TULSA, Okla. -- Dollar Rent A Car, a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc., has begun responding live to online customer inquiries on dollar.com.

Dollar.com users can click on one of several "text chat" buttons located throughout the site, type in their question or comment, and get an immediate, live response.

Customers simply have to enter their name, e-mail address, zip code and question into the chat dialogue page. Then, they will see a dialogue box that will instantly connect them to a customer service representative to answer their car rental questions.

"Text chat provides us with immediate feedback from customers concerning site enhancements, changes and online promotions," says Janet Worley, staff vice president of reservations for Dollar Rent A Car. "In addition, this function allows us to give our online customer the same personalized attention we give our telephone customers. It's a win-win situation for both Dollar and the customer."