Advice and support appreciated

Hi everyone,

Here's the situation...I've recently had 2 interviews in IRELAND to start as a MT in the summer. Was all keen, the people at the branch were really friendly and enthusiastic (but then all the Irish are!) and I WAS excited about the job. It'd be my first job out of college, the only experience I've previously had is in fashion retail which is long hours/@#%$ pay too.

But then I found this site, and the verdict is pretty unanimous... based on what is said here, I'd end up being worse off - I'm moving to Ireland to spend more time with friends/fiancee, not working like 70 hours. I'm so disappointed, I was looking forward to finding a decent job, and honestly working for Enterprise didn't seem that bad! Have I really wasted my time or would it be ok for maybe a year or so? I would earn about £16,000 sterling which I need... Do you think Enterprise in Ireland would be any different? Has anyone had any experiences over there?

I thought I had everything all sorted but now I'm thinking hard about my options. Sorry to sound so down...anyone with any advice or words of condolence please reply!

As the admin alluded to in his opening comments as to why he started this site, the problems and complaints that plague Enterprise are worldwide.

Whether it be Dublin, London, San Francisco, or Boston, Enterprise is a "Failing Enterprise"!

It's just a matter of time before their start "spreading their green" to such places as Baghdad where they will open up a branch and get Saddam Hussein working as a car prep!

They will start it as Enterprise Rent-A-Camel over there. Phantom sell-ups into two-hump camels. Would you like to prepay for a camel full of water and bring him back empty?

Washing camels in suits and ties, no thanks.

You can buy Camel Damage Waiver if you would like.

Sorry, after a day of ERAC hell, I thought I would try to creatively tell the poster that it is honestly not worth it. I've been with ERAC for a while and the past couple of months have been the most fun. The stress of not having cars for people and scrambing to get everything done with three employees in a 145 car branch is still there. I just think the reality has set in that this is not something I want to be doing for the next 20 years. I love the challenge of sales, but not being compensated correctly for it absolutely sucks. I've been moved to three different branches (twice as an assistant and once as a manager) and my commission has been cut each time as an assistant when I changed branches and then readjusted to fall in line "with what I should be making" when I became a manager b/c I was doing such a great job growing my fleet size and increasing my branch's income.

You heard me right, I was being penalized for being too good at my job. My job B.E. (Before Enterprise) was straight commission. The higher ups didn't care if you made $2K/year or $200K/year b/c they knew that they would get compensated off of the income that you brought into the company. At Enterprise, I have seen BM and Assistants get screwed on commission plans just to fatten up some higher ups. I've had to take second jobs b/c the promise of large compensations was made to me over and over again. I have heard all of the bs excuses as to why I wasn't promoted to an assistant spot despite having awesome airport experience, being a consistant top seller, and always posting great ESQI at every branch I have ever been. I'm basically just running out of patience w/ERAC. I've "hacked it," produced results, and have done my homework and that is why I'm getting out.

I ran into someone the other day at our admin. office who had quit about a month back and was filling out his exit interview. I've known him for more than two years and I've never seen him smile that much or be that happy. I'm in the process of lining something else up, so I'm just buying my time until then. The only thing that I've found out is an absolute is that the Enterprise pyramid (whether you see it in the "food chain" sense or the "scheme" sense) is alive and well.

Here's an update on my situation anyway...probably make you feel better than I'm NOT going to work for Enterprise!

I'm really f*cked off with them actually (suprise!). Basically before I came on here I was quite naive about them, I'm just 21, just finished my Marketing MA, and was looking for a way to get experience, ya know.

So I applied for a MT position in Ireland (I'm in UK but moving to Ireland very soon - long story). I had a phone interview because of the distance, went well I thought. Then came the second interview. So I phoned HR and chatted to the nice lady who seemed willing to set one up at a branch in Ireland. This would involve me flying over at my own expense to do it. But I did it (I was visiting family too so I didn't mind flying over)...did a really positive interview with a branch manager and area manager. I actually thought I as what they were looking for; "cheerleader" type, retail experience, marketing MA. Got on really well with them actually!

