Enterprise...similar to Alamo/National?

One thing better about Alamo/National is that if the car is not to your liking after having driven to WDW, you can exchange it at MANY places at WDW. This is not true for Enterprise. They have fewer locations at WDW and fewer cars to pick from.
 
gmeh1 I think I speak for many Thank You so much for all your advice
It is beyond appreciated!! I've learned so much about renting because of you :thumbsup2

You are entirely welcome!!! I no longer work for Alamo/National but, I still will be happy to help when I can. I am off to bigger and much better things. :)
 
I realize this is the "offical" line but...

I have been told by a National manager that when the cars are "assigned" the older cars are sent to Enterprise. (This was after I had to return a car with high milage that was "leaking" The manager who was swapping me out said "This one should have been on Enterprise but we were short of cars" He went on to say that's the offical "priority" Newer cars on the Executive Aisle etc... which also agree with what our National employee says. So while the cars come from the same pool somehow the "newer" ones get on the Aisles so.....)

I also had a recent experience at National that COMPLETLY undercuts the "we can radio" story REALLY? What I got told was "we have no cars in your class go see Alamo" At Alamo I got told "you have no paperwork you can't have a car" So I walked to the OTHER side of the airport rather then deal with the two employees again. Over there still no cars on the correct aisle. That agent said "well Alamo has them" I finally did just take something off the Executive Aisle, but I didn't get any of the "helpful" service being advertised on here so apparenly if our National employee is not working you aren't going to get "radio service"

I am totally amazed that they would not let you select a car from Alamo, they do it all the time. They honor contracts from National and visa versa.
I am not sure who you spoke with at National and Alamo, but, it is WRONG. When National runs low on cars we always send them over to Alamo. Could it be that you spoke with one of the subcontractor drivers? They wear a vest over their tshirts rather than a "uniform" that National and Alamo wears. I wish you had taken the names of these people and called this in.
Yes, newer cars on the Exec. and Emerald aisles, however, they only hold so many at any given time. It is not unusual to see a very low mileage car on the "choice" row or in Alamo's rows. I have said this many times, they do NOT send the older cars to Enterprise, they are assigned as they come into the garage, if the "aisles" are full, then the cars are sent to Alamo and Enterprise and National's "choice" rows. What the manager told you was incorrect. It implys that Enterprise rents junk, which they do not. National greeters cannot radio anyone, they have to walk the person over to Alamo where the manager or CSR radios. When I worked there, I walked a LOT of people over to the garage booth, I also found cars for customers and drove them over to National for the customer. I also walked a lot of people over to the Alamo rows and told them to select their car, also walked a lot of people over to the Alamo greeter and asked them to show the customer where their car class was located. I walked a LOT. They also use the radio to get a car from one side to the other to please a customer. Alamo, National and Enterprise have very high customer service scores, which tells management and HQ that excellent service is being given the customers. You seem to have a lot of trouble with the 3 brands and I simply wonder why. I do know in heavy rental times, that they run out of cars and subs. have to be made: ie: run out of midsize, put in minivans. Some people do not want a SUV or minivan (cannot blame them) and they have to scramble to find a vehicle, which is sometimes not possible. I thought you were Exec. level. If so, why didn't you just chose something from the Exec. aisle in the first place? Am I missing something here?
 
Thanks as always, gmeh. Do you have to go to the Enterprise counter all the time, or can you just go out to the garage like Alamo/National? If a car to your liking is not available in the E area, can you walk over to select in the A/N area? Or does the E rep have to call for a single car to be brought around?


This question is similar to my question right above. And also, not quite clear...at MCO, does a 'standard' size rental equate to a 'full size' car, as no real standard size there?

Dan, they do have kiosks at Enterprise, so you can do the paperwork there, they are in front of the Enterprise counter in the terminal. I really not familiar with how Enterprise works, they are a bit different than Alamo or National. Weird, I know.
No, you cannot walk over and select from Alamo or National, however, the agent assisting you can find you something, just ask.
Alamo and National do not have a standard row, you are automatically in a full size car. They do have standard size cars mixed in with the full size. As to Enterprise, to the best of my limited knowledge, they work the same was with standard size cars. BTW, I know you like the Taurus, which is a Premium car. Just sayin.
 


Alamo is continually the lowest priced when we travel. Does that mean that we're the old left-over clunkers when we book with them? Interesting...

Absolutely NOT. I have seen brand new cars often at Alamo.
 
No, they actually had better cars at MCO then National last week. But you run the risk of meeting rude employees....(Last weekend Mr. "YOU MUST HAVE PAPERWORK" was amazingly rude not only to me, but to at least two other people I saw him deal with.)

