SUNCARS is to appoint up to six additional staff in January and February to cope with the additional business it will have when it takes over the First Choice account in May 2000.
First Choice shifted its business from Holiday Autos after acquiring Suncars’ parent Unijet last year – the move is expected to add an extra 35,000 bookings a year to the car-rental broker’s regular business.
General manager John Briggs said First Choice reservation staff will continue to make bookings, as they have previously, and download them to Suncars overnight.
But he added that new people are needed in senior sales or operational posts to look after the additional contracting and training.
“The First Choice account brings us new suppliers and naturally increases our buying power with existing ones – that creates a lot of extra work,” said Briggs.
“We will also be doing sales training for First Choice’s UK reservation staff as well as their overseas reps, to help them sell locally and pick up bookings from the number of holidaymakers who still buy their car rental in resort.”
n Suncars is launching a dedicated motorhomes brochure in January after adding the US and Canada to its existing Australia and New Zealand motorhome programme. Motorhomes are provided by specialist Britz.