Overview
Knowing that there was a disconnect between the Avis brand and customers’ perceptions of the Company, Avis called in T2 to focus first on its European and then its USA business.
‘Research carried out in line with our ‘We Try Harder’ brand, revealed Avis sometimes comes across as formal and cold,’ said Angie Court, the Director of Customer Service. ‘Customers tell us they want to feel we are friendly and caring.’
After studying letters to European customers and listening to the calls being made from the Budapest Headquarters, T2 tailored a unique Psycho-Linguistics programme to develop the language skills of agents dealing with the British, Germans, Dutch, Spanish, Italians and Portuguese.
‘Delivering Avis brand values is hard enough,’ said Angie Court, ‘but the team has to do it in six languages, all with different cultural expectations.’
The programme included a specially designed methodology that allowed agents to look beyond overt issues customers raised in letters and phone calls, and allowed them to uncover hidden issues that are the real drivers of customers’ attitudes and perceptions.
In addition to this ground-breaking developmental programme, T2 re-wrote all Avis standard correspondence, to make sure brand values were included in the content – and the Company’s values and attitudes were reflected in its words and tone of voice.
The process was so successful that AVIS America jumped at the chance of using the re-writes as part of its revised corporate communication strategy. The US Team tracked customer reactions to the new letters and reported a rise in customer satisfaction levels, proving it is possible to improve customers’ reactions to how they are treated, even in a culture renowned for it service ethos.
This is what the company had to say:
Using techniques they learned from T2 – including words that heal, not hurt – the Team was able to direct customers’ thoughts to the positive and prove the Company was interested in them, personally. The training has been rolled out across all countries and Call Centres to make sure Avis has a consistent approach, whilst recognising cultural differences and expectations.
Angie Court, Director of Customer Service, Avis
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