Customer experience is vital in today’s marketplace as a differentiating factor tied to success.
Hertz Corporation adheres to that premise and, as a result, announced that Stuart Benzal has been appointed Vice President, Customer Experience, and Tony Bedalov has been appointed Vice President, Customer Care and Contact Centers, reporting to Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Jeffrey Foland.
“Hertz operates the premier brands in the auto rental industry and is sharply focused on innovating and improving our customers’ experience throughout their journey with us,” Foland told Loyalty360. “We are bringing in two strong leaders in this space and will continue to invest in the people, products, and services required to ensure we deliver the leading offering in the industry.”
In this new role, Benzal will oversee the worldwide delivery of distinctive products, services and superior experiences that deepen customer engagement across the company's car rental brands, which include Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly.
Bedalov will be responsible for the worldwide call center and customer care services. As a 30-year veteran with United Airlines, most recently as Managing Director of Contact Center Strategy and Planning, Bedalov has extensive experience in the development of customer service processes. He also has led the implementation of marketing and loyalty programs, in his prior role as President of Mileage Plus, Inc., a subsidiary of United Airlines.
“Customer experience means a number of things to us,” Foland added. “It means a great product, excellent service interactions, convenience, and operating on “your terms”, which for some travelers means technology-enabled self-service. We will push hard in all of these areas to innovate for our customers.” 
For Foland and Hertz, loyalty can be defined as a customer who feels truly welcomed and valued and chooses to repeatedly use Hertz products and services.
“Clearly, we want to ensure that we are doing all we can to make certain that the experience is strong and memorable for our most valuable customers,” Foland explained.