Has Anyone Not Accepted an offer Due to this site

Let's do the math, Failing Enterprise has been up since 2000. Since then, ERAC has an average of 30% turnover of 55,000 employees yearly. After 5 calendar years, that's 82,500 ex-ERAC'ers vs the current 56,000 ERAC'ers mentioned earlier. Based on just 5 years, I think the power of the ex-ERAC voice is fairly strong.

Now that's the kind of clarity you receive once you get your head out of the sand because you ran out of cars at 8:15 am on a Monday!!

[Jeahho]

I didn't realize this site had been up that long....

Anyway, you are assuming that all employees that left in the last 5 years moved on because they were unhappy with the company. I would say that a significant chunk of that 82,000 people you referenced couldn't care less about a website bashing Enterprise.

[Call Me Sparky]

Then why are ERAc determined to shut the site down and why are there so many entries?

[Jeahho]

Originally Posted by Call Me Sparky

Then why are ERAc determined to shut the site down

I wouldn't really call EzBoard enforcing their written rules a sign of determination to shut down the site. Any individual who took the time to read the EZBoard TOU and was pissed off their name was mentioned on the site could easily have made a call to Enterprise corporate and found someone to represent them in a letter that questioned the use of people's names on the EZBoard site. EZboard has those rules in place for legal reasons (which are why I was really surprised to see our faithful Admin put out his neck and run his own board). More power to him though, it takes balls. And I'm sure he is getting some good legal advice.

Originally Posted by Call Me Sparky

and why are there so many entries?

So many entries? I guess that really depends on what you want to think of as 'so many entries'. What are we comparing it to? There are definitely some pissed off people, I won't attempt to deny that. I think though that as long as you have people dealing with each other there will be conflict. In my opinion, Enterprise does a pretty fair job attempting to make employees and customers happy and maintaining a balance between customer/employee satisfaction and profits.

Regardless of what Enterprise does right or wrong some people are going to dislike the company and there is absolutely no way to change that. I just hope that they can see a site like this for what it is (a good time) and never be blackmailed into changing a business that is already being run well.

"In my opinion, Enterprise does a pretty fair job attempting to make employees and customers happy and maintaining a balance between customer/employee satisfaction and profits.

I just hope that they can see a site like this for what it is (a good time) and never be blackmailed into changing a business that is already being run well."

JeahHo,
We've had several back and forths about our opinions about whether or not Erac is run well or not. I still don't know what the hell it is you're looking at when you say that Erac is a well run company that maintains a good balance between employee satisfaction and profits. Every time I've disputed that, you just dismiss what I say as irrelevant or incorrect. Why is that? Could it be because you don't want to hear things that contradict what you've come to insert into your head or is it because you just don't like me because I constantly rip on your lack of interpersonal skills on this board? And save me your knee jerk response that I don't add anything to the argument. I've addressed this issue of erac being a well run company over and over. They are not.

