Some branches are as small as one or two people, pointed out manager Ryan Todd. Also, many managers are “imports” from other countries or cities. He’s from California himself.
“What we do do in terms of having fun? We create that environment,” he said.
“We work hard and reward our work with a lot of recognition events, whether it be customer service or sales-type contests, and we are constantly recognizing our employees on every level.”
Every month, managers acknowledge the branch with the highest level of customer service, handing out free hockey game tickets or a restaurant gift certificate – essentially, an award tailored to particular employees in that branch.
Engagement, Mr. Todd says, begins the moment new hires start work. They are trained in groups with the managers actively participating and sharing experiences.
Most in senior levels worked through the ranks of customer service, and often in different cities. This provides war stories for new and old employees to bond right off the bat.
Though branch growth stopped during the economic downturn, Enterprise completed its acquisition of Alamo and National and is now readying to open a branch or two next year, with the same pace of growth in the near future.
Mr. Todd wouldn’t elaborate on specifics but said branch locations are driven by customer demand.
“We don’t feel like we’re on the verge of another big dip, but some of those things are out of our control,” he acknowledged.
“The progress that we made prior to the economic downturn was substantial, and as the economy holds steady, we’ll get larger.”
