Budget Aims for Hole-In-One With Innovative New Frequent Renter Program Linked to Callaway Golf Company
30 March 1998
Budget Aims for Hole-In-One With Innovative New Frequent Renter Program Linked to Callaway Golf Company
Program Members Qualify to Earn a Callaway Golf Bobby Jones(R) BJ-2(TM)
Putter After Just Five Rentals: $110 Value
Budget Also Announces Faster, Paperless Express Service
LISLE, Ill., March 30 -- Beginning April 1, 1998, Budget Rent
a Car, the world's third largest car and truck rental company, takes another
step "out of the ordinary" to launch an exciting new frequent renter program
-- Perfect Drive. Widely known for its vast selection of luxury and
specialty vehicles around the world, Budget's latest point of differentiation
in the marketplace offers rewards to its most loyal and valued customers --
and with choices, too.
"In the early 90s, Budget launched the car rental industry's first-ever
frequent renter program, Budget AwardsPlus. In keeping with Budget's
long-standing tradition of 'firsts,' and to build on the success of our
current customer loyalty program, we believe we have developed a truly
innovative new program, called Perfect Drive, which should pique the interest
of frequent renters across the nation," states Sandy Miller, chairman and CEO
of Budget Group, Inc.
Miller continues, "We think we've got an ace-in-the-hole with Perfect
Drive. At the onset of this new program, our frequent renters can choose
between car rental days and Callaway Golf products as rewards for their
loyalty to Budget. And we plan to continue adding other options and partners
to the program that our frequent renters say they want."
How Perfect Drive works
Perfect Drive is a fully-automated, revenue-based program which awards
members with one (1) point for every dollar ($1) they spend at Budget,
including standard rental charges, fuel purchase options, optional insurance
packages, waivers and taxes, etc. What makes the Perfect Drive program so
unique is that members have the opportunity to earn more than just car rental
days. With the exclusive participation of Callaway Golf Company, the golf
industry's finest manufacturer of golf clubs and products, members have the
opportunity to redeem their points for Callaway Golf merchandise, such as the
Biggest Big Bertha(TM) Titanium Drivers and the all-new Big Bertha(R) X-12(TM)
Irons.
Enrollment in Perfect Drive is easy and membership is free. Customers can
sign up at any participating Budget location throughout the U.S. or take an
enrollment form which they can later mail in or bring back to a Budget
counter. Customers can even download enrollment forms from Budget's website:
http://www.drivebudget.com.
Budget customers can also still opt for frequent flyer miles, but they
must choose between earning miles and Perfect Drive points.
Redeeming Perfect Drive Points
As a special introductory offer, all customers who sign up for Perfect
Drive can qualify to earn a Callaway Golf Bobby Jones BJ-2 putter ($110 retail
value) after their first five qualified rentals, which must amount to at least
$300 in revenue. Rental transactions at the same location or in the same city
within 48 hours will not qualify for the putter offer, but will earn points in
the program. After customers have rented five times and redeemed all of their
earned points for the putter, they begin to accumulate points again every time
they rent with Budget.
Customers can elect to bank their loyalty points and redeem them toward
other Callaway Golf equipment or accessories in lieu of the introductory offer
putter, from Great Big Bertha(TM) Titanium Drivers & Fairway Woods and Big
Bertha(R) War Bird(R) Stainless Steel Drivers to Great Big Bertha Staff Bags
and the all-new Ultra-Lite Stand Bags. Other partnerships and awards are
expected to be added in the near future.
Each member of the Perfect Drive program will receive periodic statements
from Budget outlining the total points in their account. Members will be
given a dedicated Perfect Drive toll-free number to call Monday through Friday
from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST to check their point balances and other
program details.
Why golf?
Research shows that heavy business renters, customers who rent at least
four times a year, are three times more likely to play golf than the average
renter. Perfect Drive is the ideal program for these customers who are also
five times more likely to purchase golf clubs and accessories than the average
renter. Through proprietary research, Budget discovered that, among other
interests, golf is an activity enjoyed by a large number of frequent renters.
Based on that conclusion, we decided to reward those customers with an
opportunity to earn prestigious Callaway Golf products as an award for renting
from Budget.
Callaway Golf is known in the golf industry as the number one golf
equipment manufacturer, which makes it the perfect partner for Budget Rent a
Car. Given Budget's exclusive arrangement with Callaway Golf, and the new
program highlights, Perfect Drive promises to become the rental car industry's
premier frequent renter program, rivaled by no other.
Budget Announces New Express Service - Fastbreak
Budget has plans to launch a faster, paperless express service, called
Fastbreak, starting this summer. The company's goal is to cut the average
transaction time in half -- to 15 seconds, making it among the fastest in the
industry. When customers enroll in Perfect Drive and sign a Master Rental
Agreement (MRA), which authorizes Budget to automatically bill all rental
charges to the credit card indicated by the customer, they will be
automatically entitled to Budget's best-ever express service. Once the MRA is
signed, the customer will never again have to stop at the counter to sign a
rental agreement.
Budget Rent a Car Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Budget Group,
Inc., is one of the world's top three car and truck rental systems. The
Budget system, which operates under the Budget Rent a Car name worldwide, has
more than 3,200 airport and local market locations in over 120 countries and
territories. Budget's WorldClass Fleet is comprised of 30% specialty
vehicles, ranging from sport utility vehicles, convertibles and luxury cars to
minivans, pickups and motorcycles.
SOURCE Budget Rent a Car
