Avis Travel Agent Scholarship

Belinda van Tholen from MTA Travel!

Avis Car Rental Australia is pleased to announce Belinda van Tholen from MTA Travel in Tasmania as the recipient of the 2015 Avis Travel Agent Scholarship – the retail travel industry’s most prestigious award for customer service.

Van Tholen was chosen as this year’s Scholarship winner by a panel of judges, who met in Sydney today to question five Scholarship finalists on their individual approach to delivering outstanding customer service.

Butler says Van Tholen – who worked for Flight Centre for eight years before starting her own business 18 months ago as part the MTA Travel group – particularly impressed judges with her determination to develop an ever more detailed and nuanced appreciation of her customers’ individual needs.

Avis Travel Industry Manager Russell Butler says this year’s Scholarship was one of the most closely contested in the award’s 19 year history.

“Each of the finalists demonstrated the essential elements required to provide the highest-quality service, including the ability to identify, understand and anticipate their customers’ needs,” says Butler. “They also showed judges that they have the skills and experience required to meet those needs with clever and creative solutions.

“We can be very proud of the calibre of the travel agents we have in Australia.”

“Belinda creates multiple opportunities to interact with her customers and uses the information she gathers to drill down further into what really makes them tick,” says Butler. “Armed with that knowledge and insight, she then tailors experiences that exceed expectations.”