You believe that the issue is small scale in that the problem is because there are a few bad managers that ruin it. I think it goes much much deeper than that. Sure accountability lies with individual managers, but when you have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of those managers in the company, what does that indicate? Maybe Erac has a system in place that promotes the wrong people??? Instead of focusing on the whole 6 figures in 6 years spiel that they hand feed their new and existing employees everyday, which is misleading in itself because Erac is not growing nearly as much as they'd like you to believe, maybe they should focus on employee development of good leaders rather than robots whose sole purpose is to maintain the status quo. Erac is only contributing to this blatant problem by putting the primary focus on things like damage waiver rather than solid management. There are so many people that get catapaulted into management positions because they can sell well and suck up but they have minimal leadership and communication skills. Then what happens? Those people maintain the status quo, which is what the Erac corporate lackies really want, and then they use their new found and unearned power to promote many people that suck just as bad as they do. Then the cycle repeats itself over and over all the while the solid employees that organizations should want to employee are pushed out the door either inadvertantly or blatantly. This doesn't seem like a problem to you, JeahHo? Go take a couple of graduate level management courses and then talk to some organizational development specialists. If Erac keeps promoting crap employees into management positions, then eventually all they're gonna be left with is a great big toilet that will desperately need to be flushed. Erac allows this trait to continue because they focus only on profit. Profit is important, but when you lose sight of the other variables, like Erac has done a long time ago, then you're only slowly detroying the company from the inside out. This concept seems to evade you? Why? It seems so obvious to me. Just because Erac is still around and making money doesn't mean that it is an organization that is on the rise. There are different stages an organization goes through, and believe me brother Erac is not in the growth phase like they tell everyone. They're trying to get back to that phase, but they are definately in a mature stage slowly inching closer to decline precisely because of the way in which the company is run....Ya know? The way that you THINK is correct. Their heirarchy and chain of command philosophy is a direct result of Jack's Naval experience, but he's not in the Navy anymore. They are so stuck in their ways, it is beyond comprehension. Rather than placing the utmost importance on being in the top 100 wealthiest American club, they should stop being so fuckin' frugal and actually allign themselves with their founding values, which currently can substitute as toilet paper to wipe the shitstains that are created by their ignorant upper managers. They should stop misleading new hires into thinking that erac is grwing rapidly. They should give their branches the tools necessary to service the customers to the best of their ability rather than placing the branches in shitty situations and telling them to hack it and get it done..then jumping up their ass when things don't go smoothly. What the hell is the point of that? To toughen them up? To show them how they had to do it when dinosaurs walked the earth? Again, this isn't the military. They should invest in seminars that their managers can attend to learn skills to better themselves as leaders rather than sending those same managers on bullshit marketing service calls to businesses who simply repeat similar complaints that nothing is done about. Erac needs to cease promoting douchebags and realize that they are losing money every time a solid manager leaves the company because a manager with the proper skills and abilities can help lead the way in maintaining their current accounts and impressing new ones. Instead, what happens dealerships, body shops, corp accounts, etc.. have to endure new faces behind the counter that don't treat them like valued customers (which is exactly what happened to the administrator of this site). As much turnover as Erac has, it would cost most normal companies millions, but at Erac it doesn't mean shit because they invest no money in training and development, other than Orlando...which is just a source of a good time and not a learning experience that many brainwashed lackies feel it is. And they don't even pay for Orlando--you and I did.

JeahHo, you are knowledgeable in many things you say, but this is just not one of them. And for whatever reason, the reality that is Erac just doesn't penetrate your brainstem. And the fact that you actually worked there for the time that you did and STILL feel that Erac is a well run company puzzles me even more.

But what the hell do I know? I add nothing relevant to the conversation, huh JeahHO?

[Jeahho]

Originally Posted by realitycheck

I still don't know what the hell it is you're looking at when you say that Erac is a well run company that maintains a good balance between employee satisfaction and profits.

I point at the company's profits and growth as a sign the company is doing well. You point at their retention as a sign they are doing poorly.

The main difference is, there are definitely ways they could be less profitable and lower my opinion of the company's success, but I don't know of a good way they could increase their retention numbers and improve your opinion of the company. What is an acceptable retention level? Is throwing money at people going to make them more willing to stay? Is there anything they can possibly do that will make more people stay and keep doing that kind of work? Is there a way to eliminate the need to wash cars? Is it possible to hire and promote only good people? Is there a way to eliminate asshole customers? If there were an easy answer to this stuff I think they would save themselves some training expenses and get to it. The problem is, people are going to be unhappy. The key is finding the balance. And no, we aren't going to agree, because I think they have that and you think they don't. But, as I said, I can point to ways they can f' up my perception of their company and you can't point to solid ways they can improve it.

Originally Posted by realitycheck

Their heirarchy and chain of command philosophy is a direct result of Jack's Naval experience, but he's not in the Navy anymore.......Again, this isn't the military.

Ok then, they should stop treating the company as you perceive the military to be, that will definitely be something they can use.

Originally Posted by realitycheck

They should stop misleading new hires into thinking that erac is grwing rapidly.

