Greeter Ritchie W. works part time for Enterprise Holdings Alamo Rent A Car brand at the airport in Baltimore and is a true example of what it means to provide excellent customer service. Customers constantly praise Ritchie for his upbeat attitude and personalized care.

One customer even wrote an email to our management at Ritchie’s location to express his appreciation for Ritchie’s help during his visit to the city for his son’s lacrosse tournament. Despite the customer’s recent job loss, he enjoyed a first-class experience thanks to Ritchie’s care and attention.

Here, Ritchie shares his secrets to providing excellent customer service.

Q: What’s your role at Alamo?

A: I’ve greeted customers at Alamo for 18 years. Even though I’m officially a greeter, I’m more of an if-you-have-a-problem-I’ll-take-care-of-it kind of person. I like to think that I also double as a people pleaser. I have a handful of regular customers who always are in a hurry. I do whatever I can so they don’t have to wait. If they show up and we have a car available, I put them on the road fast so they don’t miss a beat.

Q: Tell us a little bit about this particular customer.

A: He was a polite man who grew up in Baltimore and had returned to the area for the weekend to take his son’s lacrosse team to a tournament. He told me he needed a car large enough to fit seven teenagers, so I showed him one of the bigger SUVs we had on the lot. When I told him about the manager’s special we were running, he jumped at the chance for the upgrade from what he had originally reserved.

As they all left the lot that day, I told them their team better win [which they did] and wished them luck.

Q: Every customer has a different story. How do you make sure each one receives first-class treatment?

A: I work to please customers and try to help out in any way I can. Even though I might get a hint of what’s going on in some of my customers’ lives after chatting with them for a few minutes, I can’t ever really know what they’re dealing with in the background.

At the time of this rental, I didn’t know anything about the customer having lost his job. I just listened to his needs and showed him a car I thought he’d like.

At the end of the day, I like to see people happy. I’m a happy person and I like to pass that on.

Q: What else do you do to exceed customers’ expectations?

A: Well, if there’s one thing I don’t do, it’s rush my customers. In my experience, most people want to talk for a few minutes about where they’re headed and what they’re going to do once they get there. Then, they want to learn everything they need to know about the rental car, and that’s where I step in.

Unless a customer owns a new car, odds are they probably aren’t familiar with all the technology that comes inside vehicles today. It only takes a few minutes to show them the automatic lights, remotes and everything else they need to feel comfortable driving it.

I don’t want customers to have to come back to the lot because they weren’t sure how something worked, so I like to be up front about all the bells and whistles.

Q: What advice can you give others about providing exceptional service?

A: Just listen. Don’t assume that just because the customer knows the make and model name of the vehicle that they know its size or anything about its features.

Q: What three words describe your approach to customer service?

A: Stop. Look. Listen.

All customers have places to go and people to meet, so I always strive to give my undivided attention. By doing so, I’m able to have friendly, one-on-one conversations with customers, and can listen to their needs, wants and concerns.