A Relieved Ex Employee from U2

Been workin in U2 for 4 months and when i went to branch visit before i started i should have not bothered it was a nightmare.Since starting there has been so many incidents of mal practice,unethical practice and illegal instances i just do not know where to start

I had an interview with branch manager who spent more times answering phones that asking me interview questions i just felt like a spare part in the interview!!! Anybody thinking of joining DONT!!!!!!

Other problems I had:

I was asked to use mobile phone and must take it with me when i went out the office and i got intotrouble on numerous occasions if i left my phone in the draw or didnt answer the calls. Over the days, weeks and months i was using my personal mobile as a business mobile, costing me money when having to call the branch when keys werent there, customers not in etc... When i tried to claim my expenses back i was told that i had to prove i had used my phone for business calls!!! what an absolute insult!!!

We had an employee opinion poll meeting after branch hours from 7 - 9 in redditch which we were told about the day before and was forced to go and could not get out of it or we would be in for a discplinary, I didnt even get paid for it!!!!!! after working a full day 7.30 till 6.30 they wanted us then to go down and work till 9.30 plus the travel back home and then be in work for the next day for 7.30!!!

Hours are also not as they were stated 8-6 is what u are told in reality its 7.30 till 7.00 most days.

Lunch breaks are non existant if u try and leave the office and have half hour the branch manager complains and says you are not pullin your weight for the team!!

I bought 2 nice suits and now they are completely ruined because i have washed cars and getin soaked. Its a disgrace i have learnt so much on how not to run a business. Employees are just cheap slave labour

The list can go on on and on. Im glad i found this web site and know that it wasnt just me that had a bad experience, this was a bad choice in jobs!

If any wants to talk about it or is considering dont!!!

Kevin???

Whos this???

I think that Enterprise is for some but not for others...simple as that. I know many people (including myself at the time) who have made a success of their careers there and also made good money! Simply use it as a stepping stone to something better suited! Went to Bham airport recently and Vicki has gone, what happened to her...who's running it now?

[it_sucks]

Originally Posted by HappyGuy

Been workin in U2 for 4 months and when i went to branch visit before i started i should have not bothered it was a nightmare.Since starting there has been so many incidents of mal practice,unethical practice and illegal instances i just do not know where to start

I had an interview with branch manager who spent more times answering phones that asking me interview questions i just felt like a spare part in the interview!!! Anybody thinking of joining DONT!!!!!!

Other problems I had:

I was asked to use mobile phone and must take it with me when i went out the office and i got intotrouble on numerous occasions if i left my phone in the draw or didnt answer the calls. Over the days, weeks and months i was using my personal mobile as a business mobile, costing me money when having to call the branch when keys werent there, customers not in etc... When i tried to claim my expenses back i was told that i had to prove i had used my phone for business calls!!! what an absolute insult!!!

We had an employee opinion poll meeting after branch hours from 7 - 9 in redditch which we were told about the day before and was forced to go and could not get out of it or we would be in for a discplinary, I didnt even get paid for it!!!!!! after working a full day 7.30 till 6.30 they wanted us then to go down and work till 9.30 plus the travel back home and then be in work for the next day for 7.30!!!

Hours are also not as they were stated 8-6 is what u are told in reality its 7.30 till 7.00 most days.

Lunch breaks are non existant if u try and leave the office and have half hour the branch manager complains and says you are not pullin your weight for the team!!

I bought 2 nice suits and now they are completely ruined because i have washed cars and getin soaked. Its a disgrace i have learnt so much on how not to run a business. Employees are just cheap slave labour

The list can go on on and on. Im glad i found this web site and know that it wasnt just me that had a bad experience, this was a bad choice in jobs!
If any wants to talk about it or is considering dont!!!

that standard at enterprise...which branch did u work at....i can remember working 12hrs a day...

[Keep_It_Real]

To Make good money at Enterprise you have to work stupid hours.... I remember one week i must have worked over 80 hours...... 7.45 - 6.45pm Mon - Friday (with no lunch break, had to eat while answering phones).... then saturday 8.30am-2pm and also i was doing out of hours that week in which case i was on call from 6pm-Midnight Mon-Fri and all day Sat & Sun...........and the worst thing was that i only got paid £20 per OOH deal... which takes 4 hours on average to complete by the time uve got to the branch, opened the back, taken the car out, wrote the contract, shown the cust around car, and then locked branch and then drove home............... I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND SOME1 TO WORK FOR ERAC, YOU'LL GET BELOW THE MINIMUM WAGE........ at £15k a year, 55 hours a week on average..... ull get just £5.24 per hour

Been there seen it!!

Back in 1998 we trainees were paid a mere £12,000 basic. It sounds just as you described it! However, there were no out of hours then.

