Enterprise Rent-A-Car

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section is written like an advertisement.
Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view per Wikipedia policy.
Mark blatant advertising for speedy deletion with {{db-spam}}. (help, talk)

The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company is a privately held St. Louis, Missouri based rental car company serving customers in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Ireland, Puerto Rico and the U.K.. According to Auto Rental News, their 2006 (fiscal year ending July 31) U.S. revenue was $9.04 billion with a fleet of approximately 878,000 vehicles. The Detroit News reports [1] that Enterprise currently purchases 7% of all new automobiles sold in the United States. As of 2005, they had 5,399 "local market" locations (91% of all transactions), and 419 "airport" locations (9% of all transactions).

Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the largest rental car company in North America, and has more than 6,900 offices in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland. Enterprise is currently number 16 on the Forbes “500 Largest Private Companies in America” list.

1 History
2 Corporate Strategy
3 Rental Cars Offered
4 Customer Service
5 Employment
6 Acquisition of Vanguard
7 External links

[edit] History

Jack Taylor started a small auto-leasing business in 1957. When the company began it was called "Executive Leasing", however as the company expanded he found the name unavailable in some markets. He eventually named it Enterprise Rent-A-Car after the USS Enterprise, the aircraft carrier he served on while a Naval aviator. Jack's son, Andy, became president in 1980, CEO in 1991 and Chairman in 2001.

Enterprise spun off its non-automotive operations (prison supplies, luggage, travel gear, footwear, hotel amenities and a golf course) as Centric Group in 1999.

On 30 May 2003, Enterprise lost a legal challenge with Advantage Rent a Car over the disputed slogan "We'll Pick you up!" Enterprise attempted to assert that although Advantage RAC had first used the mark, Enterprise made the slogan "famous" and so could claim it according to the 1995 Federal Trademark Dilution Act. The Fifth Circuit Court ruled in favor of Advantage, and they were awarded the mark in 2003. Following the proceedings, Advantage sold the mark to Enterprise for an undisclosed sum.[2]

[edit] Corporate Strategy

Enterprise’s primary focus is the local rental car market, specializing in car rentals to consumers who need a replacement car as the result of an accident, mechanical repair or theft, or who require a vehicle for a special occasion such as a short business or leisure trip. Just over 10 years ago, Enterprise Rent-A-Car also began expanding its operations to include the airport market, and now serves more than 220 airports in the United States, as well as airports in Canada, the UK and Ireland.

The main television advertising campaign for Enterprise Rent-A-Car shows a car wrapped in paper, and features the slogan "Pick Enterprise, We'll pick you up!" Enterprise has become famous for their offer to pick up customers and bring them to the rental office.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car customer service has been recognized by JD Power and Associates as highest in customer satisfaction for rental car companies at or near airports [3].

Additionally, Enterprise Rent-A-Car repeatedly ranks number one on the Market Matrix Hospitality Index in rental car industry customer satisfaction[4].

Enterprise will often rent to individuals between 21 and 25 years old, typically for an additional fee.

[edit] Rental Cars Offered

As of 2007, here are some of the cars offered by Enterprise Rent-A-Car:

Economy Vehicle	Chevrolet Aveo
Compact Vehicle	Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Dodge Neon, Nissan Versa
Intermediate Vehicle	Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, Dodge Caliber
Standard Vehicle	Pontiac Vibe, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Chrysler Sebring, Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6, Kia Optima, Volkswagen Jetta, Ford Fusion, Dodge Avenger
Full-Size Vehicle	Ford Taurus, Buick Lacrosse,Pontiac Grand Prix, Saturn Aura, Hyundai Sonata , Nissan Altima, Chevy HHR
Premium/Luxury Vehicle	Chrysler 300, Nissan Maxima, Dodge Charger, Dodge Magnum, Cadillac CTS, Ford 500, Cadillac DTS, Mercedes C230, Mercedes C240, Buick Lucerne, Toyota Camry, Lincoln LS,Volvo S40, Volvo S60
Minivan	Dodge Grand Caravan, Ford Freestar, Toyota Sienna, Nissan Quest, Chevrolet Uplander
Truck	Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram 1500, Dodge Dakota, Nissan Titan, Nissan Frontier, Ford E-Series 15-Passenger Van, Chevrolet Express 15-Passenger Van
SUV	Nissan Murano, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, Dodge Durango, Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition, Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, Jeep Liberty, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Commander, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Xterra, Nissan Armada, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mercury Mariner, Ford Escape, Ford Edge

[edit] Customer Service

The concept of customer service among Enterprise Rent-A-Car employees is ubiquitous. A calculation tool known as Enterprise Service Quality Index, or ESQi, is used to compare individual groups and branches to each other, forming a competitive work environment built around the concept of outstanding customer service.

[edit] Employment

Enterprise expects to hire 7000 entry level employees in 2006, more than any other U.S. employer.[5].

They have also been recognized for their military employee support [6].

Enterprise is also known for their entry level management training program, which recruits heavily at college campuses.

Enterprise's business model is structured so that every employee at every level understands how all portions of the business operate. This has become very popular for recent college graduates. The recruitment campaign is my "My Personal Enterprise."

[edit] Acquisition of Vanguard

On Friday, March 30th, 2007, Enterprise announced a deal to purchase Vanguard, operator of Alamo and National Car Rental companies. It is awaiting approval from US antitrust authorities. [7]