I got out

When I first graduated college I was very excited about getting into the job market and really skyrocking into my future. The first job I came across that appeared to offer me everything that I wanted in a job, was ERAC. I talked to friends and got the sceptical, "You want to rent cars with your college degree?" response. I brushed it off. I was making something out of myself. While they were working as bartenders and waitresses with their degrees, I was getting a jump start into the corporate world.

I made it through my interviews and within hours of my final interview, I was offered the job. I was so excited. Here I was, just out of college, already found a job, and they wanted me to start right away. Come to find out later, they just really needed an extra employee and it didn't really matter who it was that they hired.

My first month or two at the company was great. I loved it, loved the people, everyone was so nice to me. I got through training and was ready to start working towards my promotion. After I finally had the hang of the system I learned to find out I was nothing but another car washer in an expensive suit. Once you know the ropes, you are pushed into the car cleaning bay to wash and wash and wash while management sits inside and handles all the customers. When I was in the office I had outstanding numbers, I was considered one of the "best employees". I later realized that my management team didn't like the idea of one of their trainees being better than them, so I was pushed aside and only asked to deal with corporate accounts, which meant corporate hits for me, which meant failure in numbers. Boy did I show them, I still kept my numbers high, even with their attitude of setting me up to fail. So they decided to find another way to knock me down a notch. I got a write up, for not going to work on a day that I was guarenteed that I was excused to be off. Now in ERAC, a write up is really nothing to worry about, but to me, it was unacceptable. Just what I wanted, a target on my back for future promotion. I was under the impression, as we were told numerious times, the ERAC treats their employees better than their customers. I was sure wrong!

It was all down hill from there. There were numerious lay offs and people that quit leaving us with bare bones for a staff. Yet again, I was set up to fail. In my 3rd month as an employee I was left on a Friday afternoon at 3PM with one car and 9 reservations while my manager, the only other person at the branch with me, left to go get his lunch. That was the final straw for me. Here I was a new employee, yes, I could handle the branch on my own, but should I have to? Should I really have had to deal with all those customers screaming at me because I didn't have vehicles for them and had no way to get any? I should have never been stuck in that situation and after that I was done.

I quit a week later. The day I quit I received numerious phone calls from my Area Manager basically begging me to come back. I was apoligized to for all the things that went wrong in my time there. First of all, their should have been no apology needed, that just goes to show that their truly were issues. I know I am not the only employee that has had these issues. When I worked at the company people were constantly looking for new jobs and even the people that I talk to that still work for ERAC are constantly complaining about similar issues and basically how we are used as people with a nonexistant promotion promised to us. As a Trainee, I was making more than my Assitant Branch Manager. Sure it's a better title, but what kind of promotion is that?

I encourage all you job seekers out there to avoid Enterprise. It's really not a place you want to call home. I am so discouraged about the job market now, and I should not feel this way after only graduation 5 months ago.

I felt the same way. I wont go into as much detail on my story but the short version is I took my skill test before everyone, I was put at a Satellite branch alone that had over 70 cars, I went to a few sales dinners and I worked my ass off.

I came out of college ready to work, excited for a job and knew I was going to give it my all. ERAC burned me out. People were fake, they went to the bars after work and just bullshitted around thinking life was great. I hated the hours, I hated the pay and I hated the job so I quit.

They drain the life of new college grads.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

When I first graduated college I was very excited about getting into the job market and really skyrocking into my future. The first job I came across that appeared to offer me everything that I wanted in a job, was ERAC. I talked to friends and got the sceptical, "You want to rent cars with your college degree?" response. I brushed it off. I was making something out of myself. While they were working as bartenders and waitresses with their degrees, I was getting a jump start into the corporate world.

I made it through my interviews and within hours of my final interview, I was offered the job. I was so excited. Here I was, just out of college, already found a job, and they wanted me to start right away. Come to find out later, they just really needed an extra employee and it didn't really matter who it was that they hired.

My first month or two at the company was great. I loved it, loved the people, everyone was so nice to me. I got through training and was ready to start working towards my promotion. After I finally had the hang of the system I learned to find out I was nothing but another car washer in an expensive suit. Once you know the ropes, you are pushed into the car cleaning bay to wash and wash and wash while management sits inside and handles all the customers. When I was in the office I had outstanding numbers, I was considered one of the "best employees". I later realized that my management team didn't like the idea of one of their trainees being better than them, so I was pushed aside and only asked to deal with corporate accounts, which meant corporate hits for me, which meant failure in numbers. Boy did I show them, I still kept my numbers high, even with their attitude of setting me up to fail. So they decided to find another way to knock me down a notch. I got a write up, for not going to work on a day that I was guarenteed that I was excused to be off. Now in ERAC, a write up is really nothing to worry about, but to me, it was unacceptable. Just what I wanted, a target on my back for future promotion. I was under the impression, as we were told numerious times, the ERAC treats their employees better than their customers. I was sure wrong!