My advice to anyone interested is to jack it in, and try and land a job in some sort of sales. Enterprise preys on "average" or "poor" graduates (like myself) - mainly those bright people who perhaps fcuked about at Uni too much and landed a 2:2 in a shit subject (or worse!). The graduate job market is saturated, so they "put spin" on the job spec to make it sound a great career move. Lets face it, in reality, no degree is required. You could leave school at 16 and start as a trainee and probably achieve similar success as a graduate!!

I jacked it in after 6 months or so. Worked out of the Tamworth branch if it is still there. Went back and did a post grad in IT. Now have a much better professional job, earning shed loads, and sitting back relaxing in the fact that my gamble to leave the worst job on earth paid off. Even better - I can wear nice suits and leather soles without destroying them!

Incidentally - my cousin worked for Enterprise in the US. She was an au pair until her contract finished, and got a job in Cincinnatti. They are treated just the same there, and ironically she lasted only 6 months too! She is now the Director of a successful design consultancy still in US.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Just quit asap!!!

[PUT_OUT_TO_PASTURE]

The TRUTH about Enterprise

If you are thinking about starting with them or you are employed by them and want to know how the Majority of the branches work READ ON!!!!!!!!!!

RECRUITMENT

Best Sales Pitch ever - Make you feel valued as a graduate, like you are getting a really good job and will go places quickly which is what every graduate wants. The pitch was fantastic but the job didnt live upto the expectation and severe disappointment is just around the corner. Recruitment team are very nice, but I dont think they really understand what goes on or are trying to cover it up.

WAGES

Don't expect to buy a house on a £15,000 but in time there could be the opportunity for progression. This is a bit low also for a graduate salary, but with graduate jobs decreasing, graduates are becoming more desperate.

HOURS OF WORK

8am - 6pm!!! Hour for lunch, (As stated during the recruitment process) Doesn't sound too bad??

HOWEVER... in reality the chances of doing those hours are remote. Try 7:30am - 7, 8 9pm and NO lunch break. I have never been so thirsty! Sweets at the local petrol station on fuel stops become your breakfast, lunch and tea. Its not all doom and gloom, there are a small percentage of times that you will get away on time and have lunch, but by no means EXPECT it as you will be made to feel guilty for expressing this wish.

CORPORATE DRESS

Hey nice suit!!!! £ 100?? Now go and wash a car!!! A suit makes you feel important and respected, but not whilst your washing a car in one with the customers laughing at you. You may look good going into work, but what about the state you look going home. Don't expect a waterproof coat to protect your suit as these are only for the car preps, who probably get paid more than you per hour.

THE WAY SOCIETY WILL SEE YOU IN YOUR NEW HIGH-FLYING ROLE

I have regulary been asked whilst picking up customers (Not a hooker... a GRADUATE TRAINEE) if driving is my main job. I quickly fed up of explaining that I am a graduate on a trainee programme NOT A DRIVER, and eventually realised that I WAS nothing more than a GLORIFED TAXI DRIVER, but earning less. The only good thing is meeting new contacts on the way. (Perhaps a new job lead???)

MOBILE PHONES

High flying job - graduate scheme - drive brand new cars - progression guaranteed.......

All billed to your mobile.... Be prepared to use your own mobile for work and no chance of claiming the money used back!!!!!!!!




HOW TO SUCCEED AT ENTERPRISE - 5 simple ways for guaranteed promotion

1. Lick Ass
2. Sleep with the boss
3. Become a Green Monster
4. Be a Top Dog Bullsh*tter
5. Stick around till they become desperate for someone to promote

When jobs arise, they usually time well with test passes of certain individuals. It short terms jobs usually have a name on them and if you arent the name they are talking about then forget it.

MARKETING

So you think you're a BIG SHOT NOW working in Marketing, being an Account Manager??????? THINK AGAIN

Yes you will meet your local accounts........ usually with a box of doughnuts and a QUAD sheet to complete, and you will soon become that pain in the ass from Enterprise again. "Have they got nothing better to do?" Your local supermarket will think you have an eating disorder when you purchase 15 boxes of doughnuts every few days. You will soon be struggling to fill that QUAD sheet in after 1 visit per month. "Business not changed, still rent cars no need for any more rentals yet." This is a perfect opportunity to practice your bullsh*tting skills.

DRIVING

So you think your Richard Hammond Now... driving that new orange Picanto or that Stylish Matiz....

This is one of the only perks of Enterprise.... or is it??

YES... you get to try out the latest models such as the 2.0 litre astra sport or a golf GTI, but be CAREFUL ... when you are rushing around to collect that customer that you are already an hour late for as a nasty accident could result in a £300 excess to pay. Don't expect any driver training either, just jump in that giant automatic sedona (having never driven a auto before) and reverse it on to a main road at rush hour in birmingham city centre.

The novelty soon wears off when you are driving all the time and you become A DRIVER!!!

