Reservations???

[GP51Sux]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Of these 10 dishonored reservations, did you never get a car? Did you just not get the car you wanted? Yesterday I took a flight it was oversold, then delayed 3 hours. I got on the flight, a few people didnt, after waiting 3 hours. That is dishonering a reservation. Every been "walked" at a hotel. That is dishonoring a reservation. There is almost never a time were someone comes in to ERAC and does not get a car, even if it involves a little wait. Keep up the good work on this gossip board

I think what Admin has discovered that the inconsistancies in branch opperations that started this whole thing have uncovered more of the same (and much worse) all over the country. It's real easy for ERACers to come on here and bash someone for trying to draw attention to something that they don't like. I commend Admin for having the guts to stand up and stick by his complaints.

I know the ERAC mentality to blow off most complaints realizing that there are millions of other customers that have no alternative. However, in today's world, the power of one person (and lots of similar stories from across the country) and the internet can make some waves. The unforseen addition of the exERAC contingent has just strengthened Admin's position by giving further insight and confirmation of shady dealings.

Keep up the good work Admin, and don't bend.....

looks like this board is turning on ADMIN with all his bitching...LMAO!

[offshorerob]

I can see that with people like you running the company I am sure they will do very well. In all seriousness, you are a damn idiot. I wish Darwinism would have weeded you out. You do not even understand how a reservation works. I rent from HERTZ, every time I go the car that I reserved is there....what a brilliant idea.

[Catharsis]

Haven't been on failingenterprise for a while... popped by to check the old stomping grounds and was intrigued by the challenge of this thread. Can reservations be fixed and still run a profitable branch?

You may remember that the ERAC pick-up service was originally introduced by a guy who was trying to manage his reservations. (Now it's become another challenge to overcome in an understaffed branch!)

Here's a few other ideas to improve rezo fulfillment:

1. Use a credit card number when reserving a car and charge a no-show fee. This will reduce non-qual's and no-show's at the same time. I'm actually surprised ERAC doesn't do this. (Maybe it's not legal in all states, I don't know).

2. Charge a late fee that is greater than the daily rental, unless they give you 12 hours notice of their extension. (I didn't use this on shop customers, but I did on retail customers and a couple really irresponsible corporate accounts).

3. Do a better job of qualifying people on the phone as this will reduce your rezos that don't actually get cars off the lot. Therefore, it gives you a better picture of your vehicle needs.

4. Create a retail waiting list on heavy retail days to call when YOU want... to make sure your accounts are taken care of first.

5. Get exact times that people are expected to return... and expect them to stick to them. Write it on the contract. (this works for corporate and retail and you can usually get an approximate time from the shops).

6. Five words that a very successful area manager once told me: "It's okay to say no." Don't take every deal. Take good deals that won't screw you over in payment, damages, or on return times. There were times when I turned customers away because I knew they would not return a vehicle in time for a customer who did want it. (The result: I kept the responsible customer I wanted and they were happy, I got rid of the irresponsible customer I didn't want).

7. Ask for a second vehicle preference.

8. Manage customer's expectations. "We don't usually get a lot of SUVs back until after 4pm so if you'd like a better selection you may want to rent a day earlier, or push your schedule back a little later. (If a customer was willing to pick up a vehicle the evening before, I would usually charge some kind of small overnight rate that meant little to the corporate customers but they liked it because they weren't in my office during a busy morning).

9. Give extra weekend miles or a free upgrade to people who return the weekend special on Sunday night. (This saved me a lot of hassle on Monday mornings!)

10. Overbooking comes with the territory but don't wait for the customer to walk in the door before you break the news to them. Phone them with a solution. It sucked but I'm sure Failing Enterprise Admin would have appreciated at least a heads-up phone call on the rentals of his that were screwed up.

11. I'm sure even RALPH is capable of a simple program to add to the rezo screen that will allow you to see how many of a specific vehicle class are expected to be available on a given day, based on on-rent and reservations. (For example, let's say a customer wants to book an SUV for a month down the road. You push the button and the screen says: 10 SUVs in fleet, 3 SUVs are currently booked/on rent. So you say "no problem, Mr. Customer and the computer now logs 4 booked/on-rent." Another customer calls later to book an SUV. You push the button and the screen says: 10 SUVs in fleet, 8 SUVs are booked/on rent." You know that a couple willl be out to non-reserved shop customers so you say, "it could be close Mr. Customer but I'll put you in for one. What's a second preference if we can't get an SUV for you?") Yeah, this idea is not perfect but in my first branch I did a simple paper-based version of it during peak times and it saved me many, many times! This might also solve the problem of NatRes booking cars that the branch won't likely have.

With the exception of idea #1, I used some form of all the others to manage my fleet AND my reservations. It kept my ESQi high, I ran at a decent occupancy, and I was profitable. It can be done. You'll always be screwed by late customers, damaged vehicles, etc., but I think it can be drastically minimized while profitability is maintained.

[GP51Sux]

Originally Posted by Catharsis

6. Five words that a very successful area manager once told me: "It's okay to say no." Don't take every deal. Take good deals that won't screw you over in payment, damages, or on return times. There were times when I turned customers away because I knew they would not return a vehicle in time for a customer who did want it. (The result: I kept the responsible customer I wanted and they were happy, I got rid of the irresponsible customer I didn't want).

