"I can't handle the truth!" Actually, I need to hear it. Please tell me the truth!

[aphiohokie]

I've gotten through a 'phone interview' and have an in-person interview in Eastern Virginia soon. I was excited to hear the stuff on the phone interview... $30,000 during Management Trainee, and by about 2 years I should have my own branch and be making $48-$50 thousand, with either every other Saturday off or work 1 of every 3 Saturdays, no Sundays. I did hear about 50 hours per week, but not quite 60 like I've seen in some threads. I did understand you wash cars, but didn't know how much.

Everybody says don't take the job, it sucks, this company sucks, don't even go in for interviews, but I can't figure out why. It looks like some people don't get paid what they were promised, but how much do they make? How often are they vacuuming and washing cars once done as a trainee? Apparently it's not as easy to get raises, so how frequently are they and how frequent are promotions? Instead of about once a year like on their website, maybe 3 years? Do you realistically work on weekends, nights, holidays? My wife is a school teacher and has been working 30 hours a week at a second job while I was finishing college, full time and working about 30 hours a week. We want nights and weekends to spend time together. Is this realistic with ERAC, as a Management Trainee or higher up?

I'd like to hear why it's such a bad job, and, why some say it might be a good job, please. I would like to hear the truth!

[Rat Farts]

Originally Posted by aphiohokie

I've gotten through a 'phone interview' and have an in-person interview in Eastern Virginia soon. I was excited to hear the stuff on the phone interview... $30,000 during Management Trainee, and by about 2 years I should have my own branch and be making $48-$50 thousand, with either every other Saturday off or work 1 of every 3 Saturdays, no Sundays. I did hear about 50 hours per week, but not quite 60 like I've seen in some threads. I did understand you wash cars, but didn't know how much.

Everybody says don't take the job, it sucks, this company sucks, don't even go in for interviews, but I can't figure out why. It looks like some people don't get paid what they were promised, but how much do they make? How often are they vacuuming and washing cars once done as a trainee? Apparently it's not as easy to get raises, so how frequently are they and how frequent are promotions? Instead of about once a year like on their website, maybe 3 years? Do you realistically work on weekends, nights, holidays? My wife is a school teacher and has been working 30 hours a week at a second job while I was finishing college, full time and working about 30 hours a week. We want nights and weekends to spend time together. Is this realistic with ERAC, as a Management Trainee or higher up?

I'd like to hear why it's such a bad job, and, why some say it might be a good job, please. I would like to hear the truth!

Why it might be good:
1. You gain business experience
2. It looks good on a resume
3. If you are extremely patient, you can move up
4. You work with a few really good people

Why it might be bad:
1. You work for a rental car company (should I continue? Very well)
2. You clean cars approximately 35%-40% of your day in your suit
3. You deal with the scum of the earth (bodyshop owners, degenerate customers, etc)
4. You work very, very, very long hours of which at the end your hours are changed by management to control their personnel costs.
5. Opportunity for advancement comes after a long time. You will get promoted within the first 8 months, but that is just a carrot on a string being dangled in front of you thinking you'll get promoted again soon.
6. You earn peanuts compared to other entry level positions
7. Management is virtually worthless. They could care less if you live or die.
8. You work weekends. Soon to be seven days a week. And if you are short staffed, you WILL work every day of the week
9. By the way, you will continue to wash cars in a suit after you are promoted to branch manager as well. (Unless you have a carprep which is not often)
10. When you want to move on in your career, you won't have any time to interview due to your 14 hour days.

Hope this helps.

[Disgruntled ExERACer]

Repos -Reposession of the vehicles from said degenerate customer. Lots of times this can be dangerous as they are done after hours and if you are short staffed then you will have to con a trainee into going with you and then pay them over time.

The "Pros" may look like they outweigh the "cons" and from your point of view they do. You are a fresh pup out of college and they are promising fast promotions and big bucks. Check out some of the other threads 9 times out of 10 erac does not live up to their promises and only 3-5% of those in rental ever make it to Area Manager and above. Unless you are in it for the long haul...I would stay away.

