For the 13th consecutive year, Avis has been named the leading car rental company in the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index.

Avis achieved high marks in each of the four drivers of brand loyalty in the car rental category, including customer service and convenience; brand reputation; confidence, reliability and safety; and pricing and discounts. The annual study examined 49,000 customers' relationships with 598 brands in 83 diverse categories.

"Products and services that respond with a meaningful consumer-centric view of their category — delighting the customer — are able to meet or exceed customer expectations and become category leaders," said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys Inc. "We congratulate Avis for receiving the highest loyalty and engagement assessment for 2012, the 13th year in a row. Their continued success illustrates that they are 'delighting' their customers better than their competitors."

"We understand customers' expectations, and our commitment to excellence and exceeding these expectations is unwavering," said Ronald L. Nelson, chairman and CEO of Avis Budget Group, parent company of Avis. "We share this award with Avis employees across the country who epitomize our 'We try harder' ethos to provide our customers with a consistently outstanding rental experience. We are confident that our new global footprint will allow us to roll out this approach around the world, which will further enhance our brand loyalty on a global basis."

Avis utilizes numerous feedback systems, including online customer surveys, to enhance the customer rental experience. Customer surveys are aggregated and delivered to field location managers in real-time to enable immediate response to customer suggestions. This customer feedback led the company to become the first in the industry to offer a 100% smoke-free fleet in North America.

For more information on the 2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, visit www.brandkeys.com.

Avis received another award earlier this year as the "World's Leading Business Car Rental Company" for the 2011 World Travel Awards.