Straight from The Consumerist, I bring you the confessions of an Enterprise rental salesman.
It provides you with a look into the dirty underbelly of car rentals, complete with scams, double-crosses, and even…ways to save yourself some money.
Here a summary of the money-saving ah-ha’s:
- Enterprise doesn’t have any set prices
- Managers are rated on how many insurance policies they sell (ask for a policy and negotiate a lower rate)
- Insurance replacement rentals make up the majority of Enterprise’s business
- Enterprise has an over-abundance of rentals available on the weekends
- Call before 2pm and setup a rental over the phone to get the best deal (2pm is the cutoff time to get the rental on the books before the weekend)
- Build a good repertoire with the agent and put them in a good mood
Personally, I’d advise against taking advantage of their system by using any of the morally questionable tactics to get a better price such as claiming an accident replacement and impersonating a claims adjuster, but there’s nothing wrong with treating the salesperson with respect and being polite to get a better deal. This approach would likely work for all people, regardless.
As a business traveler, knowing the in’s and out’s of the travel industry is always to our advantage, but I’ve found the best way to get home is to keep a good attitude and a smile on your face.