It was all down hill from there. There were numerious lay offs and people that quit leaving us with bare bones for a staff. Yet again, I was set up to fail. In my 3rd month as an employee I was left on a Friday afternoon at 3PM with one car and 9 reservations while my manager, the only other person at the branch with me, left to go get his lunch. That was the final straw for me. Here I was a new employee, yes, I could handle the branch on my own, but should I have to? Should I really have had to deal with all those customers screaming at me because I didn't have vehicles for them and had no way to get any? I should have never been stuck in that situation and after that I was done.

I quit a week later. The day I quit I received numerious phone calls from my Area Manager basically begging me to come back. I was apoligized to for all the things that went wrong in my time there. First of all, their should have been no apology needed, that just goes to show that their truly were issues. I know I am not the only employee that has had these issues. When I worked at the company people were constantly looking for new jobs and even the people that I talk to that still work for ERAC are constantly complaining about similar issues and basically how we are used as people with a nonexistant promotion promised to us. As a Trainee, I was making more than my Assitant Branch Manager. Sure it's a better title, but what kind of promotion is that?

I encourage all you job seekers out there to avoid Enterprise. It's really not a place you want to call home. I am so discouraged about the job market now, and I should not feel this way after only graduation 5 months ago.

Try not to feel too discouraged about the job market. I also, got the ERAC job right after graduating college. When things got rough I just assumed that is what employement meant. I was wrong. While a job should be challenging, it should not destory your life. Which is something ERAC does.

On a positive note, at least you got out before winter. As much as washing cars in 100 degree weather sucks, nothing is worse than the wintertime. I remember cringing at night when I saw major snowstorms coming, because that always meant lots of shoveling in the morning.

Nothings worse than using the clipboard as a ice scraper while trying to del. a car to someone at the chevy dealership.

I posted the original post and just wanted to thank the 2 replies I have gotten so far. I have to say that since I got out I have felt more like I fit in with the company than I did when I actually worked there. It seems like everyone has went through so many of the same things and it really makes me feel like I made the right decision when deciding to leave ERAC. It was a tough decision for me because I needed the money, still do, and it just happened less than 2 weeks ago. Any suggestions as to what type of jobs to look into or how to find any promising careers?

I made the first reply...well you learned that there are shitty jobs out there that try to make it sound like a good job. Be wary of places that come looking for you. One time I had an interview with a place that claimed to be a Sports and Entertainment Marketing firm. Sounds cool right. Turns out they sold door to door Dodger Tickets and Restaraunt Discount cards. The good news is that there are a lot of jobs out there, dont get discouraged.

If a place calls you make sure to ask the right questions. Aside from the obvious healthcare and salary questions.

If it is a sales job ask...will I be making cold calls (you dont want this!), will I have to drive my car a lot (dont want to burn miles), what is the comission plan, how are our the leads generated, what are the hours.

If it its a marketing job...you might want to tell your employer to describe your duties and daily tasks. A lot of jobs that claim to be markeitng jobs are not. They can be really shitty jobs where you hand out t-shirts at sporting events.

If its a admin job...these are usually safe, but make sure to ask the day to day responsiblities so you know it wont be too mundane. Ask if there is a good opportunity to move up in the company so your not stuck in the same place for 5 years.

If its a graphic design job...ask how long they have been a company, so you know they are legit. Get a client list to see who they do work for so you know the operation wont go under.

If they are really eager to higher you really fast, be careful. Good Luck.

And to follow up on my last post...ask how many people have degrees at the job. Ask if it is requiered to get hired.

[DamageWaiver]

I got out for almost the same reasons and I was handling the branch nicely and was making good business decisions. My numbers were high and I could sell anything to anyone. Actually, I was the top in sales in my branch.

I just knew that I could do more with my degree then to see people go crazy over not having enough cars? I used to see my BM and AM be nervous (lack of proper education, experience, cock suckin to get promoted!) If that makes you nervous, I am afraid to see you make real business decisions later on in life.

What I had noticed was that my group C2 was lacking people with degrees, instead every joeblow had done a arts 1-2 yr diploma and YES, then, it is the best thing out for you. ERAC has no one with MBA, thats how good of a company they are! eMBA dont count. (thats their own shit)

Mind you, my manager was also a backstabbing bitch as well. Always cutting hours (even mins) to reduce personnel expense. I used to work through lunches, while getting my hours cut. I got sick of putting 120% in to get 50% in pay. No wonder no1 stayed at the branch after few months. Only him and a new MT (who was hired few days ago) were there.

When he started bitchin at me about something, I just left. Told him that its not him, its just that I know what he needs to do make his pay little decent for working 70hr weeks and I understand that and its the company and just called it quits.

Now i am working 40 hr weeks (with 1 hr lunch, so 35hr), making a salary, and have better benefits as well. Work is also chillin and its a calm envoirnment.

It took me 2 weeks to land this. Guys, it will be hard to take a step without something lined up but I had 4 to 5 offers from companies by 3rd week. from banks to it companies..

There is more than ERAC, and I have had recruiters tell me that ERAC experience isn't thought of anything high because of their low requirements, low pay and lack of retention.

Obviously, if you pay someone less than what they are worth, the perception becomes that the work you do is worth less as well.