Has Anyone Not Accepted an offer Due to this site

[Heartland Girl75]

Girl Schmirl. You're a girl..so there.

I actually have never watched that "chick" movie. Uh... I think we know what is going to happen. I watch a lot of History Channel. Is the movie like what really happened?



I have been to Nauvoo Illinois where LDS started pilgrimage to west. Very weird and erie. Very secretive bunch.

I stand corrected. Touche'

[Heartland Girl75]

I don't speak French.

[Jeahho]

You heard her Reality. Now pay attention and remove those glasses and all will be well.

Everytime I see you I think the same thing....is this the same glass of water I have been drinking my whole life? I sure am thirsty, it feels like I live in a god damn desert!

JeahHo,
Sounded like the area that you worked in wasn't penetrated as deeply as much of the rest of the country. That's not the norm, though.

Again, I realize profit is important, but I refuse to accept that the only way to acheive it is to trample the employees that get you there. Sure, numerous companies do it that way, and that will make it seem like that is the only way to do it, but it's not. There are companies that achieve success and still create an environment that employees enjoy. It's just not the norm. It's much easier to focus on only profit and ignore people than it is to balance them. I'm sorry, bud, but Erac does not balance it well. It may have seemed like that in your old group, but again that sure seems like the exception rather than the norm. I'm no expert, but something you don't realize is...you aren't one eaither. The nature of retail can make the job difficult, but Erac makes it even more frustrating on their employees when they don't need to. As for your question about what they can do to create that balance...I love how you just dismiss the idea of changing attitude and environment... as if it's unimportant. Because that is the issue: The culture that is allowed to exist because sole focus on profitability squashes the people that help you attain it. It doesn't have to be that way, but Erac steers it that way. You say it's immeasurable..and you're right..when you look at it from ONLY an analytical approach. You focus only on the numbers (that Erac tweaks to make them look great). Attitude and the culture within an organization is the heart and soul of a company as far as I'm concerned. You can't measure it in the only way that you know....data and statistics. Yes, people will have varying opinions on what's positive or not, but c'mon..Erac says it's a family organization and they're not. The things they do to achieve a buck are profitable, but at what expense? The people more times than none. To me there's no gray area when it comes to the right way in treating people. There is no gray area when it comes to integrity. You either got it or you don't. Erac doesn't....and you admire them. That is why you can't wrap your mind around what I say. Your personality style is polar opposite from mine...and that's fine. Everyone is different. Heartland is right when she says wer'e both right and wrong. But using your approach individuals are going to create companies that continue to put people second...making it the norm. But it doesn't mean that it's right. You refuse to accept what I say because to you it's not tangible. But to me, often times it's the intangibles that stand out. I'll use the NBA as an example simply because I'm a fan and I'm gearing up for the playoffs. Take the Los Angeles Lakers for example. Kobe Bryant is an incredible basketball player. He has skills that many people will never have. And he's an asshole with little inetgrity. Using his positions and power he helped in getting probably the most dominant powerhouse in the NBA traded to Miami and one of the best coaches in the history of the NBA pushed out the door. Now Miami is number 1 in the east and the Lakers are now a former NBA finals team that are simply a mediocre group that officially won't make the playoffs as of yesterday. His atttiude and personality (the intangibles) have separated that team, turning it from a potential dynasty to crap. People can beleive that or not...but that is reality. Sounds familiar???? The Shaqs and the Phil Jacksons get pushed out the door all the time at Erac by the Kobe Bryants. Eventually, what are you going to be left with?
A team that may look good on paper...but a team that no one wants to play for because they're dying internally. They don't show that intangible stuff on ESPN when they run Kobe's highlight reel. And they don't show that stuff when Erac spits out its profit reports that you hold with such hih admiration.

[FailingEnterpriseAdmin]

Originally Posted by Heartland Girl75

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.

Now this is why we like Heartland_Girl75 so darned much! Good writing like that, and she can also quote Napoleon Dynamite apparently all day long!

