Excellent Service DOES Exist

Over the Top and So Unexpected!

By: Kelly Ketelboeter

My work allows me the opportunity to travel.  Now along with travel comes the great joy of dealing with the airlines, a variety of hotels, rental car agencies, restaurants and probably a whole lot of other service providers I am forgetting to mention.  My typical travel experience results in at least one really good story of what not to do when providing service. But this time I have a different story to tell.  This is a story about excellent service from start to finish, provided by each employee I came in contact with at Enterprise Rental Car.

Before I tell you about the excellent service I received at Enterprise I feel compelled to tell you about my typical rental car experience because the two experiences are night and day.  After a long trip and most likely flight delays I make my way to the rental car area of the airport.  As I exit the terminal I make my way to stand at the curb, usually in the rain, and wait for the big bus to pick me up and take me to the lot. If I am lucky sometimes the driver will actually get out of his seat and help me get my 2 ton suitcase on the bus.  Once I arrive at the lot, I find my name on the electronic board which tells me what spot I will find my car in.  As I aimlessly wander the lot looking for my name in lights, I am usually in the last spot in the lot. I throw my stuff in the car, get in and find my contract hanging from the rear view mirror.  I proceed to the booth and give the gate agent my driver’s license along with my contract.  They check it out ask me if the car is on full and verify the miles.  Most of the time but not all the time they ask me if I need directions.  And then I am off to my next destination.  The bus driver and the gate agent are the only people I come in contact with.  Sometimes they are nice and pleasant and sometimes they are just doing their job.

This time it was a whole new rental car experience for me! As I waited in the cold, rain at 9 o’clock at night I spotted the Enterprise shuttle coming around the corner.  I waved my hand and the bus stopped.  Out came the driver with a huge smile on his face and an enthusiastic hello.  He grabbed my bags and said “please go on and get in out of the rain!”  As I sat down in the bus 3 more gentlemen come aboard.  Jim our driver introduced himself and asked for each of our names.  Of course I had to repeat mine like 4 times and he ran out of room to write it down on his paper.  I expect that though with the last of name of Ketelboeter!  Jim welcomed us aboard and to the Motor City.  He asked where we all flew in from and made a comment about each town as we mentioned it.  He made small talk as we drove 5 minutes to the Enterprise lot.  When we arrived he said “don’t worry about your bags, I will get them.”  He then introduced us to Sharon who welcomed us to Enterprise and walked us inside, right to the counter where there were 3 agents ready and waiting to serve us.  Jen, my agent, introduced herself, shook my hand and asked for my driver’s license and credit card.  She too struggled with how to pronounce my name so I finally said just call me Kelly. She reviewed my reservation and in a matter of minutes I was ready to go.  And then much to my surprise, Jen came out from around the counter and asked if I had a suitcase.  I pointed it out and she grabbed it as we made our way out to the lot together. At this point I was in complete shock and didn’t quite know what to do. Usually I am walking around aimlessly trying to find the spot my car is hidden.  She wheeled my suitcase all the way to my car, popped the trunk, threw in my bag and started up the car.  Then she asked me to walk around the car with her to make sure everything was okay.  Everything looked good so I signed the contract.  Jen asked me if I needed directions and pointed me in the direction I needed to go.  Finally, she handed me her own personal business card and said, “If you need anything or if anything is not to your satisfaction please don’t hesitate to give me a call.”  She thanked me for my business and wished me a great evening.

At this point I was still dumb founded at the level of personalized service I had gotten.  Then I got to the gate.  The gate agent took my contract, looked over the car, and asked the standard questions.  He asked if I needed directions, but at this point I was all set.  Then he asked if I was given a business card by the associate that had helped me.  Interesting, I thought to myself.  He also thanked me for renting with Enterprise and wished me a good evening.  So far everyone I came in contact with had exceeded my expectations.

As I headed back to the airport the next day to return my car, my excellent service experience was far from over.  I pulled right in to the return center where Jen met me at my car and welcomed me back.  She asked how my day was and how the rental car was.  She even remembered me from the night before!  She asked what airline I was on and helped me with my 2 ton suitcase over to the shuttle, where she introduced me to Peter and told him what airline I was on.  She once again thanked me for my business and hoped that I would be back and would keep Enterprise in mind.  Peter the shuttle bus driver grabbed my bags and told me we would be at the United terminal in about 5 minutes. We made small talk for the entire ride and before I knew it we were there.  He jumped right up and grabbed my bags and asked if there was anything else I needed.  Again he thanked me for renting with Enterprise and wished me a safe trip home.  But wait…the story isn’t over yet!

As I boarded my plane that night I was looking for my I-Pod.  I couldn’t find it anywhere and I started to panic because it was a gift from my husband and it took forever to get all my songs on there!  I searched every pocket in my brief case, purse, and coat to no avail; I couldn’t find it.  I spent the next hour and a half trying to remember when I had it last and where it could possibly be.  Then I remembered that I took a sharp turn in my rental car that morning into the gas station for my 44 ounce diet coke; my brief case tipped over and I heard something fall out.  Too concerned about my diet coke and getting to the client on time I didn’t stop to see what had fallen out of my briefcase.  Apparently it was my I-Pod.  As I sat on the runway at O’Hare waiting for my gate, I reached in my coat pocket and found the business card Jen had given me the night before.  Very convenient I thought because I knew my I-Pod had to be in the rental car.  I gave Jen a call and she once again remembered me.  I explained what happened and she was very empathetic and reassuring.  She told me she was with another client at the time but Alex would be happy to help me.  Alex picked up the phone and he already knew what was going on.  He asked me to describe the I-Pod and asked for a phone number where I could be reached.  About 15 minutes later Alex called me to let me know he found it!!  Victory was mine…he found my I-Pod!  I asked if they could Fed-Ex it to me the next day as I was headed back out of town on Monday and wanted it for my trip.  Alex assured me that wouldn’t be a problem.  He was working the next day and would make sure the Customer Service Agent would take care of it first thing.  That was on Wednesday night.  Friday morning at 10 am the Fed-Ex truck pulled up at my house and low and behold they had my I-Pod!  Alex called me back later that afternoon to make sure I had received it.  And get this, Enterprise didn’t even charge me for the Fed-Ex!

As I was telling everyone and anyone I could about my awesome experience I thought to myself…Enterprise has a sales and service culture!  My experience with them is exactly what we work with businesses to accomplish with their customers.  From start to finish every single person I came in contact with at Enterprise provided me with service that exceeded my expectations.  And that’s what excellent service is all about…exceeding expectations.

I went from a rental car agency that was providing me with fast and accurate service at about the same cost.  I was in and out.  At first I have to admit that I was a bit overwhelmed at the level of service I got at Enterprise.  I am the kind of customer that wants to get in and out.  But it was my entire experience that changed my thinking.  I went to Enterprise this time instead of the rental car agency I always go to because of price.  And now I will return to Enterprise, not because of price but because of the service!  Think about how many of your customers “shop” around and think about how it’s your service that will win them over and keep them coming back; not your product offerings, rates, or locations. It all comes down to service especially in a world where service is suffering. Enterprise has won me over by delivering service that exceeded my expectations and I will be back!  In fact, my business partner, Jen Kuhn rented from them this week because of this experience I shared with her.  The proof is in the pudding as they say. You see good service can spread by word of mouth just as much as bad service can.  What kind of word of mouth are your customers spreading about your business?

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