Thrifty Car Rental 2009 Annual Report Download - page 14

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Dollar has strong relationships with many significant international tour operators and brokers who
specialize in inbound travel to the U.S., as well as domestic tour operators, who generate inbound
business to Hawaii, Florida and other leisure destinations.
Major travel agents and consortia operate under preferred supplier agreements with Dollar and Thrifty.
Under these agreements, Dollar and Thrifty provide travel agency groups additional commissions or
benefits in return for featuring Dollar and Thrifty in their advertising or giving Dollar and Thrifty a priority in
their reservation systems. In general, these arrangements are not exclusive to Dollar and Thrifty.
Both Dollar and Thrifty have also developed strategic partnerships with certain hotels, credit card
companies, and with most U.S. airlines through participation in airline frequent flyer programs. In
addition, Dollar and Thrifty actively participate with our partner airlines in their respective branded Web
sites.
Internet Marketing and Distribution Channels
Dollar and Thrifty focus on Internet advertising and marketing, which continues to be the most cost-
efficient means of reaching travel customers. Dollar and Thrifty promote their respective brands via
Internet banner advertising, keywords and rate guarantees to encourage travelers to book reservations
on their own branded sites, dollar.com and thrifty.com. In addition, Dollar and Thrifty both continue to
make technology investments in their respective Web sites, dollar.com and thrifty.com, to provide
enhancements to best meet their customer’s changing travel needs.
In 2009, to provide a more personal and relevant customer experience, Dollar and Thrifty began online
targeted behavioral marketing to consumers on the site and to our email subscribers utilizing both online
and offline data. The Company believes that this type of targeted marketing can increase the probability
and frequency of reservations and deepen customer loyalty through frequent contact with customers,
including the promotion of special offers and programs. From a new product perspective, dollar.com and
thrifty.com launched the ability to reserve commonly requested rental options such as GPS units and toll
passes.
Dollar and Thrifty are among the leading car rental companies in direct-connect technology, which
bypasses global distribution systems and reduces reservation costs. Dollar and Thrifty have entered into
direct-connect relationships with certain airline and other travel partners.
In addition, Dollar and Thrifty are featured with numerous national online booking agents where
customers frequently shop for travel services and are in regular discussions with owners of other
emerging travel channels to secure inclusion of the Dollar and Thrifty brands in those channels.
Dollar and Thrifty have made filings under the intellectual property laws of jurisdictions in which they and
their respective franchisees operate, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, to protect the
names, logos and designs identified with Dollar and Thrifty. These marks are important for customer
brand awareness and selection of Dollar and Thrifty for vehicle rental and for dollar.com and thrifty.com
for reservation services.
Customer Service
The Company’s commitment to delivering consistent customer service is a key element of our strategy. At
its headquarters and in company-owned stores, the Company has programs involving customer
satisfaction training and team-based problem solving focused on improving customer service. The
Company’s customer service centers measure customer service through third-party customer satisfaction
surveys, track service quality trends, respond to customer inquiries and provide recommendations to
senior management and vehicle rental location management. The Company conducts initial and ongoing
training for headquarters, company-owned store and franchisee employees, using professional trainers,
performance coaches and computer-based training programs.
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