Think you're on the Fast Track? GP49

[Stressfree]

Here's my ERAC story.
I came to the company after being in the workforce for a year after college. I listened to all the opportunities that the company had and was attracted to the whole promotion from within. They said, "sell dub, make your customers happy and you'll get to the elite dinner and promoted". It's the fastest way up and to be recognized. So, I thought to myself, Thats' all I need to do to get promoted. Sell this damage waiver and make people happy. It's so easy, okay. Then, you'll take me out to dinner with upper management and buy me drinks. Done. For my first 9 months with the company, I was top of the Ma/MT matrix 7 of the nine. Steak dinners, high fives, I was loving it. Everyone knew me. I told everyone how great ERAC was. I Then got the call to go to the best persons program at the airport. I said yes, It's the best persons program, I have to go. I wanted it. I then passed my grill got promoted to MA, then a week and a half later I was selected to be one of two AM's at the airport. That's three promotions in 10 and a half months. I was the man at this point. Fast track all the way.
At the airport, we blew numbers out of the water. While I was there, our team started at a 68 ESQI, When I left in November 9 months later we had a 83. We had growth that nobody expected. We had the highest OP, and NET that our office had ever seen. We hit record numbers in every category. We were Top 3 in Sell ups in the entire country and number one in the northeast. I was making checks that were $3K as an AM a month. My BM was pulling in $12K checks. I think we had 12 different promotions. My BM got poped to Area Manager. The other AM and I got promoted to BM's etc...
The office I took over was a satelite office turned into a free standing branch. ESQI at the time was a 68. Fleet 30 cars. No op, 1 full time employeee. I grew the office up to 43 cars, ESQI to an 80 and got my full time employee promoted to the best persons program. A larger office opened up and I didn't know much about the office other than the previous manager quit, and the one before him got demoted.
I threw and I got it. I now had a 100 car office with a satelite (40) cars. Time went by, I had a lot of struggles. It was a real tough area. There were three other competitors, and every shop/dealership had it's favorite. After going marketing for the first time there, I realized that the many heart burns existed b/t a lot of the shops and ERAC. Some of these shops wouldn't give me the time of day. I loved it, what a challenge! I busted my butt every day, going back to these shops and eventually the stopped throwing me out. They knew who I was and would call me when hertz or another competitor that was there primary fell through. They would now send me a deal a month. It was better than, before.
I had a lifer MT who wasn't motivated at all, she finally quit. It of course looked bad on me. All my car preps attended school. Then, school let out they all went home for the summer. Now, It's me, my AM, and a new trainee running this branch. No car preps, no drivers. Just us. You can already see where this is going, can't you. This is one of the groups busiest offices. I continually asked for help from my ARM, but he said that he was working on it and we had to work with what we had. I didn't argue, I said alright. Meanwhile, our groups recruiter quit and didn't hire any new college grads, b/c she quit. Normally, we'd have 50 new MT's starting right out of college around this time, now we had like 10. The entire group is short staffed now. Our new car stock that was supposed to arrive at the beginning of august for our busiest time of the year should'd up 4 weeks late, after our summer rush.
How do you book every deal when you don't have a cars to put someone in. I had customers waiting for 2,3 days to get a car. Then it would take me hours to get them two the branch b/c I only had two employees to pick customers up and drop them off. I usually had 15 pop flys fjor my dealerships on any given day. Theres no way to make people happy, when you have operational issues like this. Then they finally get their car, return it, and bash my branch on ESQI. I went away on vacation in the summer, I come back and two weeks later my AM quits. No, kidding. I wanted to quit too. I was being given no support by my upper management at all. In, fact. They shot down my AM for three promotions that she was more than qualified for. Then my ARM had the balls to question her intensions. She said to me, "that was the most uncomfortable conversation I'd ever had". She quit 2 weeks later. I never got another AM. I had asked several times. I got responses like, "theres no one", "pick who you want" then i'd be told "no", "dually noted". What the hell does that mean. Meanwhile, in another area a AM quits. That BM of that branch then hand picks her next AM within a week of the AM quiting. I had a good relationship with my boss, so I stuck it out figuring he'd give me that support I needed.
I finally get a full staff minus a AM. Two days later I'm placed on 90 probation, get my things together or I'm terminated. At this point I had a 63 ESQI, -40 op YTD, and -20%, growth. I agree, these numbers suck! I'm commuting 50 minutes to work one way, working about 60 hours a week. I'm working my ass off.
90 days pass, My office has a 74 ESQI, 11 YTD op, and still sucks growth wise. Our Net other has been $100/car past month and current. Currently, my office had the highest income in the area and one of the highest in the group. We also had the highest Net other in the area, and top three in the group. There were offices out the with ESQI's of 59, 63, 67, 69. Offices with income current month at $800/car. Not mine.
I am called to a meeting with my ARM, and city manager. Performance review. If my ARM wasn't acting so distint and detached from me I thought I was going to be moved since I showed progression in the right direction. Nope, it was fast and simple. "After reviewing your performance over the past 90 days we have decided to terminate your employee with ERAC". Sign this nonvoluntary disclosure, do you have any questions, nope. HR will give you a ride home.
That was it. It didn't matter that I performed at every single office I had ever been at. It didn't matter that I took over a branch that hadn't performed prior to my arrival. It didn't matter that I was short staffed and had little support from upper management. It was like they didn't even know me.
After 2 1/2 years, that's why I'm stressfree.