But I heard nothing for 2 weeks...finally I rang the nice HR lady again who obviously didn't have a clue about the interview and just said 'it went ok did it?'. She then said she wasn't sure if there was actually a vacancy for the branch, and I thought this was odd since I'd so enthusiastically travelled over to do a branch interview. So then she asked me to send a copy of my driver's license to her, which I did a week later. In the meantime I received a letter saying I was 'unsuccessful', with no reason given whatsoever.
I tried calling to complain but they're always away from the office. It just seems out of order to encourage someone to go that far, travel, etc, then send out a random letter wih no explanation! If it's to do with the interview then normally I'd expect feedback, and the driver's license was in the mail.
I hadn't even started work with them and I'm already annoyed! I took the whole thing seriously, they should have taken me seriously instead of messing me about...if there wasn't a friggin vacancy they should've said earlier!!

[Heartland Girl75]

I would get down on my knees and thank Jesus, Mary and Joseph for sparing you the pain of what might have been a journey to the center of Hell. Amen.

This door closed. Your window of opportunity is coming.

Update... I'm still annoyed that ERAC wasted my time. The HR woman won't answer my calls...is it true that they get paid depending on if they hire you? Well, I guess once she realised there *might* not be a position vacant she blew me off! I want something for the effort of flying over to Ireland and kissing ERAC ass! Seriously, I thought these people were desperate for recruits?
You know what, you guys were right, I am too intelligent and valuable an employee for ERAC and they just missed their chance of hiring me... HA!

[Jeahho]

Originally Posted by dark_babey_gurl

Seriously, I thought these people were desperate for recruits?

That is what some will lead you to believe. The fact is, Enterprise has a large pool of candidates to choose from. A good manager/area manager/ RRM is going to be extremely picky about who they let in the door. When you are hired, it is done with the assumption that you have the **potential** to one day be upper level management. If a manager hires someone just to rent cars he is looking for trouble.

When I was the final interviewer, and understaffed, and desperate for an employee or two, I would still only hire about 1 in 8, (if I was really desperate maybe the average would drop to 1 in 6), of the people that made it past the first two interviews. Due to the already low number of employees in the typical Enterprise office, one bad employee can screw up the whole mix so a smart manager will take his time searching for the right person.

Your situation is a great example of this site being misleading. Listening to most of the people here you would think that if you apply the job is yours, because they absolutely must fill all the vacancies caused by the flood of employees fleeing the company. That isn’t the case.

Originally Posted by dark_babey_gurl

I want something for the effort of flying over to Ireland and kissing ERAC ass!

UUUURRRRNK, wrong answer!! You got the same think from Enterprise that you will get at a good chunk of the interviews you will have in the real world. That would be, interview experience. Don't let the whiners here make you think differently. When someone at some company thinks you are a good candidate it will then be your job to prove them right. Until then, keep looking and keep your head up.

[Heartland Girl75]

Jeaho,
If Enterprise is so picky and only picks the best of the best, why did we work there?

Also...

7000 jobs this year at erac are avaliable.I doubt somehow that 6000 will stay! That gives you a pretty good idea of how rubbish a programme it is. I worked with loads of rubbish people...suck erac cock in the interview and your in...it was easy!

[playerchick]

In my old region, everyone that came to the second interview ( branch observation ) was hired. My ARM hired a person b/c he played basketball in college. Then another one b/c she wore flat shoes at the interview ( that is good for washing cars was his explanation ). Then he hired an ex Thrifty car prep ( who had no college diploma, no sales nor cust service experience ) just b/c he thought he would get the inside scoop on thrifty. Saddest part of the story, Thrifty is not even in our 75 mile radius. My old region was DESPERATE for anything that was half way decent. Actually half way decent is being picky. They took everything that applied with some sense of cust service and sales. My old ARM had a 2 year associates degree ( our region had a requirement 4yr BA minimum ) that he finished while at ecrap. Go figure.. And then tell me they are picky!!