Byline: Sherri Buri McDonald The Register-Guard

The local economy is slowing down, but that isn't stopping the new employer in town.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, North America's largest rental car company, is moving full-speed-ahead to staff its call center in downtown Eugene.

The company, based in St. Louis, has hired 120 full-time workers and 30 part-time workers in Eugene. It plans to add 100 more workers in the next three months, plus 50 college students to work this summer - a peak season for the company, said Linda Dagg, director of the local contact center.

"The workforce here is great," said Dagg, who moved with her family from St. Louis to Eugene in January. "We're so lucky to be in a city where they're educated, they're articulate and they're empathetic.

"When I moved here, I was struck by how friendly everyone was," she said, "and that's definitely true in our employees and how they treat customers."

After several weeks of in-class training, customer service representatives in Eugene began taking calls for Enterprise on April 1. In July, they'll start training to also handle calls for Enterprise's affiliates, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car, Dagg said.

The Eugene center will be the company's first "multibranded" call center, said Lisa Burgess, vice president of business development for the three rental car brands.She was in Eugene on Tuesday, along with other corporate officials, to celebrate the center's grand opening.

The company, which is owned by the Taylor family of St. Louis, also operates call centers in St. Louis and Salt Lake City.

Wages for customer service workers at the Eugene center start at $9.75 an hour and can go as high as $15, Dagg said. Full-time employees are eligible for a benefits package that includes medical and dental insurance, life insurance, profit-sharing and a 401(k) retirement plan.

With a total of 65,000 employees, the company has negotiated discounts for employees at a variety of businesses, including health clubs, day care centers and clothing stores. Employees receive 50 percent off Enterprise car rentals, Dagg said.

Recruiting in Eugene has gone well, she said. Enterprise isn't necessarily looking for call center experience. More important, Dagg said, is a customer service background. Calls to the center originate from all over the United States and Canada. It could be a routine call to book a rental car, or a distress call, requesting roadside assistance.

"We look for people who can multitask, and who can talk and think at the same time," she said.

Many different types of people possess that ability, which is reflected in the company's workforce, company employees said. Ages range from 18 to 80, Dagg said.

Joan Arnold, a customer service trainee, said, "there's a wide range of ages, job experience, education levels, and hobbies," among her new co-workers. Arnold came to Enterprise after a 24-year career as a legal assistant. The Cottage Grove resident said she wasn't able to find work in the legal field after her last job ended in July.

"I hate to be negative, but age discrimination is alive and well," said Arnold, who is 62.

Not so at Enterprise, she said, adding that "there's a lot of us."

There are plenty of younger workers, too, Arnold said. Some of the people in Arnold's training group weren't even old enough to rent cars with Enterprise, she said. The minimum age, with no additional charge, generally is 25.

Business Week named Enterprise among the top five firms in the nation from which to launch a career. That reputation attracted customer service trainee Fred Pusch, 31, who had worked for a competing rental car company for nine years.

"I'm glad they're here," Pusch said. "It's a great opportunity for anyone who's good at customer service and good on the phone, and looking for something better to do."

Enterprise is proud of its corporate policy of promoting from within.

"Everyone in this company started out with a headset on their head, or washing cars," Dagg said.

New downtown

call center

Provides customer service for: Enterprise Rent-A-Car and its affiliates National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car

Address: 190 W. 8th Ave.

Employees: About 120 full-time; 30 part-time, with plans to hire 100 more workers by August.

Compensation: Base pay of $9.75 an hour; plus medical, dental, 401(k) retirement and profit-sharing for full-time workers

Dress code: Business casual, no sandals.

Hours of operation: Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sat., 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Sun.

Call volume: 10,000 car reservations and customer service calls a day.