Why All These Problems In The U.K.?

[FailingEnterpriseAdmin]

Hello My Friends Across The Pond,

Since I separated out the forums for specific groups a few months ago, traffic in the U.K. forum has been huge. This forum now has more posts than any other group, including the usual leaders C2 and 45. There also seems to be more dissatisfaction in the U.K. groups than anywhere else. Why is this?

A few ideas:

1. Maybe the Enterprise culture is a particularly intense version of extreme American capitalism in which management routinely lies to employees and customers and works the employees to death while overpromising and under-delivering and maybe this just doesn't go over well in the U.K.?

2. Maybe the insurance market and the rental car market are significantly different in the U.K. and the business model that was fine-tuned for the U.S. just doesn't work well in the U.K.?

3. Maybe Enterprise doesn't have market dominance yet in the U.K. and so is buying marketshare by sustaining losses, and since you're all on commission, this means you're sharing in these losses?

Any thoughts on this? I'm trying to be an astute cultural observer here. Why is it that employees in the U.K. seem unhappy? Why are so many of you "on payback"?

[joely f]

Originally Posted by FailingEnterpriseAdmin

Hello My Friends Across The Pond,

Since I separated out the forums for specific groups a few months ago, traffic in the U.K. forum has been huge. This forum now has more posts than any other group, including the usual leaders C2 and 45. There are also seems to be more dissatisfaction in the U.K. groups than anywhere else. Why is this?

A few ideas:

1. Maybe the Enterprise culture is a particularly intense version of extreme American capitalism in which management routinely lies to employees and customers and works the employees to death while overpromising and under-delivering and maybe this just doesn't go over well in the U.K.?

2. Maybe the insurance market and the rental car market is significantly different in the U.K. and the business model that was fine-tuned for the U.S. just doesn't work well in the U.K.?

3. Maybe Enterprise doesn't have market dominance yet in the U.K. and so is buying marketshare by sustaining losses, and since you're all on commission, this means you're sharing in these losses?

Any thoughts on this? I'm trying to be an astute cultural oberserver here. Why is it that employees in the U.K. seem unhappy? Why are so many of you "on payback"?

Another reason is because People in the UK treat work differently to people in the USA. I have family in the US, and they explain to me that they do not get as much holiday, very rarely go sick and the culture of work is long hours and lots of dedication (but normally get the rewards).

Here is the UK the normal amount of holidays that companies gives are 25 - 35days a year. My company give me 30 days.
However ERAC seem to hate the fact that they have to give 20 days. You will be very hard pushed to find a manager that consistantly manages to take their full holiday entitlement each year.

Plus the Brits are know to be a a big bunch of bloody moaners !!! HA !! HA !!

Originally Posted by FailingEnterpriseAdmin

Hello My Friends Across The Pond,

Since I separated out the forums for specific groups a few months ago, traffic in the U.K. forum has been huge. This forum now has more posts than any other group, including the usual leaders C2 and 45. There are also seems to be more dissatisfaction in the U.K. groups than anywhere else. Why is this?

A few ideas:

1. Maybe the Enterprise culture is a particularly intense version of extreme American capitalism in which management routinely lies to employees and customers and works the employees to death while overpromising and under-delivering and maybe this just doesn't go over well in the U.K.?

2. Maybe the insurance market and the rental car market is significantly different in the U.K. and the business model that was fine-tuned for the U.S. just doesn't work well in the U.K.?

3. Maybe Enterprise doesn't have market dominance yet in the U.K. and so is buying marketshare by sustaining losses, and since you're all on commission, this means you're sharing in these losses?

Any thoughts on this? I'm trying to be an astute cultural oberserver here. Why is it that employees in the U.K. seem unhappy? Why are so many of you "on payback"?

The number one problem and the problem that causes the problems is PDF U4s GM.

Once they get rid of him than the majority of problems will dissapear.

Than we will see productive comments on this website !

Keep up the good work ADMIN

"Your a star, may be one day you will be on the TV show This is your life !"

The simple fact is that the opportunity to make money just isn't there anymore, despite what employees are told. In my time BM's made between £35 - £45K per year, ARM's upwards of £50K...the growth has stopped. That initial flourish has ended...and the used car market, which let's face it, is what gives everybody a bit of extra cash, has been flat for 18 months and is predicted to remain so for another 18 months. There is too much, low rate labour intensive business that needs to be satisfied. How can you be successful when almost half of each GPBR fleet is what you might call a 'loss leader' (£8.50/day does not make a profit).

the combination of low pay, bad treatment and dishonest practices are the reason that so many in the uk are pissed off. i worked in u4, where i am sure it was worse than anywhere else.

Long hours, poor wages, lack of recognition, dishonest procedures, "frat house" culture, moronic senior managenment....

no brainer



glad im out

With response to your queires, I feel it is appropriate to give you some of my thoughts. I work in a position where I can look at all aspects of whats happeneing with the company across the UK and, although I cant speak for everyone, I do have an informed opinion on some of your questions.

