Tips for ERAC Renters

As a current employee that actually enjoys most of my job, I thought I'd give some advice to people planning on renting a car from ERAC.

1-Attitude is everything. Think about it in relation to going out to eat: if you are nice to the waitstaff, odds are you will get better service, clean food, and even some perks like a free dessert or round of drinks. In the same matter, if you are at a minimum nice to me, I will almost always upgrade you, comp some gas, waive additional fees, etc., whenever possible. Let's say you have a reservation for a midsize car and all the midsize cars I have are dirty/old. If you were at least pleasant to me, I will bump you up to that clean fullsize car without any hesitation. If you were rude or demeaning, however, I will take my time prepping the funkiest midsize we have. Petty, yes, but that is pretty much how things work in the world of "customer service".

2-Take some responsibility for yourself. If you make a reservation online, ALWAYS call the branch to verify availability, rates, fees, etc. We do not have an infinite supply of vehicles, so if you make a last-minute reservation for a specialty vehicle (luxury, minivan, SUV) we may have to get it in from another branch, so it may not be available right at opening.

3-Don't come in demanding a discount because you rent "all the time". I get my lunch from the same Subway at least three times a week, and I always pay the same amount. If you really are that much of a VIP, I promise you we will know your name and rental history and we will have no problem "hooking you up." As with most things in society, if you have to identify yourself, you are not that important.

4-Know the difference between a DEBIT/CHECK card and a CREDIT card. A credit card holds a LINE OF CREDIT. A debit/check card does not. Why should I rent you a $25000+ vehicle if you cannot get a basic CREDIT card?

5-Realize that anything negative that happens to these cars does not just get written off to some big corporate account. It comes out of my paycheck and my employees paychecks. So, when you total a car, return it all funked out, or drop it without paying your $500+ bill, it directly affects me, not some anonymous corporate pig in St. Louis. This is why I will not rent you a Cadillac with a cash deposit.

6-Be respectful of our property. We do not require that you clean our cars before you return them, but I can assure you that best way to guarantee you get a POS for your next rental is to return our car full of pet hair, dirty diapers, food, etc.

7-Most importantly, please know that a vast majority of our employees DO want to help you have the best experience we can. The easiest way to get the best experience is for everyone to work together.

In summary:

-be nice
-have your reservation number
-have what is required (license, insurance card, credit/debit card, proof of address for debit card)
-don't junk the car; return it how you found it

Originally Posted by Unregistered14NN

As a current employee that actually enjoys most of my job, I thought I'd give some advice to people planning on renting a car from ERAC.

1-Attitude is everything. Think about it in relation to going out to eat: if you are nice to the waitstaff, odds are you will get better service, clean food, and even some perks like a free dessert or round of drinks. In the same matter, if you are at a minimum nice to me, I will almost always upgrade you, comp some gas, waive additional fees, etc., whenever possible. Let's say you have a reservation for a midsize car and all the midsize cars I have are dirty/old. If you were at least pleasant to me, I will bump you up to that clean fullsize car without any hesitation. If you were rude or demeaning, however, I will take my time prepping the funkiest midsize we have. Petty, yes, but that is pretty much how things work in the world of "customer service".

2-Take some responsibility for yourself. If you make a reservation online, ALWAYS call the branch to verify availability, rates, fees, etc. We do not have an infinite supply of vehicles, so if you make a last-minute reservation for a specialty vehicle (luxury, minivan, SUV) we may have to get it in from another branch, so it may not be available right at opening.

3-Don't come in demanding a discount because you rent "all the time". I get my lunch from the same Subway at least three times a week, and I always pay the same amount. If you really are that much of a VIP, I promise you we will know your name and rental history and we will have no problem "hooking you up." As with most things in society, if you have to identify yourself, you are not that important.

4-Know the difference between a DEBIT/CHECK card and a CREDIT card. A credit card holds a LINE OF CREDIT. A debit/check card does not. Why should I rent you a $25000+ vehicle if you cannot get a basic CREDIT card?

5-Realize that anything negative that happens to these cars does not just get written off to some big corporate account. It comes out of my paycheck and my employees paychecks. So, when you total a car, return it all funked out, or drop it without paying your $500+ bill, it directly affects me, not some anonymous corporate pig in St. Louis. This is why I will not rent you a Cadillac with a cash deposit.

6-Be respectful of our property. We do not require that you clean our cars before you return them, but I can assure you that best way to guarantee you get a POS for your next rental is to return our car full of pet hair, dirty diapers, food, etc.

7-Most importantly, please know that a vast majority of our employees DO want to help you have the best experience we can. The easiest way to get the best experience is for everyone to work together.