From my point of view, (Unless this is just a college internship) head for the hills. Unless your dream since childhood is rent cars and kiss ass, then this is not the job for you. I speak from experience. I was with the company for 5 years and went from MT to assistant manager in about 8 months then got bored with rental and started working up in corporate. I gave the company more than a "sporting chance" and by no means am I an "Up & quit" kind of person. I left for another position and gave my two weeks.

But rental can drive people do throw in the towel in the middle of the work day. Honestly, it sucks your energy and your social and family life. Allow me to break down the math.

Branches are normally open from 8-6. You are there no later than 7:45am and if you are lucky you are out of there by 6:15pm. Congrats this is a 10.5 hour work day. Times that by 5 is 52.5 hours a week. Plus the 3 to 4 hours you will spend on Saturdays is 56.5 hours. Compounded by the stupid happy hours, quarterly meetings, repos, and having to run and get cars from various dealerships before and after hours equals no life for you. So a half hour more here and there figure on a 58 hour work week. (realistically)

Let's talk money. You mentioned it is $30K a year. That $30K includes overtime. You will probably make about $32 your first year with all of the overtime. So lets break that down:

$32K/52 weeks= $615.38 weekly wage

$615.38/58 hour work week=$10.61 an hour!

Ok I am not including the cash bonus for your promotion from MT to MA.

I am sure you are worth so much more than $10.61 an hour!! (before taxes and benefits) Their benefits suck donkey too!

[aphiohokie]

Thanks for the replies. I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of taking this versus some others. I'd make more money with ERAC, but at another offer I can make my own hours and I'd immediately be the manager a my own building and can set my own hours. Being able to spend evenings with my wife, take Saturdays off to go to Hokies games, and some other liberties are important to me.

My wife makes an average teacher's salary, and I'd make a low $28,000, but I interviewed with 3 people, all out of college less than 3 years and had moved up, and I'd feel more like a professional that I think I would at ERAC. Tough choice

[TravelingAshley]

You have posted a very good question and hope to be of some help.

My experience at ERAC was short. So I can not elaborate on the ordeal of promotions, how the pay increases, etc. But I will give you my reasons for leaving this company so quickly.

Yes the pay is low. This did not bother me. I was starting at the bottom of the ladder and knew if I wanted higher pay I would have to work for it. That is a givein with any company that you start in when you are fresh out of college.

The hours did not bother me. I was at ERAC at 7:15am since we opened at 7:30 and left the office 12 hours later at 7:15pm since we closed at 7pm. I was working over 60 hours a week, depending on the weekend shifts. Our office was open from 9-4 on Saturday and for 3 or 4 hours on Sunday as well. To be a success I knew working long hours was needed. I expected it when I graduated and I was prepared for it. I currently work 60 hours a week still. 45 hours a week at my full time job and 15+ hours a week doing the bookwork for my husbands business.

So, you are probably wondering why I left the company if the pay and hours didn't bother me. ERAC was void of the values that I hold very dear. To me, my family comes first. ERAC, in Vermont, was not a family friendly atmosphere. If you want to be able to spend evenings with your loved one, you will be lucky to have 2 nights a week with them. You will be required to attend meetings that could be as far away as 2 hours. You will be required to eat out with them as well as party with them. Your loved one is discouraged from attending. You will leave for training and you will bounce around your area to different branches. At times I bet you will have close to a 1 hour commute each way. ERAC wants to you to put them first and put family a very distant second. In all of Vermont only 1 person was married while I worked there. He left because he was told he would never make manager because he did not go out and "socialize". Instead he was home with his kids. It was a shame because he was a good man. I noticed quickly that I was not meant for ERAC due to the fact that I wanted a family and my family would ALWAYS come before my job!

My next moral issue with ERAC was being told I HAD to sell their worthless insurance. Most who live in the USA and have their own automobile insurance is already covered! So the selling of insurance is a huge money making scam. It is also the basis of your promotions. I sold a "full boat" to an elderly lady. I could tell she couldn't afford it but I put a nice spin on it and she took it all for 1 whole week. She paid with her Social Security check and broke my heart. I could see the look of pain on her face to pay over that money and I knew she did not need that insurance. I found out very quickly that I was not going to peddle their insurance and therefore knew that I would not make it in their corrupt society.

