Avis Norway and HSMAI Chapter Norway have signed an agreement aimed at improving service in Norwegian corporations.

The agreement, initially to last for a year, will give Avis access to important resources within the fields of service, networking and other resources of importance for the business life, while HSMAI’s member gain from Avis’s service expertise.

“We’re very pleased to be accompanied by just Avis, a beacon in the field of service,” says Ingunn Hofseth, HSMAI Chapter Norway’s president.

Service upgrade imperative

She is convinced that Avis, with its long traditions and international network, will contribute to bring important input in a Norwegian area in dire need of an upgrade, namely service.

“There’s no denying that we have a long way to go, which is also the reason why we focus on service especially, not least through our Service Conference and the national competition Serviceløftet [loosely translated: the Service Challenge] in September,” she says.

Tonje Fossum, Avis Norway's Sales and marketing director.

“A few areas of the agreement are of particular interest to us,” Avis’s sales and marketing director Tonje Fossum says, emphasising just Serviceløftet and the Special Interest Groups (SIG).

“Service is second nature to us,” she adds, with reference to We Try Harder, a slogan the company has lived by since 1962, while underlining the importance of establishing service standards.

“Cooperation rather than deterrence”

“I would hate to find ourselves in a position where we’re surprised in the face of good service. High standards should be the rule, which is where we think that HSMAI plays a key role, with the annual Service Conference, Serviceløftet and its relentless efforts to establish service standards throughout the year.”

Ms. Fossum emphasises that Avis strives to build relations and networks, such as HSMAI’s Special Interest Groups, where businesses cooperate rather than work against each-other.

“We intend to include large parts of our organisation in this. We’re extremely particular when it comes to this kind of agreements, but HSMAI has a good programme, giving us ample opportunity to learn across different trades, but also providing us an opportunity to contribute. Which is a win-win situation for HSMAI’s members and for us,” Ms. Fossum says.