GE Capital Sets Sights On Midsize Corporate Clients

<H1> GE Capital Sets Sights On Midsize Corporate Clients</H1><I>Atlanta </I>- With a year of experience in targeting small businesses, GE Capital Commercial Direct is expanding its focus and sales force to medium-size companies.

Earlier this year, GE Capital formed its own field sales force of 18 people to call on corporations that need 100 or fewer GE Corporate Plus cards, said R. Timothy Small, manager of travel products for GE Capital in Atlanta.

Since launching the program in March 1995 (<I>BTN</I>, April 17, 1995), GE has signed up mostly small businesses, with 98 percent using just two or fewer cards. But in recent months, only 85 percent of the accounts have been for two or fewer cards, as several customers needing more than 150 cards signed up for the service, Small said. (A seperate GE Capital unit in Salt Lake City targets Fortune 1000 firms with a GE MasterCard.)

To attract more of these firms, GE has put together a package of travel discounts that include Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hyatt, Radisson, Studio Plus, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Carey Limousine, Exxon, GE Exchange calling card and Maritz Travel. Discounts on overnight mail and office services also are available, and officials are working on a dining program link.

In the Maritz alliance, GE offers a 5 percent rebate on all airline tickets booked through Maritz. Currently, 15 percent of customers using the GE Corporate Plus are using Maritz to book their travel.

One of the other recent changes to the program, according to Small, is that the Corporate Plus Visa card can be revolving or non-revolving. Initially, GE launched the card as a non-revolver, but demand from customers prompted the option.

The card carries a standard package of insurance and extended protection warranties for travelers, along with a reporting package for management. Besides listing spending by category, monthly reports highlight the savings earned through GE's network of business partners.