Avis - New Smoke-Free Fleet from Avis

September 2, 2009

Dear Kohoutek,

We're constantly looking for ways to make renting from Avis a more enjoyable and satisfying experience. And beginning next month we're adding a new one: a 100% smoke-free fleet.

Our new smoke-free fleet policy will go into effect as of October 1st for our entire fleet. Every make. Every model. You'll find a sticker on every vehicle to identify it as smoke-free.

We're excited about this change because it means a fresh, clean, odor-free vehicle every time you rent from us. In fact, we've created a new inspection process and cleaning fee (up to $250 if the vehicle is returned and it smells of smoke) just to guarantee that your vehicle really is clean and smoke-free.

A smoke-free fleet. It's coming this fall. It's not only more enjoyable — it's a breath of fresh air from Avis.

Thank you for choosing Avis. We look forward to you driving with us again soon.

Sincerely,



Becky Alseth
Senior Vice President
Marketing

Terrific news! Is Budget doing the same thing? I know at several stations, Avis and Budget share the same fleet.

Terrific news! Is Budget doing the same thing? I know at several stations, Avis and Budget share the same fleet.

From Budget website:

Is smoking permitted in rental cars?

No. Budget maintains a non-smoking fleet, and any type of smoking (pipe, cigarette, cigar) is prohibited in all Budget vehicles. Just as renters are accessed a fee for cleaning the car's interior for excessive stains, dirt or soilage attributable to the renter’s use, customers will be assessed an additional charge if the car smells of smoke when it is returned.

No smoking just means no smoking with the windows up. ^ I don't think I've ever had a car with a "smoking allowed" sticker in it. They've all been non-smoking in the places where I've rented.

I just hope they can enforce it well enough to be useful. Getting smoky smelling cars, often with a heavy dose of perfume to try to cover it up is my most common annoyance with rental cars.

I'll believe this when I smell it.

The last month, every time I've rented, the car has the $250 cleaning fee decal on the window, yet the car still smells like it's been smoked in, and in some cases, it's not even been covered with air fresheners.

I think they'd cause a big ruckus if they just started charging $250 smoking fee's willy nilly.

I also think its pretty much impossible to get the smoke car out of a car once its been smoked in.

Guess the proof will be in the pudding.

This is strange. My questions:

1 - I have complained about this issue and they told me that Avis was totally non-smoking at least the last few years. In reality, they made no effort - the lighter is never removed, there is no non-smoking sticker and you do get cars that smell like smoke. So, are they just enforcing the policy now with the $250 fee? It sounds like they are trying to get a revenue stream...

2 - As we all know, there are many cars that smell like smoke in their fleet. Are they going to get rid of these cars? Otherwise, I can see huge disputes at return

Thanks.

I think they'd cause a big ruckus if they just started charging $250 smoking fee's willy nilly.

I also think its pretty much impossible to get the smoke car out of a car once its been smoked in.

Guess the proof will be in the pudding.

in past years, avis has given 10,000 mile plus cars to those who requested smoking cars and newer cars to those who requested non smoking, but after a certain point evrything was on either side of that equation so it didnt work.


actually, the smoke can be removed. in my experience it costs about 150 in detailing charges to fully remove smoke from a car. The biggest problem isnt the 150. I have and if I was still working for avis I would continue to charge that if someone smoked in the car and did not declare smoking in the preferences.

the biggest problem is the downtime and inspection. The car needs to be taken out of service and downed until a detailer can be used. Often when a station takes a vehicle out of rotation and charges an extra cleaning fee (aside from the standard excessive dirt/trash already in the contract) the complaining individual usually asks for a copy of the detailing charges. And rightfully so.

Now the inspection issue will be take care of itself. Now i am no longer in the loop but I suspect that if a car is going to get hit with this charge, they will inform the customer on the spot during check in. Also it is entirely possible that some sort of photo documentation process has been or will be implemented in cases of dispute. Its hard to argue a video tape/digital camera shot of the vehicle number and a full ashtray or cigarette butts strewn about in the car.

The hardest cases will be the clean looking car with smoke odor.

Now the location that I worked at was aggressive in notifying customer of additional fees if the car came back excessively dirty. I can assure you that many customers disputed such charges on their bill, and I can assure you that avis has won many of those disputes. one time a customer was the first to rent a car (brand new) and returned it with muddy footprints on the headliner. I called the detailer and had him inspect it and clean it. After a 250 dollar charge (the footprints were not the only issue), amex disputed the charge on behalf of the customer. I filled out a signed affidavit for amex stating how I inspected and found the condition of the car. The detailers bill was included. Never heard from them again.

the biggest push will be in customer awareness, preventative care. I imagine some sort of permanent tag/notice will be placed in every car or the gate guard will collect some sort of "I understand" paperwork. In there will be some sort of "i have inspected the car and there is no odor" clause in it (or it might be part of the signature acquisition process. The idea is to inform customers and scare them with the 250 charge to reduce the need to even charge it. I imagine that is the bulk of the program right there. There will always be hard Asses who will always do whatever the hell they want, and the only way they will change is to pay 1,000 in a year for car cleanings. 99.9 percent of the traveling public will see the 250 dollar charge and avoid causing issues like the plague, or at the very least, as one poster suggested eliminate smoking with the windows up.

For those who are curious, the single best way to eliminate smoke odors from a car is with enzyme based cleaners with no scent. the scent masks the odors and the only way to get rid of it all is to due 2-3 stage cleanings. If its a new car, one stage may be sufficient. The perfume makes it hard to smell the smoke inbetween the stages so odorless enzyme based cleaners work best.

take enzyme cleaner, spray every cloth surface lightly. this will take approximately 20 minutes to do correctly.