So, I left. 4.5 months after I started. I have worked for the same company now for almost 6 years and they put family first. I feel great at the end of my work day. For me, I was not able to compromise my values at ERAC and quickly found a job that was a better fit for me.

I have learned since coming to this forum that not all areas are as bad as mine was. But a lot of them are. Be very careful of ERAC.

Best of luck to you.
Ashley

[Quitting_Soon]

Aphihokie(spelling)

Let me save you your troubles...listen to the other people, they are not lying. This company and the MT program SUCKS A**!!!

1) Long hours...7:30am - 6:15pm is too damn long!!
2) No matter the weather you have to work in it. There was a bad thunder storm one time, and I had to check a customer into the car in the rain, I got soaked , in my suit! And when it was a snow storm, we had to shovel the cars out!! And I even had to come into work during a state of emergency snow storm. They didn't even care that the NEWS warned everybody to stay home. Another time, it was 104 degree outside, people were passing out from the heat and they said we couldn't dress alil cooler. We even tried to keep it professional, but dress cooler and they basically said they didn't care. So, whether there is a snow storm, a heat warning, raining like cats and dogs, YOU WILL BE OUTSIDE WORKING IN IT and STILL WASHING CARS. YES! YOU WILL BE WASHING CARS, breaking heels, and tearing your suit jackets up!
3) You will be disrespected by the customers, and the body shop service writers and the company DOES NOT back you up on it. A service writer told our area manager that we are a bunch of idots and he didn't stand up for us. They don't care about you, just the money
4) The pay is BULL. Did you go to college to make $11/hr, come on now. Equate that with the amount of money that you are going to pay your loans back with. Can you even pay your loans back making that much money?
5) They will force you to sell this bogus insurance, and if you don't, you're worth NOTHING!
6) when you become an assistant manager..its a fake promotion!
They drop your salary to $28,000/year and then make you make the difference up in a commision check. Wanna know how my my manager's commision check is?? $150/month, hahhahahaha
That's a disgrace!!!
7)They ask you to re-po cars in bad neighborhoods and knock on strangers doors before work at 7 something in the morning or after work in the evenings. Shouldn't you be with your family?? why are you re-poin' a car. I didn't know that was in the job description!
8) You will be "SCHMOOOZED" in the first 6months. After that you are a "ticket BEEOTH". All you will do is write tickets, and write more tickets
9) Renting cars is BORING! And sometimes you have to get in one that is soo nasty, you just want to take a shower on your lunch break. I have done it plenty of times!

Ok, what's good about working for ERAC
1) After the training period...leave...becaue then you don't need them. The training looks good to other companies
2) The people are fun to be around, laid-back
3)Free Lunch sometimes...oh, but did i tell you that you will still be working while you're trying to eat your lunch. Phones ringing, must now deliver a car, an the customer that is fussing at you while you're simply trying to eat your lunch
4) Company functions - they are actually fun

But, those 4 things mean nothing!!!
compared to 1) LOW LOW PAY 2) BORING JOB 3) You're nothing to them, except a "Ticket B*itch"

[Quitting_Soon]

This is a post from another thread...thought this would also help you.
Think about it - we can't all be telling you a lie. Plus, look at this site!!! Why do you think it EXIST. Do you see a site like this for L'Oreal, Johnson and Johnson, Glaxo SmithKline, Walt Disney Company, NBC, JPMorgan Chase, Wachovia, Price WaterHouse Coopers...NOOO?? Why? Because , those are companies that are actually good to work for.
___________-
65+ hour work weeks (working at an airport location will most definitely get you to work 60+ hours a week)

-"Choice Time" only at my boss's choosing (for sure, this really sucks ass)

-Working from 7:30 am till at least 6pm and still having people complain that we are do not open early enough or stay open late enough when they work 9-5 (I've never heard this before at a home-city branch, but I've heard it at the airport, pretty ridiculous, huh?)

