Subhead: A counterperson is usually the first face and voice a customer encounters at a rental center. His or her ability to communicate clearly and positively can make or break the customer/rental center relationship.

RER: That may be true, but don't big outfits offer customers lower rates because of increased buying power?

Melville: At this point, we have sufficient size, making us close to some of the larger companies in that regard. The difference in what we're paying and what some of the larger companies are paying is now down to the last few percent. We've already achieved the big gains where teh price drops 20 percent or 30 percent.

At one-location companies, more than half of all counterpeople earn $19,000 or less.

Source: RER 1999 Salary Report