In summary:

-be nice
-have your reservation number
-have what is required (license, insurance card, credit/debit card, proof of address for debit card)
-don't junk the car; return it how you found it

though i'm right with you in the brotherhood of ERAC, it's been a few yrs since i worked their and my angst towards customers has waned. to me this has exposed ERAC's weaknessess even more. like your post for instance, all i see is a bad employee making excuses for bad employee practices/behaviours.
you need to understand that it is not you who should be telling the customers these things, it is them that tell you how it's gonna be.
CUSTOMER SERVICE does not mean you issue the rules son, you get the rules issued to you.
Now, to avoid having a pissy customer, to avoid having bad debt thru the roof, to increase repeat customers, you need to provide the following:
-clean car AVAILABLE AT REZ TIME!!@#!@#!@#
-the exact model the renter reserved
-concise explanation of DUB and liabillity
-quick in getting them on the road

Providing these basic things and POOF all your bad customers disappear (for the most part, always gonna be tools). Employee morale and retention would improve, a less frenized and disorgainized office.
But you overbook, oversell, understaff, so your customers attitudes are gonna suck, they are gonna be less prone to pay their bills and man up to damage. The root of your problem is not your customer's attitudes it is how you run your business. and by "you" i don't just mean you, you're just a pawn just like i was trying to eek out some coins.
ERAC just doesn't seem to get this though

I absolutely agree with you on the points you made:

-clean car AVAILABLE AT REZ TIME!!@#!@#!@#
-the exact model the renter reserved
-concise explanation of DUB and liabillity
-quick in getting them on the road

However, calling me a bad employee (and assuming I'm male by calling me "son") could not be farther from the truth. I'm simply tired of the entitlement mentality everyone seems to be embracing these days, and it goes way beyond ERAC customers.

Yes, you have the right to get the size car you want, but you do not have the right to decree how and what you will pay for it. Try going to your favorite restaurant and ordering the prime rib, but tell the waitstaff you are only going to pay $5 for it because you "come there all the time and are due for a discount." Or say you want to order the side salad, but ask them to throw a hunk of prime rib on it for free because it is a "special night." Either way, won't be getting that prime rib.

Honestly, the point of my first post was not to bitch, but to simply help people get a better experience out of a rental, whether it be with ERAC or any other company.

[Branch$$$isaloser]

Originally Posted by Unregistered14NN

I absolutely agree with you on the points you made:

-clean car AVAILABLE AT REZ TIME!!@#!@#!@#
-the exact model the renter reserved
-concise explanation of DUB and liabillity
-quick in getting them on the road

However, calling me a bad employee (and assuming I'm male by calling me "son") could not be farther from the truth. I'm simply tired of the entitlement mentality everyone seems to be embracing these days, and it goes way beyond ERAC customers.

Yes, you have the right to get the size car you want, but you do not have the right to decree how and what you will pay for it. Try going to your favorite restaurant and ordering the prime rib, but tell the waitstaff you are only going to pay $5 for it because you "come there all the time and are due for a discount." Or say you want to order the side salad, but ask them to throw a hunk of prime rib on it for free because it is a "special night." Either way, won't be getting that prime rib.

Honestly, the point of my first post was not to bitch, but to simply help people get a better experience out of a rental, whether it be with ERAC or any other company.

I agree with you 100%. Whenever I go anywhere, out to eat, staying at a hotel, even renting a car (never use ERAC), I am always super nice. If I do make a request it is a very reasonable one. ANd if the request cannot be accomadated then no great loss, for example: if I go to a nice dining establishment (not ponderonsa) and I may ask to a seat outside or on the balcony or near the window for a view, I may not have a reservation for it but ask nicely and don't demand and good things happen. Went on vacation in February, got a great deal on Hotwire so a room which should have cost $400.night was only $112. Got to the desk to check in at the same time as another person. I, ver nicely asked if it was possible to upgrade to an ocean view room in the newer section of the hotel. I was told they were booked solid so it probably wasn't possible. OK, no worries then, just good to be on vacation. She hands me the key and says that she upgraded me to the ocean view with balcony. Wow. Other guy had walked up and said I need and ocean view. Did not ask if possible, said I need. Demanded. He got the same line as me and then said well do something because I want ocean view. He did not get it. After working in ERAC and the service industry I saw and put up with a lot of shit. And exactly right, people that were nice to me and treated me with respect got taken care of. It's how life goes. As long as ERAC or the hotel is holding up their end, the car/room you requested at the price you requested, then you cannot argue. You do not get something for nothing. I have been lucky with upgrades, but if I don't get it I don't whine about it.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by Branch$$$isaloser