-Insurance customers who have a brand new Ford Explorer in the shop but have an insurance policy that only covers $25/day and don't understand why they can not use coupons, discounts, weekend specials, and corporate discounts on top of their insurance discount to get an Explorer without having to pay anything themselves for it. (Oh, yeah...and throw in the fussy dice for them too at no charge. Some customers just want everything for free)

-Insurance adjusters who think 15 minutes of notice is plenty of time to find a car and pick a customer up from a body shop that is 20 minutes away-one way (Yep, ain't that a bitch)

-Insurance customers don't think they need to have a security deposit-hello why should the insurance company pay for the gas you use and be responsible for the car if you crash it? (I know, isn't that ridiculous? "I thought the insurance company was paying for ALL of it. Stupid asses)

-There are roughly 15,000 MT's in the company... the company is being run by people who have only worked for the company for 0-12 months and they wonder why there are issues??? (Actually, good point)

-Passed MQI and am eligible for promotion to Assistant Manager along with 8 other M.A.s yet there are and have been no Assistant spots open for months (Yeah, it happens. I don't know why the rush for us to grill then)

-Customers LIE (Yes, they do. I once had a lady that YELLED at my branch mgr because she wanted to get her way, stormed out, came back a couple of hours later apologizing and admitted to doing that just to get a free day on her rental. F----g bitch)

-Managers who only poke their heads out of their hidey hole offices to ask if you sold on that customer, what are we sitting at, and what do our rez's look like for the rest of the day? These same managers are no where to be found to write up contracts unless the customer coming in is a guaranteed full boat yee haw! (Yep, it's like, "Move, bitch, get out of the way, this boat's mine")

-Area managers who are never available when you need them then are all over your office and getting in your way when you have no use for them. (Classic)

-You will be exhausted on a regular basis, both physically and mentally (Pretty much, you might even get a tick like a twitch in your eye from all the stress you go through)

-People will blame you for everything: their accident, their crappy car that is not metallic gold with pink zebra striped interior and why does their Chevy Aveo not have power locks and a CD player??? (Yes, very true. I had a customer who complained how the KIA RIO doesn't have power locks or power windows. And when asked what size veh she reserved, she said Economy. Ok, bitch, next time, book a f-----g SCAR or FCAR and stop complaining)

-Co-workers that are made into GODS because of their "sales ability" when EVERYONE knows they are cheating (For sure. I had an Ass...Mgr who would lower the rates so he could include the Basic Coverage and the rate as one. But, hey!! Even though he's shady, "Big Cheeses" love him because he "knows" how to sell)

-Customers who rent from one office, run off with the car, the car must be repo'd and then they wonder why no one else will rent to them (Or why they're in the DNR list)

-Customers who call to tell you they lost the key to their brand new Mazda and don't understand why I am not willing to pay for the tow truck, key cut, and key recompution since it is a computer chip key... (and because I'm expected to feel sorry for your sorry ass because you lost my key)

-Internet rez's that show up 6 hours late for their reservation after they don't have their phone number in the reservation they made and wonder why you don't have their car available (Classic. Too bad so sad. No ph # to be reached at, no rez. I have plenty of people that are waiting for cars AND willing to pay for them right then and there)

-Customers who lie about SOMETHING so they don't have to pay the full cost of their bill (Please see example above "Customers LIE")

-Customers who call you while they are at work to tell you that they are done with the rental and that it is ready to get picked up from their home's driveway at any time...(not any time in this lifetime. You bring it back where you picked it up)

-People who return their vehicles at 6pm and want a ride to the other end of town (Are you f-----g kidding me? Those are the worst)

-To all you ghetto fabulous customers out there: A DEBIT CARD IS NOT THE SAME THING AS A CREDIT CARD - I DO NOT CARE IF THERE IS A VISA/MASTERCARD LOGO ON IT-MY COMPUTER KNOWS IT IS A DEBIT CARD AND MUST BE TREATED AS A CASH RENTAL (Amen to that!!! If you're not smart enough to figure that one out, then don't rent, Mr. Customer)

-People who tell me to call other offices when I don't have a car available for them-thank you why the hell did I never think of that? (No shit! Where are your managers when you need them? And when you don't, they're just in the way)

-The fact that I have 25,000 in student loans so I can rent cars for a living
(Not entirely true. As MTs, we're hired to become Managers some day and practice what we've (hopefully) learned in college. Hey!! I learned how to run a business, not how to deal with unethical managers and pissy customers)

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Adding to more ERAC downfalls...