I saw incredible growth in the 8 years I was with Enterprise. They should stop making their company look as good as it is? Good one! They should get right on that.

Originally Posted by realitycheck

They should invest in seminars that their managers can attend to learn skills to better themselves as leaders rather than sending those same managers on bullshit marketing service calls to businesses who simply repeat similar complaints that nothing is done about.

I went to at least two training seminars a year, while I was in management, so I think they stole your idea. As far as ignoring complaints you hear from customers, I think that is the decision of the person who hears the complaint. I tried to take all the complaints I heard seriously as I am sure many managers and employees did, but I am sure you will insist that is the exception to the rule, because you just know these things.

Originally Posted by realitycheck

If Erac keeps promoting crap employees into management positions

Spoken like someone who has never done any hiring or promotions. You think it is easy to pick the right person for the job? There will be successes and failures, and although some people may make better hiring choices than others, it isn't anyones goal to pick the 'wrong' person for the job.

I really could go on for a while, so I may come back to this later. Got somewhere to be.

We had these back and forths before and you continue to miss the bigger picture. You revere this company because of the profitability and growth? Dude, I don't know what area you worked in or how long ago you left, but the growth I saw when I was there was the creation of a satellite office, but to staff that office, they took cars and bodies form the bigger office. That is not growth. I know certain areas have more growth potential than others, but theses stories that sound all too familiar are from all around the globe. But I forgot, it's just a few people posting....
And didn't you work there for nearly a decade? Was it the early 90s that you saw all this growth??
As for profitability---are they not attaining this quite often at least in rental through cutting costs rather than really improving in sales revenue? I'm not saying they're not profitable, but other than airports, how much is their core rental business growing? The airports are the big bully branches that suck up all the cars in the group when branches need them the most, again placing employees in shit situations. Sure it's rental and retail and issues will arise, but I believe they can reduce those issues dramatically. It's interesting to hear that your opinion revolves around their profitability. Funny, Erac only focuses on profitability as well. You two are a match made in heaven. I do not accept your belief that a company must sacrifce good employees and employe satisfaction in order to attain profit. That is the easy way out. I don't have all the answers, but treating their employees poorly will bite them in the ass one of these days. You fail to see this because you have minimal interpersonal skills. That is not how you treat others. Sorry, to bust your bubble. As for customers complaining, I don't think I mentioned that. That goes with the job. It is retail as we both know. Of course they are going to lose employees, but do you honestly think the rate in which they are losing people is acceptable? To you that means very little..as long as the $$ keeps rollin in, but to me that directly reflects the way in which the company is run. It is not an employee friendly company, yet they strive for that in their public image. Is that not misleading? I know some things and I don't know other things, but one thing I do know is how you should treat people. Erac fails to grasp that concept, as do you. That's evident in the tone of all your posts. As for the comparison to the military...when you have a problem with one of those individual managers, who are you supposed to go to? The issue gets kicked back down the ranks...kinda like a chain of command. And what happens? The issue doesn't get resolved, the manager in question gets pissed and the employee that brought it up gets blacklisted. You can believe that or not, but that shit happens and happens often. As for your training seminars, I'm curious as to what they taught you in those seminars. Communciation? Leadership? Or was it things that pertain to making a buck? And two manager trainings in 8 years? Wow. The skills you surely learned must have been abundant....
And like your ability to have a sense of humor and communciate effectively without turning someone away by your arrogant way, your ascertation of my experience in hiring and promoting people misses the mark. Maybe it was hard for you to pick the right person for the job because you don't understand true character and the importance of finding the right personality style for the position combined with the ability. It's not that hard, bud. You first need to have some sort of people skills...and with you we can stop right there. You lack those in a big way. Sure you can't bat 100% in hiring, but you don't have to bat .200 either. And is that how many promotions go down at Erac? The manager interviewing the applciants and choosing the best person for the job? And the regional manager or an area manager isn't breathing down your neck highly recommending someone else? Cause contrary to your belief, that shit also occurs and occurs often.

