If you get the culture right, most of the other stuff will just take care of itself.” That statement from the late entrepreneur Tony Hsieh pretty much sums up what it has taken for one company to get to the top of the multi-billion dollar rental car industry – and remain there, year after year.
That company is Enterprise Holdings. In fact, that same business philosophy was voiced years earlier by Enterprise founder Jack Taylor: “Take care of your customers and employees first, and profits will follow.” It’s a principal that has led the St. Louis-based family-held business to become the largest rental car company on the planet, and parent of the industry’s three top-performing brands – Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car.
“Enterprise’s company culture is one that puts people first,” explains Don Moore, SVP, business rental sales and global corporate accounts. “Today, Enterprise, National and Alamo employees live out those values, day in and day out, through interactions with customers, vendors, community partners and one another, keeping people at the heart of the business. Customers seek us out and stay with us because we truly believe in and deliver a great customer experience. Our goal is simple but powerful: To exceed every customer’s expectations.”
Posting $23.9 billion in revenue last year, Enterprise Holdings is a global network that operates in more than 90 countries and territories. Since it was established in 1957, the company has extended its reach beyond car rental to include a range of mobility solutions, including carsharing, truck rental, fleet management and retail car sales, as well as travel management and other transportation services.
“Enterprise Holdings isn’t just the world’s largest car rental operator,” Moore says. “We’re also an industry leader in mobility and technology, as well as one of the top global travel companies. No matter what transportation challenges our customers face, we have innovative solutions that take them where they need to go.”
Confronting Change
However, the transportation challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic have surpassed anything that the industry – or indeed, the world – has endured before. Nonetheless, as the recovery takes hold, Enterprise is choosing to find opportunities to deliver better mobility experiences in the future.
“The travel and transportation industries – like every other industry – will forever be changed by the global pandemic,” Moore says. “As travel restrictions start to ease, there’s a lot of pent-up demand for travel. Enterprise’s main advantage is that we can meet customers at their current comfort level. By renting a car, customers have complete control of their surroundings and extra peace of mind knowing their car has been fully cleaned and sanitized.”
To meet this expectation, Enterprise launched its Complete Clean Pledge to adopt industry-leading health and safety practices across the company’s operations, including all vehicles, branch locations and shuttles. More than a reaction to today’s crisis, this ongoing commitment to customer and employee health is yet another enduring example of the Enterprise culture.
“Enterprise is focused on the positive elements of those changes, including the rapid adoption of technology and innovation,” Moore explains. “Even before the pandemic, our customers expressed a desire for a more personalized and frictionless travel experience that puts them firmly in control.”
Business First
For the business traveler, the features of the Enterprise experience that matter most are saving time and money, meaning efficiency is at the heart of the relationships with corporate customers, Moore says. The result is the Business Rental program, a tailored solution unique to business travelers, and their travel advisors and managers.
As Don Moore explains: “Through the Business Rental program, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental provide customized car rental programs and comprehensive transportation solutions that deliver exceptional customer service, access to Enterprise’s large network of vehicles and locations, as well as reporting and tools to help corporate travel managers fulfill duty of care.”
The program features a dedicated account manager, contracted rates honored at all Enterprise locations including an instant 5 percent program discount. Plus, in addition to other benefits, the client’s traveling employees receive a complimentary membership in National’s Emerald Club – which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
Business travelers found even during the downturn, Enterprise continued to adapt and extend its award-winning loyalty programs so members of National’s Emerald Club Executive and Executive Elite, and Enterprise Plus Silver, Gold and Platinum elite tiers weren’t losing out on benefits because they’re unable to travel.
“Business travel is shifting, but it’s not fully going away or even slowing down,” Moore says, citing a recent survey the company supported. The research found most corporate travel decision-makers agree that business travel is essential to increasing sales and profits, and maintaining a healthy, growing organization. “We’re confident that a bounce back in business travel is inevitable,” Moore maintains. “There’s no replacement for live interaction – especially when you’re sharing new ideas, making a sale or recruiting an employee.”
Ahead of the Curve
As travel recovers, Enterprise is already developing projects at all levels – regionally, nationally and globally – driving multi-modal solutions to inspire real change for consumers. “We’re always looking ahead, and with new business models, investments, technologies and partnerships, we’re moving mobility forward,” Moore notes. “This includes new technologies like electric vehicles and connected cars.”
According to Moore, the Enterprise EV strategy is based on two factors: Putting the customer experience first, and partnering and investing for the long term. With that in mind, the company is incorporating a few thousand EVs in the US fleet and providing some for employees to test drive, to better understand the operational issues around charging and range as the company transitions to more electric vehicles.
In another initiative, Enterprise is working with Microsoft to fully convert the entire rental car, exotic vehicle and commercial rental truck fleets in the US – and soon the UK and Canada – to connected vehicles over the next five years. Connected vehicles can automate routine measurements of fuel levels and mileage, streamlining check-in and check-out, giving customers greater control.
Advances in technology are also contributing to Enterprise Holding’s long range commitment to sustainability. In addition to electric vehicles, Enterprise’s carsharing programs and vanpooling service – Commute with Enterprise – are options that let customers reduce their carbon emissions. As a leader in the industry, Enterprise also partners with a host of other stakeholders, including automotive manufacturers, large corporations and key travel management companies, plus non-government entities like the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project).
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation also provides support for research into sustainable fuels and energy research. In Europe, Enterprise is a member of the Mobility as a Service Alliance working toward integrating mobility options into a single connected mobility service, Moore explains. “This new solution would help reduce congestion on the roads, eliminate carbon emissions and better manage overall travel demand.”
The Enterprise story – all this forward looking innovation, the 60-plus year history of growth, the remarkable customer satisfaction scores – are driven by one fundamental element: The Enterprise Culture.
“’Complete customer satisfaction’ is the principle that has guided Enterprise’s journey so far, and it remains our culture today,” Don Moore says. “Ultimately, Enterprise is known for building loyal, long-term relationships with customers and neighbors by treating them fairly, meeting their needs and earning their trust. Enterprise Holdings is a world-class company that was built by local employees – one transaction, one handshake, one kept promise at a time.”