-I spend $700 a month on an apartment I am only at to sleep in (entirely true, except for what? ONE day a week that I can FINALLY call MINE. Yee haa!)

-I never see my fiance, or my family, or my pets (or my friends, or pay my bills, or go to the doctor, or have a life outside of work...)

-Work/Life balance? Riiiiight... what they don't tell you during your three interviews is that their idea of work/life balance is all work and no life. (Entirely true.)

-I wake up at 5:45am and go to bed at 10:00pm every single day (Yep. That's your schedule if you work at a home-city branch. Working at an airport branch is ruthless. Mostly go in at about 6 or 7am, MAYBE have a lunch break, maybe not, then leave at about 7pm or 8pm...that's IF they don't need you to go marketing or stay a LITTLE longer to help with the next flight or clean cars.)

-You will live off of take-out food. I have gained about 5 pounds every month that I have worked for the company (I feel the same way. And even though I try to eat healthy (salads for example), I'm pooping pellets for crying out loud.)

-No time or energy to work out (Aha...no time for cardio/yoga/kickboxing/pilates/gym/Denise Austin/Billy Blanks)

-Worrying about work outside of work (especially when you move to management)

-Having nightmares over the weekend about being yelled at by insurance adjusters, cranky body shop workers, cranky insurance customers, and managers who are ticked because your sales aren't stellar. (Very true. I've had numerous ERAC nightmares: "Have we taken the Cherokee to get fixed?", "What? This is a conversion?", and the classic nightmare you have when you see only yourself at the counter with at least 10 to 20 angry customers in front of you waiting for cars. AAAHHHH!!! That's when you know you're overworked)

-Never having cars when I need them (especially when other offices don't want to give up cars)

-Having too many cars when I have no reservations (give them to other offices. Set the example)

-Working Saturdays alone with 10 rez's (ain't that a bitch)

-Having a manager who shows up between 8 and 8:30am when we are supposed to be at work at 7:30am - I am expected to be at work at 7:30. (Yep, but there's ALWAYS somebody in the office with a bigmouth that settles that right away)

-Having a manger that comes in at 8:30am then proceeds to sit in their office and chat on their cell phone all day (or is surfing the internet all f----g day)

-Getting absolutely no credit for all of the work I do just because my sales aren't going that great (This hasn't happened to me. I'm one of those who's not aggressive when it comes to selling DW, but I do a great job getting callbacks and A/Rs done)

-Having to sell people CDW (Ugh!! I f------g hate that part)

-Having my entire performance and promotability be based on CDW sales regardless of all of the other work I do (Not entirely true. Like I said, I'm not aggressive when it comes to selling DW, but my other administrative and customer service skills have helped me get promoted. Note: just because I hate to deal with customers' whining, doesn't mean I don't treat them with respect.)

-Coming in early and having to stay late every single day (Yeah, very true, but I guess that's part of the "Work/Life balance"?)

[Disgruntled ExERACer]

Ashley-totally agree about the family thing. They claim they are family friendly and they are not. Ask someone on maternity leave how great this company is.

[aphiohokie]

What about working in Human Resources? I was talking to my mother the other day about this and some other jobs I was interested in, and she said she'd call her friend who works HR, and she said she loves it there (I believe it's something closer to normal business hours, like 8-5 M-F), and arranged for me to do a first interview much closer to my home so I didn't have to drive several hours. How do you end up in Human Resources after MT? like do you have to get a to a certain 'level' or be there a certain amount of time or have a human resources college degree?

[ihatethatplace]

Aphiohokie-Listen-You said you want to know why the job is so bad. Just read what the previous posts say about the job. Everything they said is absolutly true and not exaggerated. Spend some serious time on this website and look around at what people say. I could give you my input but it is almost identical to what everyone else says. That should be a sign.