My brother-in-law and his family came to visit us in Charlotte, North Carolina and I decided to rent a minivan to schlep everyone around in. So I made a reservation at the Enterprise Rent-a-Car on South Boulevard. Although Enterprise offers pick-up service, I asked my wife to drive me over since it was on the way to her appointment. Turns out there are two locations on South Boulevard (I only knew of one) and, as luck would have it, I asked my wife to drop me off at the wrong one. I kissed her goodbye and walked in to get my swagger wagon.
You won’t believe what happened next!
Enterprise guy: “Hi, how can I help you?”
Me: “Here to pick up a car,” as I hand the guy my drivers license and credit card.
Enterprise guy: “Do you have a reservation?”
Me: “Yes.”
Enterprise guy: “It doesn’t look like you have a reservation.”
Me: “Hang on…I’ll get the confirmation number.”
Enterprise guy: “Which location did you select?”
Me: “This one.”
Enterprise guy: “Here it is…you actually made it at the other location on South. This is 6859 South Boulevard. They are 3324 South Boulevard. This happens all the time. You’ll have to go there to get the minivan,” as he hands me my license and credit card back.
Me: “Oops. Didn’t know there was more than one on South. My wife dropped me off here…can you just change the reservation?”
Enterprise guy: “I don’t have any cars available. You’re going to have to go there.”
Me: “Can you drive me over?”
Enterprise guy: “You’re going to have to wait.”
Me: “Wait for what?”
Enterprise guy: “I don’t have anyone available to drive you there. This guy is going on lunch and the other guy has to go pick up one of our customers.”
Me: “I’m a customer, too. Why doesn’t your guy drop me off on the way to pick up the customer?”
Enterprise guy: “Actually, you’re one of their customers. And our customer has an appointment for a specific time.”
Me: “I have to pick up my brother-in-law and his kids in like 30 minutes…”
Enterprise guy: “I can’t help you with that. You’re just going to have to wait. Or I can give you the number of the other location. Maybe they can come pick you up.”
Me: “#@$#^$&*#$^%%!$%@#^$*!!!!”
Actually, I didn’t swear. I did yell, though, and I yelled a lot. I lost my temper. I demanded to speak with a manager (which I discover is the same unfriendly, unhelpful, unwilling dimwit standing right in front of me). I told him that he would be much more successful if he started out by telling his customers what he CAN do rather than what he CANNOT do. I told him that it’s a shame that he, as manager, sets this type of example for acceptable service in his location…and that it is a disservice not only to his customers, but also to his employees who are forced to learn from a moron.
And then I said, “Come over on my side of the counter so we can switch roles and I’ll show you how to do it right.”
He didn’t take the bait, of course, as I’m sure he thought I might try to take a swing at him if he left the safety of counter. I was foaming at the mouth by now and making a real spectacle of myself.
I continued, “Fine. Don’t move. Just listen.”
Me (playing him): “Welcome to Enterprise! What kind of car would you love to drive today?”
Me (playing him): “Oh, Mr. Rickun, I’m having difficulty locating your reservation. Do you happen to have the confirmation number handy?”
Me (playing him): “Aha. Here it is. It appears you have made the reservation at our other location on South Boulevard. It’s about three miles up the road. How did you get here today?”
Me (playing him): “I understand. Tell you what – we don’t have any cars available here, so I’m going to call the other location and see what we can do for you. Hang tight and we will get you taken care of.”
Me (playing him): “Mr. Rickun. They have your minivan waiting for you and, actually, I asked them to drive it right over. They’ll be here within fifteen minutes and will bring the paperwork along so you can get on your way as quickly as possible. Would you like something to drink while you wait?”
The manager just stared at me dumbfounded. It’s like I was speaking gibberish. I think he just doesn’t understand friendly. So I told him to pick up the phone and call the other location, which he finally did (all the while making it clear with his facial expressions that he despised me).
In the end, the other location came and picked me up, drove me back to their store, had me come inside and fill out the paperwork, do the inspection, and finally handed me the keys. It took thirty minutes longer to take me back to the location rather than letting me leave from the first location and somebody driving the employee back to his store, but the jerky manager at the wrong location was not even willing to help a fellow Enterprise employee out.
The kid who came to pick me up was great. He was friendly, energetic, service-oriented, and concerned that I had such a negative experience. When I arrived, the woman at the counter apologized, thanked me for my business, and ensured that she would do everything to make sure I had a great experience from here forward.
About a minute after I drove away, I felt really bad that I had lost my temper. There were other customers standing in the lobby and I’m sure I made them uncomfortable. I was actually embarrassed at this point. Although the manager deserved whatever pain my yelling inflicted on him, I did not deserve the self-inflicted pain of increased blood pressure, a sweat-drenched shirt, or the lingering frustration as I replayed the entire exchange in my head over and over.
1. Never rent a car from Enterprise at 6859 South Boulevard in Charlotte, NC.
2. Never treat your customers like the guy treated me.
3. Never lose your temper (even if you are a seriously upset customer who has to deal with a jerky manager).
4. Train your employees to greet and serve your customers as if your customers are actually your best friends, your family, your neighbors, or your favorite movie stars.
5. Create best responses to common customer situations and practice them until everyone in your company consistently delivers extraordinary service.
Epilogue: I’ve rented more than 500 cars in my travels, and I almost always rent from Enterprise, namely because I felt indebted to the company after having read Exceeding Customer Expectations years ago. It’s a stellar book on delivering extraordinary service and achieving great success by investing in your employees. If you haven’t read it, I suggest you order it now. Order your copy of Exceeding Customer Expectations: What Enterprise, America’s #1 Car Rental Company, Can Teach You About Creating Lifetime Customers today.
For the most part, Enterprise lives up to its brand promise, and I’ve shared many positive stories with my audiences over the years. If you ever rent a car in Philadelphia, for instance, you’ll get a soft Philly pretzel and a bottle of water in the waiting area. I love those pretzels. And, I still love Enterprise. I hope they still love me.
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