The winner of the Avis Scholarship of Excellence award modestly downplayed her achievement last night after declaring customer service “is just what I do”.
Bettiann Gain, a home-based agent in Queensland with MTA Travel, expressed her delight at picking up the $40,000 prize but insisted what she does for her clients is just the norm.
“Providing customer service is just what I do, it’s just normal, it’s how everyone should treat their clients,” Bettiann told Travel Today after collecting her award at Sydney’s Four Seasons Hotel.
Bettiann honed her people skills at Sydney Airport where she worked for 11 years as customer services officer for British Airways. She also ran a Travelscene agency on the Gold Coast before joining MTA five years ago.
Bettiann said going “over and above” regular service was becoming more important in an era where the Internet is creating a price driven consumer.
“As travel agents, we need to have that point of difference,” she said. “As a home-based agent I do find there is more time to provide a personal level of service. You don’t have the distractions that come with working in an office.”
Bettiann edged out four other finalists to snatch the award, including fellow MTA agent Leanne McGovern.
The others were Jennifer Anderseck, from American Express Business Travel in Victoria, Marica Salpietro, from Peregrine Adventures, Victoria and Illaina Van Veen, from Corporate Traveller in Queensland.
Avis travel industry manager Russell Butler said: “Bettiann shows enormous empathy towards her clients, she takes personal responsibility for every aspect of their journey and she is both determined and highly creative when it comes to overcoming problems.”