Of the three possible reasons that you suggested, I believe that the third has the most relevance - "Maybe Enterprise doesn't have market dominance yet in the U.K. and so is buying marketshare by sustaining losses, and since you're all on commission, this means you're sharing in these losses?"

The company is currently going through some significant changes in that it is now trying to establish a larger market share - a prime is example is the UK television advertsing campaign that is about to be undertaken. We have been fighting hard to win large corporate/national contracts but in order to get this business, we are having to charge ridiculously low rates. That is all well and good, and a strategy that will in all honestly probably work - price wars until we starve off our competitors and then take market dominance, thereby allowing us to influence the rates across the UK rental market. The problem with this however is that branch managers are virtually ALL placed on a pay back arrangements which obvoiusly means they have to make profits in order to make any commission. Ohter than that, they take their basic wage and a load of criticism for not running a tight enough ship (i.e. reduce virtually all controlable overheads / expenses so that you can compensate for the increasing volume of low-rate business !) Coupled with the hours that branch managers are expected to work (50 - 60 per week EVERY WEEK) it is not surprising that motivation is low. This obviously rubs off on the branch staff and they in turn begin to wonder on whether or not they are working in the right place in build a career.

The only real way to make a significant difference to the motivtional levels across rental is, in my opinion, to increase the base to a satisfactorally level such that even branches dont make money, they are still able to justify working long hours and do not decide to leave before they reap the true benefits that should be associated with dedication and commitment. If this increase in basic means ERAC decide to reduce commision rates across the board, SO BE IT !! At least we wont be loosing all our good staff - I agree we need to continue to judge our managers on their OP's, Uninsured Losses, Bad debts, in terms of acheievements - but I dont think its right to pay someone just 20 - 22K for all that time, effort and commitment. Why should they have to suffer as a result of the strategy implemented by business seniors ?

In summary, LOW RATE BUSINESS (E.G. RBS, NORWICH UNION) + MANAGERS ON LOW BASICS WITH COMMISION = SELF DESTRUCT !!

Good post. I agree totally, fair enough that Enterprise is using it's deep pockets to buy business, that's a normal business strategy. However this is normally coupled by paying the staff well enough to compensate for all this Rubbish. Enterprise doesn't, seeming to think that it's staff will just cope.

However, as long as there are thousands of useless graduates out there with degrees in Home Economics etc... There will always be an Enterprise

Originally Posted by Unregistered

With response to your queires, I feel it is appropriate to give you some of my thoughts. I work in a position where I can look at all aspects of whats happeneing with the company across the UK and, although I cant speak for everyone, I do have an informed opinion on some of your questions.

Of the three possible reasons that you suggested, I believe that the third has the most relevance - "Maybe Enterprise doesn't have market dominance yet in the U.K. and so is buying marketshare by sustaining losses, and since you're all on commission, this means you're sharing in these losses?"

The company is currently going through some significant changes in that it is now trying to establish a larger market share - a prime is example is the UK television advertsing campaign that is about to be undertaken. We have been fighting hard to win large corporate/national contracts but in order to get this business, we are having to charge ridiculously low rates. That is all well and good, and a strategy that will in all honestly probably work - price wars until we starve off our competitors and then take market dominance, thereby allowing us to influence the rates across the UK rental market. The problem with this however is that branch managers are virtually ALL placed on a pay back arrangements which obvoiusly means they have to make profits in order to make any commission. Ohter than that, they take their basic wage and a load of criticism for not running a tight enough ship (i.e. reduce virtually all controlable overheads / expenses so that you can compensate for the increasing volume of low-rate business !) Coupled with the hours that branch managers are expected to work (50 - 60 per week EVERY WEEK) it is not surprising that motivation is low. This obviously rubs off on the branch staff and they in turn begin to wonder on whether or not they are working in the right place in build a career.

The only real way to make a significant difference to the motivtional levels across rental is, in my opinion, to increase the base to a satisfactorally level such that even branches dont make money, they are still able to justify working long hours and do not decide to leave before they reap the true benefits that should be associated with dedication and commitment. If this increase in basic means ERAC decide to reduce commision rates across the board, SO BE IT !! At least we wont be loosing all our good staff - I agree we need to continue to judge our managers on their OP's, Uninsured Losses, Bad debts, in terms of acheievements - but I dont think its right to pay someone just 20 - 22K for all that time, effort and commitment. Why should they have to suffer as a result of the strategy implemented by business seniors ?

In summary, LOW RATE BUSINESS (E.G. RBS, NORWICH UNION) + MANAGERS ON LOW BASICS WITH COMMISION = SELF DESTRUCT !!

quality post we must look at the long term over the next 2 -3 years and onwards

[Hong Kong Fuey]

Yeh, but remember.

Its your business,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Shit, if my business was in this state I think I would have thrown in the towel....