I agree with you 100%. Whenever I go anywhere, out to eat, staying at a hotel, even renting a car (never use ERAC), I am always super nice. If I do make a request it is a very reasonable one. ANd if the request cannot be accomadated then no great loss, for example: if I go to a nice dining establishment (not ponderonsa) and I may ask to a seat outside or on the balcony or near the window for a view, I may not have a reservation for it but ask nicely and don't demand and good things happen. Went on vacation in February, got a great deal on Hotwire so a room which should have cost $400.night was only $112. Got to the desk to check in at the same time as another person. I, ver nicely asked if it was possible to upgrade to an ocean view room in the newer section of the hotel. I was told they were booked solid so it probably wasn't possible. OK, no worries then, just good to be on vacation. She hands me the key and says that she upgraded me to the ocean view with balcony. Wow. Other guy had walked up and said I need and ocean view. Did not ask if possible, said I need. Demanded. He got the same line as me and then said well do something because I want ocean view. He did not get it. After working in ERAC and the service industry I saw and put up with a lot of shit. And exactly right, people that were nice to me and treated me with respect got taken care of. It's how life goes. As long as ERAC or the hotel is holding up their end, the car/room you requested at the price you requested, then you cannot argue. You do not get something for nothing. I have been lucky with upgrades, but if I don't get it I don't whine about it.

Very well said. If you gain anything from your experience from ERAC, you learn to treat people in the service industry like humans. And you are correct, you get higher levels of service and extras, just for being a good person. The ones that give you trouble? Piss in their food and wipe your ass with the pillowcase as far as I am concerned.

Originally Posted by Unregistered14NN

As a current employee that actually enjoys most of my job, I thought I'd give some advice to people planning on renting a car from ERAC.

1-Attitude is everything. Think about it in relation to going out to eat: if you are nice to the waitstaff, odds are you will get better service, clean food, and even some perks like a free dessert or round of drinks. In the same matter, if you are at a minimum nice to me, I will almost always upgrade you, comp some gas, waive additional fees, etc., whenever possible. Let's say you have a reservation for a midsize car and all the midsize cars I have are dirty/old. If you were at least pleasant to me, I will bump you up to that clean fullsize car without any hesitation. If you were rude or demeaning, however, I will take my time prepping the funkiest midsize we have. Petty, yes, but that is pretty much how things work in the world of "customer service".

2-Take some responsibility for yourself. If you make a reservation online, ALWAYS call the branch to verify availability, rates, fees, etc. We do not have an infinite supply of vehicles, so if you make a last-minute reservation for a specialty vehicle (luxury, minivan, SUV) we may have to get it in from another branch, so it may not be available right at opening.

3-Don't come in demanding a discount because you rent "all the time". I get my lunch from the same Subway at least three times a week, and I always pay the same amount. If you really are that much of a VIP, I promise you we will know your name and rental history and we will have no problem "hooking you up." As with most things in society, if you have to identify yourself, you are not that important.

4-Know the difference between a DEBIT/CHECK card and a CREDIT card. A credit card holds a LINE OF CREDIT. A debit/check card does not. Why should I rent you a $25000+ vehicle if you cannot get a basic CREDIT card?

5-Realize that anything negative that happens to these cars does not just get written off to some big corporate account. It comes out of my paycheck and my employees paychecks. So, when you total a car, return it all funked out, or drop it without paying your $500+ bill, it directly affects me, not some anonymous corporate pig in St. Louis. This is why I will not rent you a Cadillac with a cash deposit.

6-Be respectful of our property. We do not require that you clean our cars before you return them, but I can assure you that best way to guarantee you get a POS for your next rental is to return our car full of pet hair, dirty diapers, food, etc.

7-Most importantly, please know that a vast majority of our employees DO want to help you have the best experience we can. The easiest way to get the best experience is for everyone to work together.

In summary:

-be nice
-have your reservation number
-have what is required (license, insurance card, credit/debit card, proof of address for debit card)
-don't junk the car; return it how you found it

Look dimwit- Don't demand me to be nice or have the "appropriate attitude" when my rental is not on the lot ready to go. The second I give you my drivers license and credit card, a transaction has taken place and a car SHOULD BE READY right then and there. If you give me what I reserved and when I reserved it, I promise you that I will treat you with the utmost respect and professionalism.

Don't give me the song and dance routine about the "status" of my reserved car for 45 minutes. Type up my contract, show me the car, give me the keys and I will be off. The whole transaction should take 5 maybe 10 minutes even for a slow typist inputing my info.

