Thrifty Car Rental 2009 Annual Report Download - page 13

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Thrifty Car Sales
Thrifty Car Sales provides an opportunity to franchised rental service providers to enhance or build their
used car operations under a well-recognized national brand name. In addition to the use of the brand
name, dealers have access to a variety of products and services offered by Thrifty Car Sales. These
products and services include participation in a full service business development center, a nationally
supported Internet strategy and Web site, operational and marketing support, vehicle supply services and
customized retail and wholesale financing programs as well as national accounts and supply programs.
At December 31, 2009, Thrifty Car Sales had 35 franchise locations.
Other Services
Supplemental Equipment and Optional Products – Dollar and Thrifty rent global positioning system (GPS)
equipment, ski racks, infant and child seats and other supplemental equipment, offer a Rent-a-Toll
product for electronic toll payments, sell pre-paid gasoline and roadside emergency benefit programs
(Road Safe and TripSaver) and, subject to availability and applicable local law, make available loss
damage waivers and insurance products related to the vehicle rental.
Parking Services – Airport parking operations are a natural complement to vehicle rental operations. The
Company operates 16 corporate parking operations.
Supplies and National Account Programs – The Company makes bulk purchases of items used by its
franchisees, which it sells to franchisees at prices that are often lower than they could obtain on their own.
The Company also negotiates national account programs to allow its franchisees to take advantage of
volume discounts for many products or services such as tires, glass and long distance telephone and
overnight mail services.
Reservations
The Internet is the primary source of reservations for the Company. For the year ended December 31,
2009, approximately 78% of the Company’s total non-tour reservations came through the Internet,
increasing from approximately 76% in 2008. During 2009, the Company’s Internet Web sites (dollar.com
and thrifty.com) provided approximately 46% of total non-tour reservations. Third-party Internet sites
provided 32% of non-tour reservations, with two third-party sites each providing approximately 11% of
total non-tour reservations and the remainder coming from various smaller sites. The remaining non-tour
reservations were primarily provided by the reservation call centers and travel agents. The Company
outsources a significant portion of its call center operations to PRC, a global leader in the operation of
outsourced call centers. In addition, the Company still maintains some call center operations at its
Tahlequah, Oklahoma facility. Dollar and Thrifty reservation systems are linked to all major airline
reservation systems and to travel agencies in the U.S., Canada and abroad.
Marketing
Dollar and Thrifty are positioned as value car rental companies in the travel industry, providing on-airport
convenience with low rates on quality vehicles. Customers who rent from Dollar and Thrifty are cost-
conscious leisure, government and business travelers who want to save money on car rentals without
compromising the quality of car rental products and services.
Dollar and Thrifty acquire these value-oriented customers through a multi-faceted marketing approach
that involves traditional and Internet advertising, Internet search marketing, sales teams, strategic
marketing partners, and investments in traditional and emerging distribution channels. Each of these
disciplines has a specific focus on selected customer segment opportunities.
Strategic Marketing Partners
Dollar and Thrifty have aligned themselves with certain strategic marketing partners to facilitate the
growth of their business.
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