Second, administer one cup enzyme mixture and 1 cup water mixture slowly into the external air vent of the car in the hood gap between the windshield and the hood. Do so with the car on, heat just slightly higher than the air temp, vent open. Pour the mixture in over 5 minutes slowly or use a fine misting sprayer. When I have done it ive used the garden pressure sprayers with a fine mist tip.

Open all windows and let the car run in this fashion for one hour or more. Then repeat spray and let sit overnight, windows up, so to trap any residual smoke smell as an indicator that the stage need be repeated.

thats stage one. sometimes it takes three stages to get all the smoke smell out.

stage two would be a repeat of stage one, but heavier doses of the enzyme. Stage three, the only surefire way to do it is an ozone generator. o having a ton of those machines around to de-smoke cars is a pain and expensive. likely only a couple will be available so that's why its the last resort. ozone generators have been used for years to help reclaim smoke damaged homes from fires, so cigarettes no matter how bad would be a cakewalk, but no matter how much the manufacturers claim, no 20 minute treatment is enough to fully remove smoke from the car unless you have fully attempted to remove it via conventional means first.

I'd like to see a guarantee that if I rent a car that smells like smoke, that I get $250.00... Now thats a guarantee...

how are they going to enforce the $250 fee?

a smoker would just say it smelled that way when they picked it up.

i bet avis will not enforce this.

Avis can stuff their Avis FIRST. As a road warrior and "polite" smoker (they way you all talk you'd think there wasn't any), I smoke in smoking permitted cars. Numerous times the company didn't give me one I requested since they were all non-smoking. So, I went exclusively to Avis who always gave me very high mileage cars.

My experience as the only smoker in the traveling group is, the minute you get a drink or two in avid non-smokers, they all want to borrow a smoke and light up. In thier NON-smoking cars, in their NON-smoking hotel rooms. I don't put up with it. The sober rabid NON-smokers who become raging drunk smokers give actual polite smokers a bad name.

You say smoking is disgusting, but let me tell you, those high mileage cars had blood stains, mud clots, dog-hair, vomit stains, etc. in them. Half the time I HAD to smoke because the rest of the odors were so foul. But, I never complained since I was *grateful* I could smoke in their cars. Well, screw that. Non-smokers are so holier than thou - and they cause the most problems! I'm seriously sick of it. Your children and dogs and drunk friends reek. Get over yourselves.

My experience as the only smoker in the traveling group is, the minute you get a drink or two in avid non-smokers, they all want to borrow a smoke and light up.


Don't generalize all avid non-smokers. Some of us are allergic to cigarette smoke and many of us will *NEVER* smoke, no matter how much we drink.


You say smoking is disgusting, but let me tell you, those high mileage cars had blood stains, mud clots, dog-hair, vomit stains, etc. in them. Half the time I HAD to smoke because the rest of the odors were so foul.

If I get a car with any of those things (and I've had a lot of them), I will definitely refuse the car. That's just unacceptable.

Don't generalize all avid non-smokers. Some of us are allergic to cigarette smoke and many of us will *NEVER* smoke, no matter how much we drink.

The unfortunate thing is some people don't know their immune system has been sensitized to an allergen until they get exposed a second time. So an unsuspecting renter might get into a smoky car and suddenly feel their throat close up.

Worse, some smokers think such an allergy to tobacco is a fiction of the domineering chattering classes. An allergy is an abnormal immune response to foreign proteins. So anything with proteins, such as smoke containing tobacco from plants, or latex gloves made from rubber trees, etc. can cause a bad reaction.

If Avis actually enforces this, I'm sure there will be many of us non-smokers that are accused of smoking in cars that were smoked in by previous renters. I've been getting numerous cars with 20k+ and 30k+ miles. Many of these cars are just plain nasty. Unless Avis details every one of these, there will be no way to tell if they are smoked in again.

If Avis actually enforces this, I'm sure there will be many of us non-smokers that are accused of smoking in cars that were smoked in by previous renters. I've been getting numerous cars with 20k+ and 30k+ miles. Many of these cars are just plain nasty. Unless Avis details every one of these, there will be no way to tell if they are smoked in again.

how are they going to enforce the $250 fee?

a smoker would just say it smelled that way when they picked it up.

i bet avis will not enforce this.

there is a simple solution for this. Waive the policy in their face and flat out refuse ANY car that smells of smoke, period.

either avis will stop enforcing or will clean the fleet. If people quit "accepting" what they give them, this wont be an issue.


and I would like to point this one factoid out to everyone who says they are allergic to smoke.

#1 Myth: People are Allergic to Smoke

The truth is that no one really is allergic to smoke. This is why some people find no relief by taking allergy medications to relive their symptoms after being exposed to smoke. The truth is that smoke is considered an irritant and not a true allergen. Cigarette or cigar smoke will often generate an allergy-like reaction or cause other allergies (like those to pollen, dust, pets, etc) to become exacerbated.

and avis employees are told this because its one of the biggest reason why they get yelled at in regards to car cleanliness.

Truth is, if you want to strengthen your position in the argument, tell them you have dust allergies that are exacerbated by cigarette smoke.

Please excuse the Tommy Boy reference, but I thought it was fitting:

"But why do they put a guarantee on the box?"

"Because they know all they sold ya was a guaranteed piece of junk. That's all it is, isn't it? Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I've got spare time. But for now, for your customer's sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product from me."