[gp65:(]

Congratulations!!!!!

[grp49gramps]

what branches did you work at??

What up players. Rob Zanni here whats going on? EWAC sucks cock that company is pitifull....Im out

Having been in management, 9 times out of 10 when you get the 90 probabtion notice the decision has already been made. Use the time to look for something else.

[FailingEnterpriseAdmin]

I've deleted a message here. Let's stay away from being particularly offensive.

[gp65:(]

Originally Posted by FailingEnterpriseAdmin

I've deleted a message here. Let's stay away from being particularly offensive.

I remember reading that message and going "wow. admin should delete that." Good call.

They work you to the bone, promise you the world. Shit goes wrong, you're the first one to go. They same shit happened to my ARM. F@*K that place. Get your six months of experience and find a real career with a company that will give you lunch and "really" compensate you for your efforts!!

[Stressfree]

Jrc,
Nice message. You speak the truth, that's good. I've gotta say that I should thank ERAC for a few things as well. For example because of this experience on my resume I'm looking at positions that will pay me much more than I would have ever been paid at erac. I was brainwashed thinking that working 65-70 hours a week and only making $45k was good. Most importantly, everyone understands being, "bought in". I was one of the most "bought in" people in the entire company. I would have stayed there until I retired. I would have chewed off my arm, and beaten someone with it if they asked me to. I would still be there, stressed out, pissed off at the accounts, the p.o.s customers, and the everyday bs. They freed me and I'm thankful.

P.S. ESQI numbers came out too, last score to come out was 2 points above corporate average! It's nice to go out on top!!

