Auto Rental Summit Thanks Sponsors and Attendees
Many attendees won prizes at the Auto Rental Summit thanks to conference sponsors. The event took place Oct. 29-30 and offered training and education designed to improve customer service in the car rental industry.
Auto Rental News would like to thank attendees and sponsors of the 2012 Auto Rental Summit that took place Oct. 29-30 in Hollywood Beach, Fla. The two-day training and education conference is designed to help car rental operators improve their customer service and enhance their bottom line.
The conference had more than 100 people at the show and also awarded in the first-annual Professional of the Year awards three car rental employees who have displayed outstanding customer service. (You can read more about the awards and who won here.)
Also during the show, sponsors donated prizes to winners who were able to answer the most questions right in the car rental quiz. The prizes and winners included:
$50 cash from Auto Rental Insurance Services: Winner - Alberto Velez of Camara Argentina de Alquiladoras de Auto
$50 cash from Auto Rental Insurance Services: Winner - Julian Gritsch, EuroIT
$100 Amazon gift card from Bluebird Auto Rental Systems: Winner - Mel Morris, Rent A Wreck
$50 Visa gift card from Payless Car Rental System Inc.: Winner - Rita Wood, Burgner Enterprises/Thrifty Car Rental
$50 Visa gift card from Payless Car Rental System Inc.: Winner - Lisa Cisler, U-Save/ACE Tampa
$100 Visa gift card from PricewaterhouseCoopers: Winner - Tercio Gritsch, Referencia Rent A Car
$50 American Express gift card from Williams & Stazzone Insurance Agency: Winner - Donald Burgner, Burgner Enterprises/Thrifty Car Rental
$50 American Express gift card from Williams & Stazzone Insurance Agency:Winner - Juan Carlos Zuniga Ruiz, Easy Rent A Car
$50 American Express gift card from Williams & Stazzone Insurance Agency: Winner - Ashley Phillips, Burgner Enterprises/Thrifty Car Rental
Also awarded were free consultations with Frontline Performance Group and Leslie Saunders: Insurance, Benefits and Training. Wilson Gonzalez with Allied Car & Truck Rental won the Frontline consultation and Randy Houle with National Car Rental won the Leslie Saunders consultation.
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