by Melanie Grimes

Created on: July 24, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

My experience renting a car from Enterprise

The staff at Enterprise Rent-A-Car really bailed me out of a jam.
After a long day of moving my belolngings from house to house in a rented cargo van, I pulled into the Enterprise lot to return the rented van and retrieve my own vehicle. I reached into my purse and realized I did not have my car keys. I had unloaded them when I unloaded the van- over an hour's drive away. In shock, I called my family. Yes, the keys were there- over an hour's drive away. I had an hour left on my one-day contract, which was not enough time to retrieve my keys and return to Enterprise.

I walked into the office and handed in my contract. In the monotone voice of one in complete befuddlement, I explained to the Enterprise agent I didn't have the keys to my car.

"No problem," the agent said.

No problem, I thought? Yes, problem. It is late, I am tired, my car is here and I am here and my keys are not here and in the best of all possible scenarios, I would be driving for the next two hours to get my keys and then drive back to the rental office, at which time I'd be over my contract time and have to pay for another day and gas to refill the van. Again! No problem? Not the end of the world perhaps, but not a happy ending, either.

My cell phone rang. I politely went outside to take the call. Family members were willing to drive down and bring me my car keys. Ok, things were looking up. Now, I had an other option to solving my dilemma. I could inconvenience a family member, sit around the lovely Enterprise office for an hour waiting, pay for a tank load of gas (I don't have to talk about gas prices, do I?) and probably still have to pay for an extra rental day.

I walked back inside the office with my contract this time.
"No problem?" I said. "Explain this no problem." And here is where the kindness and professional courtesy and flexibility of Enterprise Rent-A-Car come in, and the reason I will always use them to rent my cars.

The agent offered me another car to drive back to my family with. I had one hour left on my contract, and their office needed the van I had rented, but could loan me a small compact car that I could drop off at a location near my family, near my car keys for no extra charge but a small tank of gas.

This was certainly a "No Problem". I gratefully accepted, thanking the agent over and over for his resourcefulness and customer service, and drove to the other location.
Here's where it gets even nicer. A family with young children was waiting at this location to rent a car. The office had one on the way but it would be a while before it got there, and the kids were restless. When I pulled up, the agents here were not expecting me. While I turned in my keys, they washed the car and before I was done with my paperwork, the grateful family was underway. Two problems solved with one stone.

These are the kinds of stories about Enterprise that I had heard about from others, but never experienced myself. I will use Enterprise Rent-A-Car whenever possible in appreciation of their rescue of a maiden in distress, and in case I forget my keys.

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