N9MD

Disclaimer: Nothing in this post is meant to sound condescending, braggadocious or demeaning. I'm just reporting my experience and my opinions.

Yep! CHM is everything it's cracked up to be ... but I don't think anyone really has a handle on who gets the invitation to join and who does not. Although many have offered opinions (guesses) as to the need for thousands of rentals by major corporations ... I can tell you that lots of the conjecture just ain't so.

First off, let's start with the benefits of CHM. My wife and I have rarely had to "take the bus" to most AVIS locations we frequent throughout the US. On arrival, I pick up the red AVIS phone near the baggage carousel --- or I call the local AVIS office directly on my cell phone. (I always have these local numbers available when I travel.) I carry a large red "AVIS Chairmans envelope" which I hold up at curbside so the driver delivering the car to the terminal can recognize me. The driver loads the luggage (and golf clubs on occasion) into the car and away I go. At some locations, such as LAX, the airport forbids this type of pickup ... so the AVIS bus takes us to our car (for me, always a Cadillac STS) which is parked at the AVIS "shack" with engine running, manager along side with offer of newspaper and coffee, luggage transferred from bus to car, directions to destination offered.

Even though I am the CHM member, my wife is extended the same courtesies when I call ahead to arrange for her to get a car when she is traveling on her own.

On returning to an AVIS facility, the little "V" windshield sticker gets me instant recognition when I enter the Returns area ... whereupon a driver takes me and the luggage back to the terminal. On one occasion, I was literally ignored by the "return" agents --- at which point I went inside to report this to the manager. This resulted in abject apologies and a plea asking "Please don't report this to AVIS because we get in deep trouble."

I have not found CHM to be of much help in Europe --- which involves separate corporate entities. But all the benefits apply in the US and Canada.

As to charges for the rentals ... the rule is that the CHM must rent an intermediate class (or higher) ... we almost always get the "luxury class" vehicle of our choice listed in my profile (Cadillac STS), if available ... I've never asked for a CTS or other "special class" car. And I do get my AVIS AWD discount on the intermediate class rental ... so I can use a variety of AWDs that are compatible with my rental.

With regard to the "invitation" to become a CHM ... my suspicion is that it is not just about number or length of rentals ... and it certainly is not about number of company employees involved in car rentals ... nor does it relate to the size of the company one works for.

By way of background, for many years (since the mid-1980s), I was CEO/President of a medical software/hardware company that I had founded ... growing to a decent size in the NY/NJ/PA/CT area ... with my son-in-law as the COO, my oldest daughter as the Director of Training and Support, and several training and support and equipment repair people ... not a truly large company ... but big enough to do a few million in annual sales.

Here are some more facts:

(1) Since all our clients were within driving range from the home office in NJ, we did not need car rentals. However, we did spend a wad of money annually on hardware inventory, purchased through a Corporate American Express Platinum card ... in my name.

(2) My wife and I did (and still do as Silver Elites) a lot of personal traveling for pleasure ... always renting with AVIS using the Corporate Platinum AmExp card ... averaging only 12 rentals per year, each ranging from 4 to 14 days in length.

(3) I actually sold the company assets to a national company in 1999 ... so no large scale purchases have been made with this AmExp card since then ... although I continue to have the same amount of "pleasure" travel and AVIS rentals ... using the same AmExp card on a much more limited basis. Yet, my invitation to join CHM only arrived within the last few years, after I had sold the company.

(4) My son-in-law went on to become the COO for a multi-mult-million dollar privately held healthcare company (nursing homes, assisted and independent living facilities) where he quickly achieved and has maintained CO Platinum Elite status and AVIS Presidents Club membership ... using AVIS exclusively for his very frequent travel schedule all over the US ... using his new Corporate Platinum AmExp card exclusively ... but he has never been asked to join the CHM program.

Conclusion: I really don't know the criteria for getting a CHM invitation. I suspect it has more to do with Corporate Platinum American Express rather then actual AVIS rental history ... or some combination thereof. I hope they'll let me renew my CHM membership until by LifeTime CO Presidents Club membership expires (or I do, whichever comes first).

