Enterprise-Rent a Car Case
CASE 7
ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR
Kevin Kirkman receives a Service Quality Survey in the mail from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Kevin had been involved in a wreck earlier in the month and had rented a replacement car from Enterprise while his car was being repaired. Enterprise routinely surveys one of each 20 customers after completion of a rental. Enterprise used the survey to determine the percentage of customers who were completely satisfied, which produced the Enterprise Service Quality Index (ESQi) for both the company and for each individual branch.
Enterprise has become the largest rent-a-car company in the United States by targeting the local replacement market and maintaining a laser-like focus on customer service and satisfaction.
However, top management wanted to take its customer satisfaction program further by using the ESQi into account in promotion decisions. To do so, however, managers believed they needed to improve the response rate and timeliness of the information.
1-What decisions has Enterprise made with regard to primary data collection—research approach, contact methods, sampling plan, and research instruments?
Research approach: Enterprise has decided to use the survey approach that the is the best way to gather descriptive information. The survey research can be flexible, quick, and can be at a lower cost.
Contact method: Enterprise is using the mail method to contact customers as opposed to the telephone and personal methods. This method provides poor flexibility, speed, and response rate but excellent control of interviewer effects, good cost, quantity of information, and fair control of the sample.
Sampling plan: Enterprise has decided to use a simple random probability sample with each customer having a 1-in-20 chance of selection. The customer is the sampling unit. We can assume that the company has selected the
1-in-20 rule because it provides a large enough sample given predicted response rates so that it has a
ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR
Kevin Kirkman receives a Service Quality Survey in the mail from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Kevin had been involved in a wreck earlier in the month and had rented a replacement car from Enterprise while his car was being repaired. Enterprise routinely surveys one of each 20 customers after completion of a rental. Enterprise used the survey to determine the percentage of customers who were completely satisfied, which produced the Enterprise Service Quality Index (ESQi) for both the company and for each individual branch.
Enterprise has become the largest rent-a-car company in the United States by targeting the local replacement market and maintaining a laser-like focus on customer service and satisfaction.
However, top management wanted to take its customer satisfaction program further by using the ESQi into account in promotion decisions. To do so, however, managers believed they needed to improve the response rate and timeliness of the information.
1-What decisions has Enterprise made with regard to primary data collection—research approach, contact methods, sampling plan, and research instruments?
Research approach: Enterprise has decided to use the survey approach that the is the best way to gather descriptive information. The survey research can be flexible, quick, and can be at a lower cost.
Contact method: Enterprise is using the mail method to contact customers as opposed to the telephone and personal methods. This method provides poor flexibility, speed, and response rate but excellent control of interviewer effects, good cost, quantity of information, and fair control of the sample.
Sampling plan: Enterprise has decided to use a simple random probability sample with each customer having a 1-in-20 chance of selection. The customer is the sampling unit. We can assume that the company has selected the
1-in-20 rule because it provides a large enough sample given predicted response rates so that it has a
References: Marketing: defined, explained, applied - Michael Levens