The Hertz Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program was recognized as the industry-leading loyalty program for the fourth consecutive year at the 2015 FlyerTalk Awards.
The program was named the Best Rewards Program of the Drive category across the Americas, Europe/Africa, and Middle East/Asia/Oceania. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards also received the Outstanding Benefits recognition across Europe/Africa and Middle East/Asia/Oceania.
From more than 100 affinity programs, FlyerTalk members voted Hertz Gold Plus Rewards the top worldwide car rental loyalty program. The FlyerTalk Awards are held annually and determined by the FlyerTalk community, a group of half a million frequent business and leisure travelers. The community is dedicated to finding and sharing elite-level knowledge of airline, hotel and car rental affinity programs, voting once a year for the best ones within the Fly, Stay, and Drive categories.
Charlie Coniglio, Vice President of Global Distribution and Partnerships, The Hertz Corporation explained to Loyalty360 how the company’s loyalty program is unique.
“We’ve recently enhanced the program so that it is now easier than ever to achieve and retain status in elite tiers, earn extra points, and redeem them faster,” Coniglio explained. “Technology is a huge component of our loyalty program as it is designed to provide speed and convenience for customers during every step of the rental process. Benefits of the program, which have been extremely well-received by customers, include:
· Hertz Gold Choice®: Provides renters with the peace of mind knowing their cars will be ready and waiting for them with the freedom to choose another option on the spot.
· Mobile Gold Alerts – Carfirmations: Gold members can receive a personalized email or text message with up-to-the-minute information about which car they’ll be driving and where their vehicle is parked.
· Faster rentals: Hertz continues to deliver faster and easier rentals that allow Gold members to skip the counter at over 50 airports around the world. Additionally, at over 4,000 locations worldwide, renters can simply show their driver’s licenses and pick up their keys.
Coniglio said Hertz re-launched and re-branded its loyalty program under the present name of Gold Plus Rewards in June 2011. Currently, the loyalty program has more than 6.5 million members worldwide.
Coniglio offered the following advice for any marketer seeking to create or enhance a successful loyalty program.
“First and foremost, focus on the customer experience,” Coniglio said. “Understand what the customer finds valuable (speed, ease, technology, etc.), incorporate it into the program, and execute it flawlessly.”