Originally Posted by Stressfree

Here's my ERAC story.
I came to the company after being in the workforce for a year after college. I listened to all the opportunities that the company had and was attracted to the whole promotion from within. They said, "sell dub, make your customers happy and you'll get to the elite dinner and promoted". It's the fastest way up and to be recognized. So, I thought to myself, Thats' all I need to do to get promoted. Sell this damage waiver and make people happy. It's so easy, okay. Then, you'll take me out to dinner with upper management and buy me drinks. Done. For my first 9 months with the company, I was top of the Ma/MT matrix 7 of the nine. Steak dinners, high fives, I was loving it. Everyone knew me. I told everyone how great ERAC was. I Then got the call to go to the best persons program at the airport. I said yes, It's the best persons program, I have to go. I wanted it. I then passed my grill got promoted to MA, then a week and a half later I was selected to be one of two AM's at the airport. That's three promotions in 10 and a half months. I was the man at this point. Fast track all the way.
At the airport, we blew numbers out of the water. While I was there, our team started at a 68 ESQI, When I left in November 9 months later we had a 83. We had growth that nobody expected. We had the highest OP, and NET that our office had ever seen. We hit record numbers in every category. We were Top 3 in Sell ups in the entire country and number one in the northeast. I was making checks that were $3K as an AM a month. My BM was pulling in $12K checks. I think we had 12 different promotions. My BM got poped to Area Manager. The other AM and I got promoted to BM's etc...
The office I took over was a satelite office turned into a free standing branch. ESQI at the time was a 68. Fleet 30 cars. No op, 1 full time employeee. I grew the office up to 43 cars, ESQI to an 80 and got my full time employee promoted to the best persons program. A larger office opened up and I didn't know much about the office other than the previous manager quit, and the one before him got demoted.
I threw and I got it. I now had a 100 car office with a satelite (40) cars. Time went by, I had a lot of struggles. It was a real tough area. There were three other competitors, and every shop/dealership had it's favorite. After going marketing for the first time there, I realized that the many heart burns existed b/t a lot of the shops and ERAC. Some of these shops wouldn't give me the time of day. I loved it, what a challenge! I busted my butt every day, going back to these shops and eventually the stopped throwing me out. They knew who I was and would call me when hertz or another competitor that was there primary fell through. They would now send me a deal a month. It was better than, before.
I had a lifer MT who wasn't motivated at all, she finally quit. It of course looked bad on me. All my car preps attended school. Then, school let out they all went home for the summer. Now, It's me, my AM, and a new trainee running this branch. No car preps, no drivers. Just us. You can already see where this is going, can't you. This is one of the groups busiest offices. I continually asked for help from my ARM, but he said that he was working on it and we had to work with what we had. I didn't argue, I said alright. Meanwhile, our groups recruiter quit and didn't hire any new college grads, b/c she quit. Normally, we'd have 50 new MT's starting right out of college around this time, now we had like 10. The entire group is short staffed now. Our new car stock that was supposed to arrive at the beginning of august for our busiest time of the year should'd up 4 weeks late, after our summer rush.
How do you book every deal when you don't have a cars to put someone in. I had customers waiting for 2,3 days to get a car. Then it would take me hours to get them two the branch b/c I only had two employees to pick customers up and drop them off. I usually had 15 pop flys fjor my dealerships on any given day. Theres no way to make people happy, when you have operational issues like this. Then they finally get their car, return it, and bash my branch on ESQI. I went away on vacation in the summer, I come back and two weeks later my AM quits. No, kidding. I wanted to quit too. I was being given no support by my upper management at all. In, fact. They shot down my AM for three promotions that she was more than qualified for. Then my ARM had the balls to question her intensions. She said to me, "that was the most uncomfortable conversation I'd ever had". She quit 2 weeks later. I never got another AM. I had asked several times. I got responses like, "theres no one", "pick who you want" then i'd be told "no", "dually noted". What the hell does that mean. Meanwhile, in another area a AM quits. That BM of that branch then hand picks her next AM within a week of the AM quiting. I had a good relationship with my boss, so I stuck it out figuring he'd give me that support I needed.
I finally get a full staff minus a AM. Two days later I'm placed on 90 probation, get my things together or I'm terminated. At this point I had a 63 ESQI, -40 op YTD, and -20%, growth. I agree, these numbers suck! I'm commuting 50 minutes to work one way, working about 60 hours a week. I'm working my ass off.
90 days pass, My office has a 74 ESQI, 11 YTD op, and still sucks growth wise. Our Net other has been $100/car past month and current. Currently, my office had the highest income in the area and one of the highest in the group. We also had the highest Net other in the area, and top three in the group. There were offices out the with ESQI's of 59, 63, 67, 69. Offices with income current month at $800/car. Not mine.
I am called to a meeting with my ARM, and city manager. Performance review. If my ARM wasn't acting so distint and detached from me I thought I was going to be moved since I showed progression in the right direction. Nope, it was fast and simple. "After reviewing your performance over the past 90 days we have decided to terminate your employee with ERAC". Sign this nonvoluntary disclosure, do you have any questions, nope. HR will give you a ride home.
That was it. It didn't matter that I performed at every single office I had ever been at. It didn't matter that I took over a branch that hadn't performed prior to my arrival. It didn't matter that I was short staffed and had little support from upper management. It was like they didn't even know me.
After 2 1/2 years, that's why I'm stressfree.

Damn Campbell...seems like you are busy in your spare time.