Here are some key things Enterprise can do to help the customer "attitude" problem:

-- Have the specified car size ready for me at my reservation time, or call me if there are not any. I won't waste my time with you and I will certainly find someone who has one.
--Give me a reasonably clean car. Enterprise cars smell like barn animals or stale beer for some reason.
--I am 6'5" and always request a full size car and will pay a premium for that. Don't try to insult my intelligence by saying a four door Cobalt is "almost a fullsize" when it is a compact. I won't waste your time or mine renting an "Aveo now to switch into for a larger car later".
--Don't charge me for gas when the car is on "E" because I will come back and make sure you put in $5.00.
--I expect the car to be in working/safe order. I have been pulled over twice in an Enterprise car for expired tags. Another time, the windshield wipers would not work. All three incidents led to me being a less than satisfied customer.
--Don't try to sell me waiver, I have full coverage with NO DEDUCTABLE and my platinum card gives me secondary coverage ONLY IF I DECLINE YOUR WORTHLESS WAIVER. So don't try to sell it to me.
--Get a designated shuttle/van service with identifiable Enterprise logos at ALL airport locations. I don't know how many times I have waited at an Enterprise pickup location to be picked up by someone in a sedan asking if "I am waiting for a rental". Not professional.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by I Rent at Hertz

Look dimwit- Don't demand me to be nice or have the "appropriate attitude" when my rental is not on the lot ready to go. The second I give you my drivers license and credit card, a transaction has taken place and a car SHOULD BE READY right then and there. If you give me what I reserved and when I reserved it, I promise you that I will treat you with the utmost respect and professionalism.

Don't give me the song and dance routine about the "status" of my reserved car for 45 minutes. Type up my contract, show me the car, give me the keys and I will be off. The whole transaction should take 5 maybe 10 minutes even for a slow typist inputing my info.

Here are some key things Enterprise can do to help the customer "attitude" problem:

-- Have the specified car size ready for me at my reservation time, or call me if there are not any. I won't waste my time with you and I will certainly find someone who has one.
--Give me a reasonably clean car. Enterprise cars smell like barn animals or stale beer for some reason.
--I am 6'5" and always request a full size car and will pay a premium for that. Don't try to insult my intelligence by saying a four door Cobalt is "almost a fullsize" when it is a compact. I won't waste your time or mine renting an "Aveo now to switch into for a larger car later".
--Don't charge me for gas when the car is on "E" because I will come back and make sure you put in $5.00.
--I expect the car to be in working/safe order. I have been pulled over twice in an Enterprise car for expired tags. Another time, the windshield wipers would not work. All three incidents led to me being a less than satisfied customer.
--Don't try to sell me waiver, I have full coverage with NO DEDUCTABLE and my platinum card gives me secondary coverage ONLY IF I DECLINE YOUR WORTHLESS WAIVER. So don't try to sell it to me.
--Get a designated shuttle/van service with identifiable Enterprise logos at ALL airport locations. I don't know how many times I have waited at an Enterprise pickup location to be picked up by someone in a sedan asking if "I am waiting for a rental". Not professional.

First thing you need to learn is that ERAC does not really honor reservations.

[caliente]

Originally Posted by Robert

First thing you need to learn is that ERAC does not really honor reservations.

yeah, your reservation doesnt mean s%$^@#. all it means is that if the car yuo wanted just happenes to be there, you get it

Originally Posted by caliente

yeah, your reservation doesnt mean s%$^@#. all it means is that if the car yuo wanted just happenes to be there, you get it

How do they get away with this policy for so many years now? It makes me want to get DW and crash the car.

All the person that started this thread was trying to do was give a few pointers to help everyone out... the renter, and the employees...
You have to realize... your not checking out a blockbuster DVD that cost 2dollars to make... we are talking about 30+ thousand dollar vehicles here... and lots of them... so the moral of the story is.... Give respect to get repspect.

And to the clownfaced asshat that was going on and on about his zero deductable platinum card having coverage.... Great!!!!!!
We dont want to have to use our coverage to pay for the car when you mess it up... and good luck getting your credit card to pay for the rental... I hope you like to jump through hoops!!! you think they are not going to fight you on this???? They sure dont want to pay for that 30000$$$ car that you rented quicker then a dvd.... they are going to try to get out of that any way possible.... and then guess what.... you have to pay for the car....and man oh man.... I bet that coverage sounds good then. Not to mention that by law we HAVE TO OFFER IT TO EVERY CUSTOMER!!!!! other wise that is descrimination!!!!

Anyway....
Like I was saying before I got on my tangent....
Most ERAC employees will help you out if you ask....and if you are polite/respectful.
Basically it goes back to...
Help me, help you.