Just because I know this will get their attention, too:

Here's a copy of the letter I wrote in the Alamo customer service message system:

I have been using Alamo for the past two years for all my car rental needs, and up until last week, have had absolutely no reason to complain, until last week.

I booked a reservation, as I had done so many times before, through Orbitz.com, printed my reservation (confirmation number 27525901) and considered myself ready to go. Five days later on Thursday October 9th, I arrived after a long train trip to the airport and walked to the counter after riding the shuttle bus to your rental pick-up area. Myself and several other customers were sent on because we already had confirmation numbers and did not need to check in at the airport counter. Upon arriving at approximately 9:15 pm, I spoke with an Alamo/National clerk by the name of Nora. She informed me that your policies toward debit cards had changed and that I would not be able to rent a car without a major credit card. Needless to say, this is not the type of news one likes to hear after the painstaking trip one takes to the airport. She suggested that I could speak to a manager after I explained that I did not have a major credit card and had been using my debit card with Alamo for years without problems. The manager, who wasn't wearing a nametag hence I do not have his name, informed me that he was unable to do anything to help me in my situation. He asked if I had a return flight, which annoyed me to no end, as my Illinois State Driver's License was on display directly in front of him. I felt as though he wasn't even looking at the situation, just regurgitating company policy at me. This is basically what he did. I asked him what he, as a manager could do to rectify the situation. He flat out told me that there was no way he could allow me to rent a car without a major credit card or return flight. Neither of which I had. All he did that was different from the clerk was to point out that on my reservation sheet that it said that I would need to present a major credit card upon pick up (in the past my debit card was accepted in this case). I asked him what a regional manager would be able to do to help me, and he replied that he "didn't know, probably nothing." After that statement, I asked if there was any way that his company would be able to put me in a car for my road trip which began the next morning. He told me that without a credit card or return flight there was no way that Alamo/National would rent a car to me. At this point, I left with my reservation sheet, debit card and driver's license (which I had to ask to have returned to me) and had to then take the shuttle back to the airport, and the train back to the city.

Having worked in customer service in a retail environment, there are a few things I would have done differently if I were running your company. Number 1: I would give managers the ability to make decisions to serve my customers better, even if it goes against company policy. This is the surest way to ensure that encounters like this do not happen again. Number 2: I would have made such an important policy change more evident to those who use your service. That is, I would not have allowed a debit card to be used to make the reservation. Upon review, in order to determine whether or not your company accepts debit cards, I would have to go through three extra steps to find information that I did not know I needed to look up in the first place. Number three: I would never allow a customer to leave my place of business as angry as I was on Thursday night. Although I did not lose control of my anger, I made it clear that I was upset.

I was then and still am extremely angry at the customer service I witnessed that night. I have no interest in ever renting from Alamo/National again, even if I do meet the new rental criteria. I have also spoken with a friend who works at a travel agency, and asked him to no longer refer his clients to Alamo/National.

I will be copying this letter to an e-mail, which I intend to send onto the highest-ranking company officer I can find. Service of this quality needs to be addressed and rectified.

Of course, I left off the closer, but let's just say it said sincerely and my name. I figured you didn't need to read that as well. It is a little moot, after all.