I can't get enough.

Admin

[Jeahho]

Originally Posted by realitycheck

But using your approach individuals are going to create companies that continue to put people second...making it the norm.

This is part of the problem. Your perception is that Enterprise puts profit above all else. My perception is, they value profit as well as their people and have a nice balance. My opinion is supported by Enterprise's profits and growth which I feel is also directly related to the satisfaction of their customers and employees. Your opinion is supported by your personal experiences, the experiences of some of the people on this site, and their retention numbers. The main question I have is, can their retention be better than it is, and how? It is absolutely pointless to say 'create a nice work environment' because that takes an action of some sort and without the answer as to what the mystery action is there will be no change in environment. Are your experiences and the experiences of some of the people that visit this site a reflection of the company as a whole? It is possible they are, as it is possible my experiences are a reflection that Enterprise is a great company.

Anyway, I am going to agree to disagree on this, because we aren't going to be able to change each other's minds and me picking apart another post of yours and simply disagreeing with your opinion isn't going to help any.

Our views do differ and we will probably always butt virtual heads on this. Your opinion seems to be centered around their 4 core areas --employee satisfaction, customer satisfcation, fleet growth, and profitability. I think that is an awesome set of cores areas and I had to rank them in order of importance in my grill. Employee sat came first, but in the reality that I saw at Erac, it came last to them. But they'd preach how it comes first. We see it opposite because your personality style puts focus on data and numbers and mine does not. To answer your question about retention...No, retention cannot improve from where it is now with the culture and atmosphere that currently exists internally. Erac will need a serious rental car makeover to accomplish this, and you and I know that ain't happening. I disagree with you calling the action a 'mystery' action. Holding onto integrity is not that hard, although many struggle with that. You call it a mystery because you feel that those values actually exist at Erac. They may have at one time, but I firmly beleive that they are long gone, destroyed by the numerous inexperienced "leaders" that Erac pushed into promotion. All someone needs to start up a successful company is a good idea and good values and integrity. Sure there's a lot in between, but owners tend to go away from the latter more times than not. You're right it's not easy, but I beleive that if you stick to the integrity gun rather than tossing it aside in favor of the hardcore automatic assault rifle that is greed, then a company can be both profitable and a good place to work. Erac has made itself profitable, but I think most people that ever worked at Erac will tell you that the atmosphere that exists there is not on their list of best overall experiences..especially the ones with families and friends outside of erac. But again, that varies too depending on jobs worked after Erac.
I know you have some inkling that Erac is not all that because in other threads you've briefly mentioned how management talks shit about you when you leave and that you got tired of telling your employees things Erac wanted you to say because you knew that wasn't realistic and that it wasn't fair to your people. That told me that you have integrity. Don't look now, but its the hundreds and hundred of things like that have led to this website and us having this conversations right now. I just believe that you're supporting a company that lacks the intangible thing called integrity and you just don't see it because your'e looking in the wrong places as you defend them.

I left ERAC over 4 years ago. I used to surf sites like this one when I was a bitter employee and thought I'd stop back just for fun...and fun it is!

With a little hindsight I can honestly say that I don't regret the experience. Sure, it's a pyramid scheme, but it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Very few employees actually make the kind of money that they talk about during the interview process and the fact that they almost require you to constantly drink & socialize to get promoted is pretty crappy. But, let's face it, if you had any valuable experience you wouldn't be working for a rental car company in the first place.

Take the job and understand that you will need to find a way to gain transferable experience, i.e. get out of the branch as soon as possible. Go to one of the corporate departments, loss prevention, HR, insurance marketing, accounting, etc...The branch and area managers will discourage this and tell you that only people that can't "hack it" go for the corporate jobs. Don't believe them. Moving into one of these departments will gain you practical job skills that will help you find a better job when you burn out at ERAC - which you will.

Go in with your eyes open and you will gain enough experience to get a better job. I did it and haven't looked back...well, until today! Good Luck.