I enjoyed your arrogant tone in that message. That just coincides with my belief that you let your disdain for me and your jaded belief that you are correct in everything you say cloud your each and every post to me.

Oh and this one was creative:

"I really could go on for a while, so I may come back to this later. Got somewhere to be."

What a condescending and insightful way to say that you lack creativity and original thought. Please, by all means..come back when such an important man like yourself can muster up the time.

[Jeahho]

I would really rather not have this back and forth thing, it is pointless. But, share your wisdom. What thing can they do to make a significant impact on their retention while maintaining profitability? I don't mean a change of attitude or environment here, because those are immeasurable. A positive and friendly environment to one person may be perceived as a negative environment to another. So give us something tangible, please.

As far as growth goes... My time with Enterprise started in 1996. I saw an area that spanned about a 200 mile radius and had 700 cars split into multiple areas in around 1998. The area I was a part of was dropped down to about 400 cars and encompassed a radius of approximately 100 miles. The area manager at the time was put on a one year guarantee and left after about 6 months. The new area manager took a 400 car area and spent approximately 3 years turning that area into another 700-800 car area and opened some offices in the smaller surrounding towns. When he was promoted to a level IV position, the area he left was split again. When I left, the two areas combined had about 1300 cars. If you put the area I started in back together and made one big area it increased in size from 5 offices and 700 cars to probably 15 offices and somewhere in the neighborhood of 3000 or so cars. I'm not positive that is growth, but it seems to be. I can't be sure that I was still working with people after 8 years that were there when I arrived, but they sure looked the same. I can't be positive that is what growth and profitability are about, but hey, I don't have a company that generates billions of dollars a year to point at and say "prove me wrong" either. And yes, when you are in business it is about the cash and as long as corporate success is measured in dollars it is going to stay that way. Be mad about that if you want. I will gladly visit your rental company of carefree happy employees and all the money and joy anyone can want, if you ever get the balls to do more than criticize an obvious success without offering any solution or examples of anyone who is doing it any better. Let's hope the management just has fat salaries and aren't working on commission, because it isn't about profit with you, it's about the little man and how much you can do for him right? Well, I have been the little man, and I can tell you I don't/wouldn't have wanted your f'ing help. I want to work where there are opportunities, not gifts... I think that is what it is about, being given an opportunity. And I don't care what else you say about Enterprise, they give that, whether you had the desire or abilities to make it.

Please notice, I did say 'desire'. If you thought you had to get ahead by kissing ass, and you didn't want to kiss ass, then you didn't have the desire to get ahead within that company. I will also say that while your perception might be that asskissing was required to get ahead it doesn't necessarily mean that was the reality.

[Heartland Girl75]

Let me step in ( I do it so well) here boys. This is a classic Titanic scenario. Erac is the Titanic and these are your views.

Reality, you're like "they said this ship was great and they were full of shit 'cause it's going down on the maiden voyage". Meanwhile you are scrambling from lower decks trying to make it to freedom while gasping for your last breath of air as all the rich bastards take your life boat.

Jeahho, your like "wow this ship is great, too bad it is sinking, but what a beautiful boat she is. I think I'll stay here forever." You are the Cello player in the stringed Orchestra on the main deck playing "Closer my God to thee" as you slide into the freezing waters of the North Atlantic.

Wow, I just had a Marsha Brady moment there. Even I don't really understand what i just said.

You both are not wrong. One sees things with a more realistic view. The other sees things with the rose colored glasses.

People, please do not assume that I am equating the Titanic with ERAC. To all you ERAC lovers, I am well aware it is never goin' down. It will be around forever. Like the Roman Empire, Milli Vanilli, and asbestos insulation.

Typical girl stuff, using Titanic as a metaphor for just about anything that comes close. BTW, isn't ERAC more like the LDS with their cult-like culture and predominantly white racial makeup? Also the Corporate Office is akin to the Temple in Salt Lake City as you have to pass certain obstacles and learnings before you are invited in for a viewing. Hey, that brings up a good question (seriously), aren't the Taylors LDS? I thought I heard that years ago.