That is something that should not and can not be tolerated!!! Next time (hopefully there will not be a next time) get their names and call them in. They are being terribly rude and the information is totally incorrect.
 
Here is the kicker. Enterprise owns Alamo and National.

I own a car rental company here in NY. Enterprise started out doing insurance replacement and then expanded intot he airport market and sometimes it is cheaper to buy and existing brand then spend the time building.

Dollar and Thrifty are owned together.

I once after many many visits to MCO, had to wait over a hour for a minivan to be returned and cleaned. I understood that they like myself can only prep a vehicle for rental after the customers return back into the lot. Typical holiday week there was not a vehicle larger or small anywhere.

If a vehicle is not 100 percent clean ask and they will take care of it but please remember how the vehicle was given to you when you picked it up.

Yes you are paying for the rental but that does not give you the right to return the vehicle looking like a pigpen.
 


Here is the kicker. Enterprise owns Alamo and National.

I own a car rental company here in NY. Enterprise started out doing insurance replacement and then expanded intot he airport market and sometimes it is cheaper to buy and existing brand then spend the time building.

Dollar and Thrifty are owned together.

I once after many many visits to MCO, had to wait over a hour for a minivan to be returned and cleaned. I understood that they like myself can only prep a vehicle for rental after the customers return back into the lot. Typical holiday week there was not a vehicle larger or small anywhere.

If a vehicle is not 100 percent clean ask and they will take care of it but please remember how the vehicle was given to you when you picked it up.

Yes you are paying for the rental but that does not give you the right to return the vehicle looking like a pigpen.

Pretty much all of us know that Enterprise owns National and alamo, they have for quite some time. Not a news flash or kicker.

Dollar and thrifty are going to be owned by Hertz very shortly. Budget is owned by Avis. Hertz also owns Advantage and they will be getting rid of Advantage when the acquire Dollar/Thrifty.

You, being in the business, have a great idea of how vehicles are returned, all to often like a bomb went off in them. Garbage, reeking of smoke, floor mats filthy etc. It takes time to turn these vehicles around and with one location (on each side) prepping these vehicles for the three brands and with a HUGE inventory, it takes time, most especially, as you pointed out, when they look like a pig pen. And, you are totally correct, if you are assigned a vehicle, which does not happen with Alamo or National(at MCO or other large locations), and you are not happy, speak up. You do not have to accept something that does not meet your standards.
 
You are entirely welcome!!! I no longer work for Alamo/National but, I still will be happy to help when I can. I am off to bigger and much better things. :)
:faint: We are losing are most valued insider. Thanks for all your insight in the past. :flower3:

But, so good to hear you are off to bigger and better, gmeh, best wishes, good luck. :thumbsup2
 
You are entirely welcome!!! I no longer work for Alamo/National but, I still will be happy to help when I can. I am off to bigger and much better things. :)
Congratulations! I wish you well with whatever is next for you.

National runs an excellent operation at MCO, and I'm sure you were part of the reason for that. You contributed much on this forum, and I hope you'll continue to do so.
 
:faint: We are losing are most valued insider. Thanks for all your insight in the past. :flower3:

But, so good to hear you are off to bigger and better, gmeh, best wishes, good luck. :thumbsup2

You are most welcome Dan and I will still be happy to help anyway I can.
Thanks for the good wishes, this new job will be a lot of fun with some very exciting perqs.
 
Congratulations! I wish you well with whatever is next for you.

National runs an excellent operation at MCO, and I'm sure you were part of the reason for that. You contributed much on this forum, and I hope you'll continue to do so.

Thank you Horace. I was a small part of the org. there, but, I did try my best and totally enjoyed my time there. I have nothing but good things to say about Enterprise Holdings, Inc. The managers are wonderful, the coworkers are a lot of fun and very helpful and all and all a great experience having been there.

I will be most happy to help in any way I can, as always.
 
Pretty happy I found this. Thank you for all the information. I had a great rental experience with Enterprise 2 years ago, a so so one with Alamo last year (good quick service, selection of cars was meh...)

So far I have a few different reservations booked for our December trip, which I plan on going through and canceling un needed ones shortly. We really want to stick with Enterprise/alamo and avoid Budget and Dollar. We have a rental for Enterprise of a premium car for 8 days and even though it is $20 more than the Budget midsize SUV we probably will keep it - I have one through dollar for a full size for $180 but not sure if I want to go there. So still debating but at least I now know my Enterprise exp. 2 years ago wasn't a fluke!
 

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