Customer satisfaction is the driving force

HUMBERTO DO CARMO Managing Director of Avis Portugal

AVIS, the world’s second largest general-use car rental business, has been operating in Portugal for more than 40 years and has seen its business grow as the country has attracted increasing numbers of tourists and business people. The company has 24 percent of the market, with leisure clients accounting for 60 percent of its activities and corporate clients for 40 percent.
Apart from its worldwide reputation, its success in the country is attributed by Humberto do Carmo, Managing Director of Avis Portugal, to being run by Portuguese management. “This is the key to understanding the mentality of the market and offering the right product to the right demand,” he says.
Local expertise has helped Avis provide complementary services in conjunction with other market leaders. Its partnership with TAP, the Portuguese airline, has been going for 22 years, and it has had agreements with Tivoli hotels and with pousadas (Portuguese small hotels) for 10 years.
“These are long-lasting relationships maintained with mutual interests,” says Mr. Do Carmo. “It is important for us to choose a first-quality service supplier in order to offer added value to our customers. On the other side, our partners require the same quality service from us.”

Avis is recognized as the industry leader in applying new technologies and is one of the world’s top brands for customer loyalty.
“We care a lot about our customers,” says Mr. Do Carmo. “We have incentive programs and train our people to do the job right first time, so the customer gets the best service. The training programs are exactly the same in each country.”
Questionnaires are sent to customers, and the answers are analyzed to pinpoint any weak points that might be improved. Vehicle quality is guaranteed by constant updating of the fleet. Customers are supplied with cars no more than six months old.
“When the cars are between four and six months old, we replace them,” Mr. Do Carmo says. “Another advantage is that we offer a warranty before each car rental. This guarantees that the car has been checked on 25 security points before and after each rental agreement.”

AVIS PORTUGAL A worldwide reputation and local management expertise

As a worldwide service, Avis is able to guarantee a full 24-hour assistance service, not just in Portugal but in all countries in Europe. “So, if an American customer wants to tour around, he or she can rent a car in Lisbon and if a breakdown occurs in another country, the car will be immediately replaced.”
An integrated computer system based in Denver allows Avis to have control of its fleet and the needs of its customers in real time via a satellite link. Customers can get automatic confirmation of a reservation of a vehicle for any location in the world, using the Internet.

Mr. Do Carmo says more Americans should consider Portugal as a vacation destination. “I’d like to see more of the U.S. public coming here, taking advantage of our summer and the fact that our country is still a very safe place to travel to.”