wrap Dress February 2011
• Fueling up the Rental Car January 2011
• Tips for Frequent Travelers February 2008