Spotlight on Service: Branch Manager Alyssa S

The attentiveness Branch Manager Alyssa S. showed to a customer on a snowy Sunday afternoon made a big impression.

The customer — a director at Procter & Gamble — wrote an email to express his appreciation for Alyssa’s service and professionalism. In his email he wrote, “…you have a young lady … who absolutely amazed me on so many levels … If I could, I would look to steal her from you.”

Q: Tell us a little bit about this particular customer.

A: We’re a seven-day operation where I work in Cincinnati, Ohio. The customer came in on a Sunday after it had snowed all weekend. Our lot was covered in snow and because there were only a few branches open in the area, we were extremely busy and our phones were ringing off the hooks.

The customer had a car in the shop and was concerned about the availability of rental cars. When he arrived, he was impressed with how fast and efficient we were. We moved him through the line quickly, and made sure he had a clean car ready to go. And, our communications continued after his initial visit because his car took longer than expected to be fixed. We communicated via email, discussing pricing on an extension, and he greatly appreciated the ease of the process.

Q: Did you hear from this customer after the rental?

A: He emailed me personally and thanked me for his service. He said I provided the best customer service he had ever received. It made me feel great, but honestly, I just felt like I was doing what I had learned to do when it comes to customer service. Customers like this gentleman make it easy to do my job.

Q: What motivates you to go above and beyond for your customers?

A: It’s all about helping people and providing the best customer experience. A lot of our customers are hesitant when it comes to renting cars. They come to us because they have a car in the shop or they are in a bind to get a car quickly. I like making them feel better in these tough situations. I’ve been a branch manager for over a year and I have customers I see every week. For me, it’s about continuing to exceed their expectations especially when they come back to rent from me time after time — it’s the least I can do.

Q: How do you keep frustrated customers satisfied?

A: We try our best to be accommodating and understand the needs of our customers. For example, in our area, there are a lot of children so we make a point to have vans available that are clean and ready to go. We also always try to make our customers feel special. We take time to listen to them and remember their stories. And, we let them know we appreciate the business they send us.

There’s a competitor down the street, and I sometimes get calls from customers saying that they don’t have a car and they ask if we do. I always make sure to go the extra mile in these situations. They are coming to us for a reason so we want to make sure they remember their experience and tell others about it.

Q: What’s your favorite part about your job?

A:  I love spending time with my team. Personally, I think I have the best team in our group.

Q: How would you describe your approach to customer service?

A: I have fun with the customers, I let them know that Enterprise is like a big family, and I take an empathetic approach when needed.