Thrifty Car Rental 2010 Annual Report Download - page 15

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 15 of the 2010 Thrifty Car Rental annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 117

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104
  • 105
  • 106
  • 107
  • 108
  • 109
  • 110
  • 111
  • 112
  • 113
  • 114
  • 115
  • 116
  • 117

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.
Information Systems
The Company depends upon a number of core information systems to operate its business, primarily
its counter automation, Web sites, distribution network, rate and reservation systems, fleet and
revenue management systems. The counter automation system in company-owned stores
processes rental transactions, facilitates the sale of additional products and services and facilitates
the monitoring of the fleet and financial assets. The Company also relies on a revenue management
system that enables the Company to better determine rental demand based on current and historical
reservation patterns and adjust its rental rates accordingly. The Company’s Internet Web sites and
various distribution networks allow the Company’s products to be marketed and reserved directly or
through our various channel partners.
The Company continues to invest in new business system capabilities to facilitate operations and
reduce ongoing operating costs. In 2010, the Company deployed new counter automation
capabilities, redesigned and enhanced key distribution capabilities and upgraded the revenue
management system to incorporate new products and handle greater volumes. The Company also
deployed newer technologies, consolidated platforms and renegotiated key supplier agreements that
helped reduce ongoing information technology (“IT”) operating cost.
Hewlett-Packard Company (“HP”) provides the majority of the Company’s IT services, including
applications development and maintenance, network, workplace and storage management, back-up
and recovery and mid-range hosting services. HP also manages and monitors the majority of the
Company’s data network and its daily information processing. The Company’s counter automation,
reservations, revenue management, Internet Web sites and fleet processing systems are housed in
a secure underground HP facility in Oklahoma designed to withstand disasters. The Company’s
contract with HP expires in August 2011, and the Company is in contract renewal discussions with
HP.
U.S. franchisees receiving a certain volume of reservations are required to use an approved
automated counter system. In addition to providing an electronic data link with the Company’s
worldwide reservations centers, the automated counter system produces rental agreements and
provides the Company and its franchisees with customer and vehicle inventory information, as well
as financial and operating reports.
Fleet Acquisition and Management
Vehicle Supply
The Company has vehicle supply agreements with both Chrysler and Ford covering vehicle
purchases through the 2012 model year, and has a vehicle purchase agreement with General
Motors covering vehicle purchases through the 2011 model year.
14