IAH Oil Man

What I don't understand about all of this is- at least in the large company I work at, VP level people DO NOT DRIVE THEMSELVES anywhere. They don't rent cars and they don't fly comercial fights.

So this AVIS status would go mostly unused....

jgsx

I imagine that Avis makes very little -- or loses money on CHM rentals. Why would they want to give that to a road warrior that generates revenue and has little influence on corporate policy?

dukeman

I had a good experience at FLL today. My name was on a sign at the Preferred Desk, but there was a line at the Preferred check-in. I looked at the board and I was on the list and went to my car which was in the 1st spot^. Got a nice Caddy. Went to visit my 93 year old grandmother before heading to meetings in MIA. The CHM desk came through on my drive to MIA. I called and asked if they could pick up the car at my hotel. Agent took down the info and promised to call me back (she needed to call the location). Agent called back and said no problem they would pick the car up at the valet stand. ^^

Insiderdude

You are dead on with this one. Most road warriors are doing so on company expense, so for the most part they have to because the executives (consequently, whom Avis gives CHMs to) mandate it as part of company policy. Giving CHM memberships to road warriors will not help revenue - many are stuck with Avis or (the others), and status won't change it.

TheFarSide

(Been a lurker on here for a long time & had to post after seeing this thread)

I was with a colleague earlier this week & he's a Chairman. His/our treatment was nothing like what is described here: We got to the location (large airport with a consolidated off-site location where you have to ride the bus) and went to the Preferred monitors. It directed us to the preferred booth. After nobody being there for a while, we wandered back inside & asked what was going on. They pulled his name & told him that "Sorry, your reservation was cancelled and we're out of cars"... she had a puzzled look as to what she should do next. My colleague immediately started calling the Chairman's club line and the local employee said that she'd find a manager to sort it out when she realized we weren't leaving without a car. The Chairman's line said that the local airport cancelled the reservation earlier in the day. The local employee came back & rudely told him to get off the phone because they "found" us a car. They printed the contract & put it in a standard folder (not the Preferred folder that I'm used to, nor the Chairman's folder that has been mentioned here).

My colleague was still quite bothered, so he asked for the manager. When pressed why the reservation was cancelled, the manager offered, "I don't know who was working earlier or why they cancelled your reservation, but it was probably because they were zeroing inventory and trying to determine what they could give you. I do have an STS ready for you outside."

Never were we offered help with the luggage, and when we returned there was nothing special. The lady checking us in made it seem like it was such a hassle when we told her that the gas gauge didn't work and the one window only worked part-time.

Any Chairmen out there who have received similar/poor treatment? What's the standard protocol after this... call the Chairman's desk to discuss it once it's over? My colleague doesn't like to complain, but I told him that he HAS to because that's not how First members should be treated, let alone Chairmen.

jgsx

He has an obligation to notify the Chairman desk. What airport did this occur at?

dimramon

See my post here: http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...=842111&page=4

TheFarSide

I was debating whether to post it or not, but I guess it won't hurt. It was at CLE. Too bad ezmonee isn't still there... I'm sure our situation would have been much different. Have any Chairmen been there recently and can comment on their experience?

chompion

What's the Coupon Connection Forum? I can't see it in the Community section.

djk7

I think you need to have a certain post count to access, 90 comes to mind.

randomman

UGH I HATE CLE! That is the WORST location I have experienced in my many years with Avis.

They are NOTORIOUSLY bad. I have posted many times here about them.

Cars are old (20K+ miles), dirty, and often come with mechanical problems (once gave me a CTS with TWO very obviously flat tires).

The staff there just doesnt care...something needs to be done. I rented there every week for six months. Now I travel to CLE once a month, but all my busienss goes to National.

tstrike

Been renting from Avis everyweek since Feburary (almost every week and thats no joke)....

How do I get invited into the Presidents Club?

jgsx

Please do not cross post.

AustinFlyer76

been renting every week from Avis since march of 2004! ... no invitations here.