Exceeding Customer Expectations: What Enterprise, America's #1 car rental company, can teach you about creating lifetime customers (Hardcover)

by Kirk Kazanjian (Author)
Key Phrases: exceeding customer expectations, home city market, customer serv ice, Andy Taylor, Jack Taylor, Grow Smart (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This love letter to Enterprise Rent-A-Car is also a comprehensive case study on how a company grows from an idea into a multibillion-dollar corporation within its founder's lifetime. But just as the company's first "We Pick You Up" commercial was aimed at both company insiders and consumers, this book has the feel of an internal communication on the company's 50th anniversary. Despite excessive enthusiasm and a somewhat repetitive writing style, Kazanjian (The Market Masters, etc.) does offer insight into how a company can succeed by remaining focused on motivating employees to satisfy customers completely. Drawing on examples from Enterprise's history, he emphasizes that focusing on customer satisfaction must permeate every aspect of operations. While Kazanjian's themes are not revolutionary, he convinces that helping employees improve service to customers attracts more customers, so the company and its profit-sharing employees prosper. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
Advance acclaim for Exceeding Customer Expectations:

“Classy people create classy companies, and there is no more classy—or successful—company than Enterprise Rent-A-Car.”
—Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway

“I loved this book and learned from it as well. It’s essential reading for every business manager and a powerful example that if you create value for your customers, your business will flourish and all your stakeholders will benefit.”
—Anne Mulcahy, Chairman and CEO, Xerox Corporation

“In a world where management styles come and go, the Enterprise philosophy remains timeless. Exceeding Customer Expectations is a firsthand look at the company that has been writing the book on customer service for the last 50 years.”
—Ken Chenault, Chairman and CEO, American Express

“Exceeding Customer Expectations provides an entertaining and insightful look into the customer-centered culture and strategies that drive the continuing success of a remarkable business.”
—J.D. Power IV, Executive Vice President, J.D. Power and Associates, co-author Satisfaction: How Every Great Company Listens to the Voice of the Customer

“Want to learn how to grow your business into an economic juggernaut by moving beyond customer satisfaction—all the way to loyalty? Then read this book because there is no better case study than Enterprise Rent-A-Car.”
—Fred Reichheld, author, The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Broadway Business; 1 edition (January 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385518323
• ISBN-13: 978-0385518321
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,021 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy Island Returns, March 23, 2009

By	Brett Maverick (La Jolla, CA) - See all my reviews

This book was well written and told a nice story about a very successful company, Enterprise Rent-a-Car. But something seemed to be missing here: Reality.

All the business jargon sounds good, and may have been the way the company used to do business, but that business model isn't working in today's recessionary times. They're not making as much money, their employee morale is low, their turnover is high, and their customer service, while not horrible, isn't what it used to be. Something's gone wrong, and this book does nothing to find out what went wrong, or since it was written a while back---what was about to go wrong.

Maybe the author should do a follow up piece, but I don't think this one would get the corporate stamp of approval this time around.

But at least it might be a more realistic depiction of the way things are in today's business climate.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars They Can't Cure Cancer, January 13, 2009

By	Paul Curran "Adjusting Fine" (Tustin, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Exceeding Customer Expectations: What Enterprise, America's #1 car rental company, can teach you about creating lifetime customers (Audio CD)

This is a good book, but Mr. Sklar's reading of the material makes it sound like the guys at Enterprise Rent A Car should, by the 4th disc, have a cure for cancer! It is interesting to hear how CEO Jack Taylor was able to start the business from a small idea at a single car dealership in St. Louis. But, as the company grows, Jack and later his son Andy are given credit for anticipating every challenge, and solving them with their stunning execution of the business plan to provide "excellent customer service."

At every turn, Enterprise emerges as the leader, the innovator, the business where everything turns to gold! When talking about the succession plan from Jack to Andy Taylor, Andy is presented as the humble genius who has the vision that dad did not, while wise dad looks on with fatherly pride as his son and family members 'of course' think that running a family business 'is best' because after all, Enterprise Knows Best!

By the 3rd CD, I kept listening just to hear how amazing everyone could Enterprise could be! IT Systems? Deployed in a single bound. Partnerships with insurers? Progressive L O V E loves Enterprise, so much so that the CEO appears 'unscripted' in a "Thank You" commercial sent to Enterprise employees. Enterprise is so smart that they 'know' that if they reduce the number of days that their insurance customers are in a car (thus reducing immediate revenue to Enterprise), it will save the insurer money, which will result in more love for Enterprise among claims adjusters - truly a 'Win Win!' Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah.

When by the 4th CD, they admit some 'mistakes' the examples truly aren't mistakes because they recognize the challenges so fast that the mistakes barely appear as blips on their balance sheet.

As a claims adjuster who started in the insurance business in 1984, I am interested in the subject - insurance replacement vehicles. But I know from experience as an Enterprise customer that the genius and seamless technology touted only partly works. I've made reservations on the ARMS automated rental system, then called the office to talk about the order that I placed on ARMS. The local offices have told me that they don't know how to use ARMS, so they can't answer my question about how ARMS works. Or, if I assign a car at insurance rates, the local office will still try to sell supplemental insurance and ad ons even though the local office knows that it isn't part of my company's profile.

While the book makes it sound like the Enterprise field offices are entrepreneurial fields of dreams, they are sometimes run down and scuff walled lonely outposts in the backs of car dealerships and body shops. The book says that Enterprise doesn't want to spend much money on offices because customers won't be there long. This is balanced by the awesome customer service, and the free soda offered on a hot day. I've never been offered a free soda at an Enterprise office.

As to the culture, from speaking with former Enterprisers, after a while, the go go go atmosphere becomes too much. If you are not 25-30, young and willing to party it up, you won't keep up with the culture. I also get the impression that the work hours are very tough - 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at a job where you are running all day to move cars.

All that being said, Enterprise is the only car rental company that I refer as a claims adjuster. They get the job done, know the claims process, and have plenty of locations. I can confidently refer a claimant to Enterprise and know that the process will go smoothly enough, and Enterprise will be helpful to me and the claimant.

This book was written in 2007. Listening to the book in 2009, after the bank meltdowns and stock market flop, it's hard to be this enthusiastic about the wizards of car rental that founders of Enterprise are made out to be. This business book has some solid customer service ideas, many which are in practice at the $4B/year company I work for, but I would have liked a little less candy coating ala Mr. Sklar's reading of the material.

3.0 out of 5 stars What Happened?, January 21, 2009

By	Larry Underwood "Author, 'Life Under the Corp... (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews

The author writes a wonderful story about the humble beginnings of what would become the world's largest and most profitable car rental company; and how the company's simple philosophy of treating its employees fairly, and providing the best possible service for its customers, would help build an empire.

That actually happened. I know; I worked there for 26 years, and saw it happen, because I was right in the thick of things, as the pioneer for much of the company's expansion in the Desert Southwest.

I left the company over eight years ago, sensing the ill-fortune that would be forthcoming, but not really believing things could get as bad as they actually got.

I watched from the sidelines, shocked by the massive layoffs that began in late October of 2008. Employee morale seemed to have hit new lows, not just because of the tough economic times, but because very few really seemed to believe the company really cared about them anymore.

As is so often the case in Corporate America, Enterprise seems more concerned with their immediate financial condition than about the long-term prospects of creating a positive and highly motivated work environment; and that's a shame.