Handle The Unexpected And A Helpful Surprise

Handle The Unexpected And A Helpful Surprise

On a trip to Italy, my wife and I were driving back to the airport and needed to refill the gas tank on the rental car. Given that it was a Sunday morning , the first gas station we went to was closed. The only way to pump fuel was to prepay using a credit card or by inserting cash ( bills). In Europe they use chip and a PIN (Personal ID Number) to transact credit card purchases, while in the US we use a chip + signature. Since the station was closed, my only credit card option was to use chip + PIN. I did have a PIN, however it was not accepted.

We then drove to another station which was also closed. Again the Chip + PIN was not accepted. At this point our only option was to use cash, however we did not know how much it would cost to fill up the tank. I inserted 25 Euro into the machine and selected a pump for diesel fuel. It was at this point when I went to insert the fuel nozzle into the vehicle that the unexpected happened- the nozzle did not fit all the way , even though the pump stated it was diesel ! When I attempted to pump fuel , some of it splashed out and onto my pants.

A local couple also refueling their vehicle, came over to help me and explained (between my limited knowledge of Italian & their limited English); that the pump I selected was for trucks. Apparently the fuel pump for trucks has a larger diameter nozzle. The couple explained that no refund was possible now , but I could come back tomorrow when the station was open with the receipt and get a refund. We stated that we could not return tomorrow , since we were flying home today. Figuring we had lost the 25 Euro, we offered the receipt to the couple helping us, as we would rather they have the money versus giving it to the station. They said they could not take the receipt as they thought that would not be right.

I moved on to another pump (checking that the nozzle would fit) and inserted 5 Euro into the machine and started to pump the fuel. At this point the woman that had been helping us came over and indicated that she would take the receipt and handed us 25 Euro. This was a totally welcome surprise - call it the kindness of strangers if you like. We thanked the couple and they drove away. We completed refueling the car, not quite getting it completely full and drove to the airport.

So while we did have contingencies planned if the credit card chip + signature process was not available for refilling the car { Card chip + PIN, cash payment, let the rental car company refuel the car at a cost of 80 Euro}; we had to deal with the unexpected 2 types of diesel pumps. Some lessons learned are to confirm the nozzle fits the vehicle prior to payment and start with a small amount of cash to ensure everything is working properly. Also do not be afraid to ask for or accept help when needed, from those that are more knowledgeable on a particular subject.

Similarly , while managing projects there will always be unexpected issues that occur. You must calmly deal with these issues by reviewing your options and seeking the best path to move forward. It is also advisable to determine if assistance is available, to get you past the issue and on track towards the projects goals.