Some very good points, however I have issue with #6. I don't know what group you were in, but thst Area Manager would probably be fired and shot in most any group for uttering that 2-letter word "NO". That's something that everyone thinks and practices sometimes, but for a level 3 to say that is unheard of!! The "Yes mentality" is what sets ERAC apart...lmao!!

Originally Posted by Unregistered

JERRY: I don't understand, I made a reservation, do you have my reservation?
RENTAL CAR AGENT: Yes, we do, unfortunately we ran out of cars.
JERRY: But the reservation keeps the car here. That's why you have the reservation.
RENTAL CAR AGENT: I know why we have reservations.
JERRY: I don't think you do. If you did, I'd have a car. See, you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to *hold* the reservation and that's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them.

http://www.stanthecaddy.com/sounds-j...servation.html

Ironically enough when I did training in Group 15 two years ago (dear god it's been that long) they SHOWED this video. The angle was the "proper" way to handle this sitatuation, then they went into this diatribe about talking the customer calm while they "get the car ready." yeah, because bullshit a customer as to why their car isn't ready is going to make them happy where if you had their car in the first place it wouldn't be an issue. gotta keep the esqi up!!

i quit last friday!

[GUNIT]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

WOW YOU GOT THE POINT RENT SOMEWHERE ELSE!!! GOOD FOR YOU!! YOU FREAKING IDIOTADMIN. you did something 10 time over that it usually take most people one time. We didn't fit your needs, OK MOVE ON. I hate to lose the business but honestly Hertz just when up for sale, so I think ERAC is going to be ok. And Alamo had to merge with National, Avis is in the red. Budget sucks, I just hope you don't break down while you are renting. Erac keeps growing.... umm how long with it take others to figure out what makea profitable company.

Very interesting post. I had read it over a few times to truly soak in the idiocy.

#1 Hertz is getting sold because Ford needs cash, not because it is unprofitible. Who is going to a sinking ship? Come on now.

#2 Hertz is the largest RETAIL rental car company. ERAC is the largest REPLACEMENT vehicle company.

#3 Alamo and National merged to compete with the big boys.

#4 Last time I checked no one could see ERAC's financial statements. They were trying to go public, but their account practices did not fall within guidelines. Makes you wonder what the books say...Hmmm possible they are cooked books?

#5 GP17 (one of the largest groups). What is the average OP for the GROUP? Let alone region, area, or branch? Most branches I talked to would have lost money by $35.00 if it were not for flip. So is -$35.00 really making money? Technically it costs your branch $35.00 per car per month to do business. Is that really a profitible industry?

Please Please Please check your facts before you speak. Unintelligble ERAC babble and propaganda is pointless here. We do not run tight here. We do not get a kick out of pushing people into cars they do not want. We (for the most part) are former employees. And as with every customer giving you a good recommendation (purpose of ESQI), we are now your customers and your word of mouth advertising. Just thought you should know.

Just a quick issue on the last point....

Flip is the difference between a cars sold value and its depreciated value. Since the depreciation is part of the branch`s cost, if they make money net (ie with flip), then they are making money, not losing 35 per car.

One good thing I will say about ERAC is you can make a lot of friends there (not all of them the sexual kind despite what some people will have you believe). Could sya a lot of bad stuff, but I`m not about to become someone on a rant. People should be clever enough to make up their own minds

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What "attitude?" I'm just trying to educate your mind. Chances are, if you have a reservation, you're going to get a car. Maybe not the color or identical size you wanted but you're going to get a car. Do you think we would want to put a renter in a full size car for the price of an economy car? We do our best to honor reservations for the correct car size...but that is impossible. Simple as that, impossible. If you think it could be done better, please share. I know you probably have the most thought out and eloquent answer to that, but it's just not that simple or cut and dry.

Also, news flash FailingEnterprise Hero....it's not 8,000 customers visitiing this site. And what battle? Are you nuts? I'm worried for you, quite frankly.

Where do I think what's going...this web site? Seriously, or should I humor you? It's a site of pissed off ex-employees who didn't quite make it and/or current employees the company is probably trying to get rid of because they suck at their job....why would I be concerned about that?

So, what you're saying is that if I reserve a compact car, but a full-sized car is all that's available when I arrive to pick up my reservation, not only will you try to get me to accept the full-sized car, but you expect me to pay the higher rate as well even though it was not MY fault the compact wasn't available? I can tell you now that Thrifty has a better ethic than that - I reserved a compact, which they rented out. So, they provided me with a Grand Caravan AT THE SAME RATE AS THE COMPACT because it was THEIR error, not mine!! Plus, it is illegal to promise something knowing it is not available and then try to have the customer pay for a higher priced alternative. It is called BAIT AND SWITCH and is heavily penalized in New Jersey (and likely other places as well.) So, if that is how you actually run your business, then you deserve to lose customers as well as revenue when you are taken to court by anyone who decides to take a stand against you. I can't wait to see New Jersey take you on. They don't play.

[I am a Puppet at ERAC]

Who Give A Fu*k You Rent From Hertz Its A God Damn Car Its Not A Fu**ing House Buy A Car Get Picked Up At The Damn Airport If You Puppets Can't Rent Cars If It's Too Hard Then Quit Go Flip Burgers Deliver Pizza Or Something Its A God Damn Car Rent It Clean It Get Over It