I reserved a 12-passenger van for a Saturday trip and received a voicemail from a staff member on Tuesday saying they were calling to confirm my reservation. There was no indication that there was a problem.
Because I was traveling for work, I wasn't able to return the call until Thursday. At that point, another employee informed me that the vans had been recalled and my reservation had been canceled. With only two days before I was scheduled to transport 12 people to Los Angeles, I asked what Enterprise could do to help. I was told there probably wasn't anything available, that they'd call around, and that there wasn't much they could do. When I pressed for options, the employee became noticeably annoyed and abruptly ended the call.
The next day, the staff member that left the message called to tell me they had been unable to find a replacement vehicle, which I expected. What frustrated was that this staff member repeatedly emphasized that I hadn't returned the original call for two days, despite the fact that the voicemail gave no indication there was an issue requiring an urgent response. When I asked if they were implying this situation was somehow my fault, they again pointed out that I hadn't called back for two days.
I understand that vehicle recalls happen and that some situations are outside a branch's control. My complaint is not about the recall itself. It's about the lack of empathy, ownership, and customer service. At no point did anyone offer a meaningful solution, express genuine concern for the disruption, or take responsibility for helping a customer whose reservation was canceled at the last minute.
Ironically, I had a great experience with the Enterprise team in Ventura just a month earlier. Unfortunately, my experience with the Oxnard Auto Center location was the complete opposite and has made me question whether I'll use Enterprise again.