Disappointment. Mentally and Physically Exhausting.
Pros
Overall, Enterprise ended up being a love/hate for me. The company has one of the best training programs available but you MUST BE A TOP SELLER OR YOU WILL GO NOWHERE. I fortunately was in the top 1/3 of sales each month as a management trainee and a few months I was in the top 10. If you are in the top 10 for sales out of your group (usually around 150-175 employees depending on the city) you get invited to a "Platinum Club Dinner" which is a great way to have face time with department heads and even the VP of the group. The problem with how the sales program is set up is that you have to have a certain customer service score (ESQI) to even qualify. A few months my individual sales numbers were good enough to go but since my branch had a low customer service score I didn't get to attend the dinner. Now how does this make sense? You're not allowing your best sellers to go because of a random service call made out to customers and some people just happen to never be satisfied. On the other-hand you will work with some great people along the way that I am still friends with today. Area Managers often hold weekly sales contests for Free Lunches and Happy Hours. Although, I think a better incentive to have would be a few hours paid off for performing well or sporting event tickets or something. (thats just my opinion). It really all depends on your branch that you work at, city, and your managers. My second manager was one of the best managers I've ever had at a job which is why she got promoted to Area Manager a few months after I got started. Some other pros are benefits but the 401k is average. Only 3% matching and you have to be there for 6 years to be 100% vested. You also learn how to really communicate with people and build relationships. Depending on your branch some of these people may be corporate travelers and you may see them multiple times a week. One of my old co-workers had such a good relationship with a renter that he was actually offered a sales job by him and ended up taking it.
Cons
As you can see the main con is work/life balance which was the reason I ended up leaving the company and got a different sales job. I didn't want to leave Enterprise because I was performing very well and on track to be an Assistant Manager at the start of my second year. After I grilled(MQI Test) I stayed for a few months hoping that it would get better but it only got worse. AT A MINIMUM A MANAGEMENT TRAINEE WILL WORK 49 HOURS. I AVERAGED 52-58 HOURS A WEEK AND WE WERE CLOSED ON SUNDAYS. (SOME BRANCHES ARE A 7 DAY OPERATION.) IF YOU WANT TO HIT YOU BASE PAY IN KANSAS CITY AS AN ASSISTANT MANAGER YOU MUST WORK A MINIMUM OF 53 HOURS. 53 hours minimum is absurd.... I would get to work at 6:45 a.m. and leave most nights around 6:45 p.m. On top of all that the worst part is you have to wash cars in a suit and tie.. Most branches including ours are understaffed and the MT's became the car preps. I on average cleaned around 20-25 cars each day. Then I would run inside all sweaty and disgusting to help out a customer. Its honestly a joke. The only positive way to look at this is that you'll develop one hell of a work ethic and transitioning into a normal 40-45 hour work week will feel like a breeze.
