Avis, one of the world's leading car rental and leasing brands, has launched the Avis CARe program in India. Avis CARe offers users a full range of services that includes carrying out maintenance and repair jobs that meet OEM standards, by using qualified technicians to carry out the work. Thanks to it being available at your doorstep, it is also quite convenient in these times and Avis also promises to offer these services at an affordable price. The range of services include legal assistance over matters of emergency like accidents, 24x7 emergency roadside assistance with towing and ambulance services and Avis will also help you find a room at a hotel if necessary.
Sunil Gupta, MD & CEO, Avis India, told us about the ins and outs of the Avis CARe program.
The Avis CARe program is designed by focusing on a car owner's needs – essentially taking care of all his or her car ownership requirements. The services include searching for an appropriate workshop or insurance company to choose in case of a breakdown or accident, finding out what jobs are actually required, how much they cost, while also factoring in the time, to ensure a quick turnaround for the customer. Aside from this, it includes 24x7 roadside assistance with hotel stay, medical and onward travel assistance, towing, crane and hydra services, plus contactless services such as delivery to and from the customers' doorstep, car replacement or even an additional car for mobility and surprise issues that come along on the road. Avis CARe service program is available at any of the 900+ cities in 26+ states across India that Avis operates in.
The Avis CARe program was created as an answer to Avis' existing customers, who used the brand's rental services. The users would turn to Avis for anything and everything related to their personal cars as well, from basic know-how to more complex issues like help in resolving legal tangles. With the CARe program Avis has also introduced - FMaaS (Fleet Management as a Service), which caters to the management of fleet.
Avis CARe is designed for the car owner and it deals with getting things done for him/her from its wide supplier base. Avis CARe has chosen to team up with local suppliers, as they are best in their respective fields and offer quick response time. All services are available to customers at predetermined rates, depending on the package chosen, without any fine print or missing details. Items like tyres, batteries, and other accessories are not only cheaper but also quicker to handle through their respective authorized suppliers rather than the authorized network of the auto manufacturers. Furthermore, the auto manufacturer network doesn't guide the customer on how to save money or time while the car is in the workshop.
The Avis CARe program takes care of legal procedures associated with car ownership, like, renewal of insurance with the right coverage, settlement of insurance claims including theft and loss related issues, if any. Sunil Gupta gave us an example where Avis CARe service would help its user, he said, "In the event of an accident, sometimes things can take an ugly turn leaving the car owner or its driver in serious trouble under the MV Act. Let us take a simple example of a hit with a buffalo followed by the car hitting the divider and damaging a lamppost. This is public property and to protect oneself an FIR is required and in its absence, if the civic authorities demand recovery from the car owner, one is in trouble. Moreover, with cameras going up everywhere, it is going to become much easier for them to do so even before you know it. And as far as the buffalo is concerned, this, if not handled properly, can attract not only a financial liability but also a jail term, apart from harassment from its owner and even the local village administration. Frankly, a car owner is never prepared for these situations, be it in his own city or any other city. We quickly stitch together the legal assistance required and guide the user at the site, help with the paperwork, etc. so that the right approach is taken right from the start of the process till all settlements are achieved in a smooth and peaceful manner."
The Avis CARe program offers three annual packages. The cost of each package depends on the age and usage pattern of the vehicle. Anything outside of the package is still dealt with by the Avis CARe experts, but at additional rates. The customer has to pay for these if and when the need arises. Sunil Gupta says, "the customer only pays for what he/she needs and gets access to our customer-centric service features that work around our customer’s schedule, so that they have one less thing to worry about."
The Avis CARe program teams up with suppliers to deliver the services. Sunil Gupta says, "All maintenance jobs are done through OEM authorized workshops and this is where we see Avis CARe working with the suppliers and not competing with them. The special rates enjoyed by Avis are due to our much higher volumes with OEMs and as a result, the customer ends up paying a lot less than what he or she would otherwise pay, either for prepaid services under the package or for need-based services outside the package. The Avis CARe expertise ensures that the right interventions are done at the right time, thus reducing the overall cost of ownership or user ship."
Avis CARe program also partners with local suppliers for equipment such as crane and hydra services, due to the several regulations regarding their registration and movement, it makes sense for Avis to partner with existing business owners.
With the current global pandemic situation and the rise of EVs Sunil Gupta says, "Avis CARe is a program that prevails in all situations, even when more and more electric vehicles come into play. Additionally, we have launched Avis Flexi 12 where the cars under a private number plate in the name of Avis are offered to corporate customers for 12 months. The leased returned cars that are maintained under the Avis Fleet Management program are one of the best pre-owned car inventories in the country and are now offered to retail buyers as well. Our ambition is to be in step with emerging technologies like electric vehicles and offer solutions for mobility with ever-evolving customer needs and preferences."