However you have to ask if being a driver is better than being stuck in the office answering the phones within two rings as well as serving a customer, chewing a sandwich and making a reservation???????

THE JOB!!!

What did I do??? This is an embarrassing question.
Sometimes a Grad scheme looks good on your CV and others they tell you that it ruins it. Good Education, Good Experience then RENTING CARS. You have to hope your next employer doesnt know to much about Enterprise or you are a damn fine Blagger. There are some good transferrable skills that you can gain from Enterprise, but this role will not do you justice!!

Daily Duties will involve - Continually answering phones, deal with difficult customers who can't afford the deposit, or you have already put off earlier because you havent got a car for them, write tickets one after another and usually the rubbish ones depending on if your manager wants you promoted or they are out for themselves.

Writing tickets

This is the make or break for some people. There are good and bad tickets, good are those which have a high rate and will make you look better of the performance matrix which the whole group receive and bad ones that are worth £8-9 per day when you need to have an average of £20 per day... Steep Target huh? Yep and it doesnt stop there because when you get a bad ticket which is a pain writing in itself, the pressure is on you to sell additional products and services that will push that daily rate up to £20 per day. I'd say that is a lot of hard work for one ticket. If you dont sell? Be prepared to answer to your manager! The worst thing about writing tickets is that a trained chicken could probably do it. You find yourself spouting the same rubbish pitch time and time again in a desperate bid not to be at the bottom of the performance matrix and for your area manager not to advertise the fact. You feel that you are trained labour to perform the motions of the pitch over and over again. Be prepared if you are new to have all of the rubbish tickets.

Chauffeur????

Be prepared to pick up customers and drop them off again. Customer Service is key but on a Saturday morning, after an already 50 hour week you really don't feel like making small talk.

CHECKING CARS IN AND OUT...

Again this is a difficult part of the job, but your branch will be held accountable for missed damage. When a car goes out it is checked for damage and again when it returns. Be prepared to face angry customers when you find damage that could of been missed on the way out, or that has occured during the rental and ask them how they will pay the £500 excess!!! This is made even more difficult in the winter with bad weather and dark nights.

MANAGEMENT STYLE
Because this SALES orientated role is so competitive people will do whatever it takes to get to the top. This include managers disclosing information on employees that they feel may be invaluable. It is very much a doggy dog world and you must trust no one, if you want to keep secrets.
I personally saw staff embarrassed and penalised if they weren't selling products or if the management saw fit to pick on them. The job is PURELY A SALES ROLE, but again all to common I heard that trainees were not told this at the interviews. Making people feel bad about themselves is not a way to manage, motivation and self belief are the aspects that get results, something some managers should consider.

Besides all this you will also be expected to go out a market occasionally (i.e doughnut dropping), answer the phones continually, call customers who have sent over reservations, call customers that are in cars, chase payments and a whole lotta other stuff you arent being paid enough for!

EARS ON WALLS

Be careful who you speak to about anything that could make you centre focus. Do not tell anyone you are looking for another job as the management team will have spies everywhere and will be watching very closely. I think this insecurity is down to the fact that they know they will lose staff and they accept this and will do it happily with minimal disruption to the remaining staff. The hours make it impossible to go for interviews or even look for another job as you are so tired by the time you get home, you cannot be bothered to eat. Once your card is marked you are continually monitored to see if you are leading others astray, but otherwise forgotten about. There is never a "why do you want to leave? What can we do?" Once they know they dont try to stop you, only force you out with least fuss and not a word of thanks or even good luck. If you want to continually look over your shoulder then this is the place for you, otherwise steer clear or keep it buttoned.

TOP AND BOTTOM OF IT

Enterprise is for 5 people out of 100. Those 5 will do very well and probably make a bit of money, but your face has to fit and you have to put up with all that I have described above.

I feel Enterprise takes advantage of the lack of opportunity for graduates by branding this as a Graduate Scheme, when it is clearly a ploy to get educated people into their business to look good. They provide you will a folder that makes you feel you have a structured programme, but in reality you rarely have time to look at this folder and managers will sign off things that you haven’t actually done to push you through folder. It is merely a formality.

I felt like under appreciated labour. I kept reassuring myself that I was on a graduate scheme in an attempt to justify to myself and others why I was in a rubbish job. I was depressed and tired and didn’t realise how bad it was until I left. Now I have my smile back and am looking forward to real prospects that don’t depend of trampling on everyone else around me. DONT be fooled by the pitch as the job won’t live up to it.

Enterprise may be for you, it may not, but I hope this information has given you the chance to make up your own mind.

^^
chamionship post
doesn't suprize me things are exactly the same stateside

Originally Posted by PUT_OUT_TO_PASTURE

The TRUTH about Enterprise


MANAGEMENT STYLE
It is very much a doggy dog world and you must trust no one, if you want to keep secrets.

Dont you meant dog eat dog? where did you get doggy dog from you numpty, lol