(I DID NOT PROOFREAD THIS AND AM A POOR SPELLER, I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR ANY ERRORS)
Don't you think ERAC teaches you attention to detail, time management, inventory management, people management, and multitasking under intense pressure and chaos? Sure, a trained monkey can wash cars, write contracts, and be nice to people, but in order to run successful branch one must become skilled at the aforementioned attributes, as there are, to be sure, many front-end and back-end procedures and analyses relating to, but more than just “renting cars.” These are valuable tools and one does not gain a proper perspective or appreciation for them until he advances beyond the MA level.

There are drawbacks to ERAC as well. We all work too many hours for the money we earn, the job can be arduous, tedious, repetitious, not intellectually challenging or stimulating, and washing cars in the cold and heat for customers who hate us wears us down. In addition, the ERAC check-your-pride-and-self-worth-at-the-door mentality is hard to swallow for many, as we all are expected and trained to smile as we take it up the ass from customers, dealers, body shops, et cetera ("Thank you sir, may I have another.")

Relating to this point, is Enterprise Rent-A-Car simply McDonald's-prise Rent-A-Car? Are situations of managing and ERAC Branch similar or identical to managing a McDonald's? Are ERAC employees simply McDonald's employees who shirts and ties instead of vests and funny hats? The answer to all of these questions is an unequivocal yes. Yet, this is not to say that neither career is valuable, because they both contain elements and nuggets of value, should the individual employee be savvy enough to glean their value. This is why am never angered or offended when treated with little respect or outright disdain by customers. I am realistic enough to know that my career has not elevated me to a position worthy of the respect of most of my customers, namely people with "real" post-undergraduate or graduate traditional careers (with personal offices or cubicles instead of a front counter, with their own phone line with a personal voicemail, who attend meetings to strategize and forecast, not to just get yelled at or threatened after work every so-often when the "numbers look bad," and who don't have to deal with the general public). I never let wearing my shirt and tie fool me into thinking I'm some kind of business executive or corporate hot-shot (as do some of my ERAC brethren), I fully realize what I do is merely an extension of working at Foot Locker or the pet store after high school -- as the ERAC business model for a Branch Manager or below is quite similar to these, except it requires 60 hours of work per week and for me to call it my "career" to my co-workers and employees, and my "great career" to upper-management or interviewees.

THERE ARE TANGIBLE BENEFITS TO ERAC, as I discussed in the first paragraph of this dissertation. In addition, a benefit of ERAC is that a new hire can graduate from a below average "ham sandwich" University with a sub-3.0 GPA in a vacuous major such and sociology, psychology, or exercise science, be a tremendous partier, not be particularly bright or worldly (this is probably >80% of the MT base), and be welcomed into ERAC with open arms, be accepted and even elevated in the company culture (especially if he still maintains his fondness for partying), and stand great chance of making 50K or more in 3 or 4 years. This is a god thing. Along the way this person will learn, perhaps for the first time, about hard work, dedication and all the attributes described above (way above).

I am different though. I have always been a hard worker, went to a top-tier university, and earned a mathematically-related business degree with a good GPA (over 3.5). That's why I'm ready to move on. I am able to be able to move on due to my credentials, an opportunity which I realize is not afforded to most other ERAC employees. In addition, I am tired of my parents, grandparents, and significant other stating they are "embarrassed and shamed" to tell people that I work at ERAC (I have realized for quite sometime they are right, but will debate them endlessly that they are wrong, just on the principle that they are not completely wrong (they don’t know this either). This is why you’d never guess I’d write this statement if you meant me in the ERAC world – I am one of the most strident defenders of every aspect of ERAC and can BS a positive spin on every practice of ERAC). In addition, I tell customers, if/when they ask, that I didn't go to college and earned only GED because I'm tired of them asking me why I went to college and I renting cars (my GED story make working at ERAC seem like an over achievement for me, HAHA). As I currently interview for positions with other firms, and am asked behavioral based and career oriented questions, I realize fungible nature of the benefits I have gleaned from ERAC. I can answer every question with experiences I have had at ERAC -- I can give dozens of examples. I want careers like the people I rent cars to all day – to many degrees I envy them. Also, I must caution that had I left ERAC before entering ranks (lowly though they might be) of management, I would not have completely realized the benefits of my job (NOT CAREER) experience so far. ERAC is fine starting company, but if you have your druthers and the qualification to move on, at least stick it out at ERAC until you get to management level (2 yrs or so), as this will make you a more attractive candidate for jobs.

I'm sorry for the length of this. It's just that I've been reading this site for two years now and have yet to come across a comment that provides a comprehensive and realistic full view of the pros and cons of ERAC, at least from the branch manager-on-down level in daily rental. I've given as accurate and objective account of the situation as I am able considering my bias as a current employee -- and not a disgruntled employee, just a realistic one.

Any one who disagrees with my analysis, please don't be shy about letting me know. I'm sure you won't.