When it comes to renting a vehicle, whether for a business trip or a leisure outing, the choice of the rental company can significantly influence your overall experience. Recently, I found myself needing a rental car in Leicester and after much consideration, I chose Enterprise Rent-A-Car in South Leicester over Europcar in Wigston. Here’s why I made that choice and the service experience that followed.
I have used Enterprise in Aylestone, in Leicester on the Lutterworth Road a few times in the past for work vans and leisure vehicles and experienced brilliant, V.I.P. personal service, so when I found myself in a bind without a car this time my immediate plan where to go was them.
Personalized Customer Service received in the past was one of the primary reasons I leaned towards Enterprise, their well-known tagline, “We’ll pick you up.” This service is incredibly convenient, especially since I was not in a position to get to the rental office on my own. There was a bit of confusion with the centralised booking system and not being able to speak directly to the branch, the number I had stored in my phone actually got me through to the Loughborough branch and although the representative was helpful in the end we figured out this was not the right branch to pick us up. I had to call a different number. An Enterprise representative was at my doorstep, not at the agreed time, but the lady who came was smiling and ready to take me to their South Leicester branch. This level of personalized service was not something I could find at Europcar Wigston, where I would have had to arrange my own transportation to and from their location. And although the rates were less for the compact vehicle I was booking the agent left me on hold for quite a while and I ended up deciding to go back to Enterprise and pay the premium
User-Friendly Booking Process
Enterprise's online booking process is under normal circumstances straightforward and user-friendly. You are able to view available vehicles, compare prices, and check additional services with ease. The transparency and simplicity of the booking process is something that I found a bit clunky and less intuitive on the Europcar website. However because I needed the car urgently, that day even booking on the phone with Enterprise meant the times got muddled up. I am sure had they had more notice this would probably have gone a lot smoother.
Enterprise Offer A Wide Range of Vehicles And Choices Within Class
At the Aylestone branch of Enterprise, now closed, the range of available vehicles always impressed me. And I have to say in the past I have more times than not found myself in a better vehicle than booked, the upgrade is always nice. For this particular last minute rental, there wasn't any choice and although the car was clean and relatively new I didn't get that warm feeling an upgrade gives a loyal and returning customer. Europcar did offer a variety of vehicles and a cheaper price but didn't get the booking this time because of the pick up and the slow service on the initial call.
Not So Transparent Pricing
Enterprise’s pricing structure is not so transparent with "hidden" charges. During the booking process, some potential costs were clearly outlined, including any optional extras like GPS however there was no mention of additional insurance coverage. Usually transparency in pricing is paramount in my decision-making process, helping me budget accordingly without any surprises, this didn't happen on this occasion. Past experiences with other rental services, including Europcar, Hertz and Alamo in the US, sometimes involved last-minute fees that were not clearly disclosed initially.
Very Quick In-Branch Experience
Upon arriving at the Enterprise branch in South Leicester, I was greeted warmly by the staff who processed my booking efficiently. They were attentive, ensuring that all my questions were answered and that I fully understood the rental agreement, including any potential charges in case of damages or late returns. The overall atmosphere in the branch was professional yet friendly, which made a significant impact on my satisfaction.
The Vehicle
The car I rented was a nearly new model, clean, well-maintained, and ready to go Citroen not perfect, a little bit tin can in feel but better than the Vauxhall Corsa I was expecting. Enterprise takes pride in their fleet's condition, and the vehicle was very clean although it did have a couple of dings I took pictures of before signing off on the vehicle. Before I drove off, an Enterprise team member did ask if I needed walking through the vehicle’s features but I've rented different vehicles around the world. I did ask if the log book was in the glove compartment if I got stuck with the cars features. It wasn't but I said I'd use the internet if I got stuck. They said I could ring the office in the event I needed help although I am not sure how easy it would be to get straight through to the branch. I'd say the service was pretty good except the up selling of the insurance throughout my rental period was a bit of a shock. I was told the excess on the vehicle was almost £2000 unless I chose to take out extra insurance which did almost double the cost of the rental over the period so I'd just say to bear this significant extra in mind when you are quoted the daily rate. It also may be worth checking if you have extra insurance through your bank, credit card or in the US, AAA membership. American express members do get extra coverage as a perk so you may not need the extra insurance coverage offered.
When I return the vehicle next week I am hoping it's as smooth as the pickup. Quick check in and hassle free inspection, ensuring that all terms of the rental agreement are met on both sides. And I hope the ride home is not as hair raising as the pick up journey, the driver in question did put her foot down which wasn't always the most comfortable but that could have been because she was late arriving and we were under pressure to get the vehicle and be somewhere which maybe caused her to rush.
Choosing Enterprise Rent-A-Car in South Leicester over Europa Car Wigston was based on several factors, experience with the brand over 10 years, great customer service in the past, fair pricing, past upgrades, and overall confidence and convenience. The experience this time didn't quite validate my choice, however the fact that Enterprise pick you up and drop you off, when it's not an airport rental but a rescue (my car was unexpectedly off the road), delivered a good level of service that solved the problem at hand. For anyone needing a rental car in Leicester or elsewhere, I would recommend considering Enterprise for a hassle-free and pleasant rental experience. One thing to be wary of, you do need quite a bit of space on your credit card because like when staying at a hotel, Enterprise put a hold on my credit card of over £800 when the rental at the end of the period was due to cost £450, which meant I couldn't use that particular card during the period of the rental for other things.
If I didn't need the pick up service, the service this time with Enterprise as a long standing customer with them wasn't good enough to keep me loyal next time if I am not in such a hurry and another provider is offering better rates. They were good, and the service was adequate just not as exceptional as the staff at the old branch in Aylestone, Leicester. To be fair the service experienced in the past there would be a tough act to follow for anyone.
One great thing about the Enterprise location on the Narborough Road in Leicester, I took the car full of petrol and before returning there is an Asda petrol station very close by at Fosse Park Shopping Centre so filling up before dropping the car back will be very easy and I will avoid the premium charged should you not return the vehicle with the correct amount of fuel. Whenever I pick up a rental at an overseas airport this is something I always check as airport returns always seem to be no where near a petrol station.