AVIS CELEBRATES THE 40TH
ANNIVERSARY OF “WE TRY HARDER”
BY JOINING FORCES WITH POINTS OF LIGHT FOUNDATION
Community
Service Efforts Will Be Promoted To Customers And Employees
PARSIPPANY, N.J.
(October 7, 2003) – To celebrate the 40th anniversary of its
“We Try Harder” tagline, Avis Rent A Car System, Inc. today
announced an alliance with the
Points of Light Foundation and
Volunteer Center National Network, a national non-profit
organization that supports the work of millions of volunteers in
thousands of communities. Through the Foundation, Avis will
encourage employees and customers nationwide to “try harder” to
improve their communities by volunteering.
In a national survey
about volunteerism conducted this summer by Avis, the company
found that 74% of respondents said that companies who pride
themselves on customer service should actively foster community
service. Avis was recently named the number one brand among 182 in
the Brand Keys® Customer Loyalty Index for the second consecutive
year. The company also tied for the highest ranking in the J.D.
Power and Associates 2003 Domestic Airport Rental Car Customer
Satisfaction StudySM.
“At Avis, ‘We Try
Harder’ has become more than a tagline – it reflects our corporate
philosophy and inspires business decisions, employee actions and
the customer experience every day,” said Robert Salerno, President
and CEO of the Cendant Car Rental Group, the parent company of
Avis. “We are proud to celebrate the anniversary by partnering
with the Points of Light Foundation, whose values and mission make
it a perfect partner to help extend the spirit of our great
customer service to community service.”
As part of the
alliance, Avis will provide the Foundation with a cash donation,
in-kind vehicle rentals, discounted rates for people who volunteer
through local Volunteer Centers and awareness building of the
important role community service can play. Through the nearly 450
Volunteer Centers across the country, the Foundation and Avis are
working together to involve both Avis customers and employees in
community service projects nationwide.
The Foundation will work with Avis at the corporate and local
level to enhance the company’s employee volunteerism initiatives.
“Joining forces with
Avis is very exciting for the Points of Light Foundation. Avis is
an admired company that has built its reputation on going above
and beyond for its customers and employees,” said Robert Goodwin,
President and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer
Center National Network. “Together, we hope to inspire volunteers
to ‘try harder’ to build a culture of service, neighbor to
neighbor.”
This fall Avis will be
offering customers a chance to win one million frequent flyer
miles on the airline of their choice through its Million Miles
Sweepstakes. For each sweepstakes registration received, Avis will
make a donation to Points of Light Foundation in order to benefit
the Foundation’s efforts in raising awareness for the important
role community service plays in our country. For more information
about the Million Miles Sweepstakes, log on to
www.avis.com/millionmiles. For more information about the 40th
anniversary of “We Try Harder,” visit
www.wetryharder.com.
For more details on
the Avis community service survey, contact Kyle Kuhnel at
kkuhnel@mww.com or 201-507-9500.
About Avis
Avis Rent A Car
System, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate the world's second
largest general-use car rental brand, providing business and
leisure customers with a wide range of services at more than 1,700
locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and
the Latin American / Caribbean region. Avis is one of the world's
top brands for customer loyalty, ranking as the number one rental
car brand and the number one brand overall among 182 in the 2003
Brand Keys® Customer Loyalty Index, and tying for the highest
ranking in the 2003 J.D. Power & Associates rental car customer
satisfaction study. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD), a diversified global provider of
business and consumer services primarily within the real estate
and travel sectors. For more information visit www.avis.com or
www.cendant.com/media.
About Points of
Light Foundation
The Points of Light
Foundation and its Volunteer Center National Network support the
vital work of millions of volunteers who are helping to solve
serious social problems in thousands of communities nationwide.
For more information about local volunteer activities, call
1-800-VOLUNTEER or visit
www.1-800-VOLUNTEER.org.
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