Surprised by a Handshake and a Smile
I rented a car from Enterprise Rent-a-Car earlier this week. Something surprising happened when I did.
When I stepped up to the counter, management assistant Mike White greeted me and extended his hand. Instinctively, I extended my hand toward his, holding my driver’s license and credit card to give to him. As I reached out I realized that he was holding his hand not to receive documents, but to shake hands.
I quickly moved my license and credit card to my other hand and reached back and shook hands with Mike while tripping over my greeting/apology for misinterpreting his gesture. You can understand my surprise. I mean, hey, when was the last time a rental car associate – or any retail or hospitality associate for that matter – shook hands when saying hello? Um, well, NEVER.
I’m a big fan of using kiosks for checking in or out, whether it’s at the airport, the rental car counter, a hotel, or even a fast food restaurant. But let me tell you, there was nothing like the personal touch that Mike gave that day to make me look forward to my next Enterprise rental, which happens to be in two weeks.
And Mike’s hospitality didn’t stop at the counter. He walked my daughter and I to the car, helped us with our luggage, gave me directions (twice, to make sure I got it right), and gave me his card in case I needed anything else.
When I returned the car two days later, the woman who checked us in (unfortunately, I forgot to ask her name) was as pleasant and helpful as Mike had been. She didn’t just point and direct us to where the airport shuttle would pick us up; she grabbed some of the luggage and walked us over.
The coolest thing about all this is that I’m not even a “high-value” customer to Enterprise. The last time I rented from Enterprise was about a year ago. This time my rental was for a compact car. Yet, at Enterprise the personal touch seems to apply to every customer. Perhaps this is due to the company’s focus on customer experience and Net Promoter Scores. Whatever the driver is, it works. I would definitely go back.
