First Car Rental, Europcar Take Top Spots in South African Service Awards
In the 2012 awards recognizing companies with highly rated customer service in South Africa, First Car Rental took the No. 1 spot for the car rental category, followed by Europcar.
The 2012 South African Service Awards named the winners of the second annual customer service awards, which were announced in early March at a ceremony in Johannesburg.
The awards include seven categories — banking, short-term insurance, ATM deploywer, security services, telecommunication services, hotels and resorts, and car rental (hire) — and recognize companies in South Africa that “push the boundaries of exceptional service.” Customers nominate and vote for companies by giving a rating on the quality of customer service.
More than 200,000 ratings were received between Sept. 1, 2012 and Nov. 30, 2012.
Andrew Cook, CEO of Smoke Customer Care Solutions, created the South African Service Awards to provide an award in South Africa based on customer opinion and to help recognize companies. “There is so much bad publicity around customer service, so we decided that it was time to recognize the companies that put the effort into making a difference with regards to customer service,” he said.
The 2012 South African Service Award Winners
Travel and Related Services – Car Hire
1st Place: First Car Rental
2nd Place: Avis Rent a Car
Excellent Customer Service: Tempest Car Hire
Excellent Customer Service: Europcar
Travel and Related Services – Hotels & Resorts (Category sponsored by First Car Rental)
1st Place: The City Lodge Group
Financial Services – Banking
1st Place: Nedbank
2nd Place: Absa
Financial Services – Short-term Insurance
1st Place: Indwe Risk Services
2nd Place: MiWay Insurance Ltd
Financial Services – ATM Deployer
1st Place: Spark ATM Systems
Security – Services (Category sponsored by Indwe Risk Services)
1st Place: ADT Security
Telecommunications – Services
1st Place: MTN SP
2nd Place: Vodacom
Entries for the 2013 awards are open from March 1, 2013 to Aug. 31, 2013. The customer rating period will run from Sept. 1, 2013 to Nov. 30, 2013.
More information about the 2012 winners and how to register can be found on www.saservice.co.za.
More Rental Operations
Palm Beach Airport Code Change Creates Car Rental Distribution Gap
A test of rental searches under the old PBI and new DJT airport codes returned largely different sets of brands and vehicles, highlighting a potential distribution problem for rental operators.
Read More →
U-Save Continues Dominican Republic Expansion with Launch in Punta Cana
The new franchise location builds on U-Save’s existing Santo Domingo operation and will begin taking reservations for October 2026.
Read More →
When AI Books the Rental Car, Who Controls the Sale?
As AI moves from comparing rental rates to completing transactions, operators need to understand how travelers find, interpret, rank, and ultimately see their offers. (Part 2 of 2.)
Read More →
European Booked Car Rental Rates Fell 5%, Results Varied by Country
Ireland, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom saw steep declines, while booked rates rose in Poland and Hungary.
Read More →
Is It Time to Rethink Rental Categories?
As traditional economy and compact cars disappear from the market, longtime rental operator Mike DeLorenzo asks whether the industry’s familiar vehicle categories still make sense — and what operators need to rethink along with them.
Read More →
Who Owns the Rate? AI Is Creating a New Distribution Problem for Car Rental
Generative Engine Optimization asks whether AI can find a rental company, but operators also need to know whether the agent inspected enough of the market, compared equivalent offers, and presented a rate the traveler can actually book. (Part 1 of 2)
Read More →
U.S. Business Travel Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise Up to 2%
Improved fleet supply should limit pricing gains in 2026-27, while insurance, repair costs, and softer residual values continue to pressure rental operations, according to Amex GBT.
Read More →
Sixt Revenue Tops $2.4 Billion in First Half of 2026
Sixt’s first-half revenue surpassed $2.4 billion for the first time as demand outpaced fleet growth, lifting utilization and earnings despite weaker consumer sentiment in North America.
Read More →
In Memoriam: Bobby Klyce, Avis Licensee Legend
The longtime Birmingham Avis operator and 2018 Auto Rental News Impact Award recipient was remembered as an advocate for independent licensees and the broader car rental industry.
Read More →
How to Build Custom Fleet Tools With AI and Vibe Coding [Webinar]
A new Automotive Fleet webinar explores how fleet managers are using AI and vibe coding to automate routine work and create simple operational tools without traditional programming skills.
Read More →