A question for all current and former employees of Enterprise

[businesstraveler]

If there one thing that has always amazed me about Enterprise, and that sense has been reinforced by recent discussions on these message boards, is the strength and effectiveness of the training process for employees of the company.

It's left me curious, and I'm wondering if some of you can shed light: how, exactly, are employees -- the ones who do sales and interact with the customers -- trained? Are all new employees sent to a national "boot camp" of sorts, or does it happen on the local level? Who does the training -- outside consultants, or people within the company? How long does it last? Etc.

[One The Way]

When I started I was taught a bit about the protection products at my first week's training before I was sent into the branch. Then I had a week in the branch, then back to the group office for more detailed training on PPs and external sales. This involved basic definitions of the benefits and features.

The techniques you tend to pick up off colleagues. Selling isn't rocket science, anyone can do it. The training's done by the group trainer as well. Whether the products are as beneficial as they make out is another matter...

Originally Posted by businesstraveler

If there one thing that has always amazed me about Enterprise, and that sense has been reinforced by recent discussions on these message boards, is the strength and effectiveness of the training process for employees of the company.

It's left me curious, and I'm wondering if some of you can shed light: how, exactly, are employees -- the ones who do sales and interact with the customers -- trained? Are all new employees sent to a national "boot camp" of sorts, or does it happen on the local level? Who does the training -- outside consultants, or people within the company? How long does it last? Etc.

The new hire is just thrown into a branch after the third interview. They don't train technique at all. It is just learning to fill out a ticket and then to ask the all important question of: do you want waiver x 3. It was stressed to ask this question at the beginning of the writeup, in the middle and again just as your putting the customer in the rental (to make a physical impression that THEY are responsible for it) they might change their mind at this point.

I think I actually pissed off more people with this question than on any other part of the rental. I was actually lucky because depending on which branch I was at I could sell (cram) waiver on between 30-40% of my tickets. Erac was so generous to me they gave me a$25.00 coupon to a local steak house, and a mechanical pen and pencil set (sarcasm here, folks). I quit after 14 months.

When I was there several years ago they did give you a weeks training right away at the groups head office but the majority of it was done by the branch manager. It sounds like it may be different for other areas though.
Oh yeah, to the last poster, between 30 and 40% is a pretty crappy sales percentage in my old branch...what did you expect them to give you??

Originally Posted by businesstraveler

If there one thing that has always amazed me about Enterprise, and that sense has been reinforced by recent discussions on these message boards, is the strength and effectiveness of the training process for employees of the company.

It's left me curious, and I'm wondering if some of you can shed light: how, exactly, are employees -- the ones who do sales and interact with the customers -- trained? Are all new employees sent to a national "boot camp" of sorts, or does it happen on the local level? Who does the training -- outside consultants, or people within the company? How long does it last? Etc.

The training is done at the local level. They send you to a training facility for about a week. During that time period they train you on using a software program that is relatively ancient. Some mock sales pitches are done with feed back for your responses to people that decline damage waiver. The majority of the time though is spent "brain washing" the new recruits on how Enterprise is a Eutopia and that everyone in the room has the ability to make large sums of money within a few years at the company.

Most of the training on handling customers is done at a branch level where tips and tricks are shared by the more tenured employees on how to get a high percentage on your damage waiver sales. The majority of these "tips" revolve around deceiving a customer and tricking them into purchasing the damage waiver and how to constantly badger the customer until that say "yes".

[businesstraveler]

Interesting...

You know the concept of a "secret shopper" -- where basically someone from the company or an outside consulting firm pretends to be a regular customer in order to see how well the front-line employees are doing their job?

At my local post office, for example, the clerks have told me that there are secret shoppers, and one of the things they test for is to say, "Would you like any stamps or packaging products?" Basically it's the post office version of upselling something.

Does Enteprrise use secret shoppers? And, if so, what are the looking for?

Originally Posted by businesstraveler

Interesting...

You know the concept of a "secret shopper" -- where basically someone from the company or an outside consulting firm pretends to be a regular customer in order to see how well the front-line employees are doing their job?

At my local post office, for example, the clerks have told me that there are secret shoppers, and one of the things they test for is to say, "Would you like any stamps or packaging products?" Basically it's the post office version of upselling something.

Does Enteprrise use secret shoppers? And, if so, what are the looking for?

Sorta, someone will call from Corporate in St Louis to a random branch posing as a "potential customer". They will ask what size cars are available (trick question cause you hardly know from minute to minute) the rate of different cars cost of rental ect, ect. If the person does well they will be rewarded with a cheap ERAC logo piece of crap. Someone in our group was summarily fired, because he put the customer on hold too long. To his defense, he was the only erac employee in the office with 4 customers. (so who comes first, your customers right there or someone who can call back when it slows up in 5 or 10 minutes?)

IT'S PRETTY FUCKING FUNNY THAT COLLEGE CAMPUSES HAVE BOOTED ERAC OFF DURING RECRUITING EVENTS. WHY DOESNT AN E-CHIMP ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? OH YEAH, THEY CANT BECAUSE THEY KNOW ITS TRUE!!

Why does Enterprise accept reservations and then not honor them? That sounds like the looniest thing I ever heard of!

[noeracforme]

In the Chicago market, they send you to the office at the airport where they give you a room for three nights. You start training at 7:30 (to start getting used to the early start time) and end around 5pm. During that training they give you a big huge booklet filled with ERAC terms and procedures.

The first day is just tell you that you made the right choice, ERAC is the best and you will be a millionare within 10 years (just like Ben Affleck in the Boiler Room) Monday night, you have dinner with one of the area managers and again, all they tell you how much money you will make and how great of a decision we have all made. Then all the employees from the airport come after work and drink until they have to be back at work the next morning.

Tuesday (hung over), you start learning how to use the computer system (one upgrade away from running pong). Then they start teaching you how to sell waiver. Oh, they squeak in how to write a ticket or two. Tuesday night, more drinking and socializing with ERAC employees.

Wednesday (hung over), do a brief summary or what they taught you and you leave by 12pm (so you can check out of your hotel)

You go to the corporate office to finalize your papers, your branch manager picks you up, takes you back to your branch, and you already have a customer to pick up at the Ford dealership. By Friday, they treat you like you should know everything and leave you be.

Translation...They wine 'n dine you with free room and board and free booze. They show you how to log into the system and assure you that you made the best decision in the world. Then they throw you to the wolves and expect you to learn on the job. If you survive the first month, your great, if not, they start looking for your replacement.