Seven RTA customer experience team members have been celebrated – including three state winners and one state finalist – at the Auscontact Queensland State Excellence Awards held in Brisbane on Friday 29 August 2025.

The prestigious annual awards recognise and celebrate excellence in customer service, contact centres, customer experience and employee experience. 

RTA Chief Executive Officer Steve Davidson congratulated the state winners, finalist and nominees and recognised their commitment to serving Queensland’s rental sector.

‘These awards and nominations highlight our team’s focus on delivering excellent customer service and improving the systems, processes and training that help make it possible for us to do so,’ Mr Davidson said.

‘While we’re proud to achieve this recognition and celebrate our team members’ success, we know there’s always more we can do to build on our strong customer satisfaction and dispute resolution rates, which is why improving our service delivery remains a strategic priority for us.’

You can read a summary of the RTA nominees, their award categories and how they’re working to deliver excellence in customer services below.

Team leader/team manager – recognising leaders who inspire and drive team performance to deliver exceptional results.

• Andrea McGraw (state winner) is driven by a genuine passion for improving both customer and staff experiences, leading with heart and strategy. She always listens to her team and collaborates across the business to achieve the best outcomes.
• Shae Francis leads with purpose and passion, consistently inspiring his team to exceed performance goals and deliver exceptional customer outcomes. Shae’s clear vision and empathetic leadership fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous growth. He motivates and empowers others, making a lasting impact on both team morale and organisational success.

Customer contact professional – honouring individuals who consistently provide outstanding customer interactions, leadership and service excellence.

• Lochlan Paterson always thinks about how to make things smoother and better for our customers. Whether he’s redesigning the front counter experience or involved in projects as a subject matter expert, he never stops advocating for the customer.
• Ben Gerwald is a powerhouse when it comes to customer service. Whether he’s helping someone face-to-face or handling complex calls, he brings empathy, clarity, and professionalism every time. Ben’s ability to build trust and deliver real outcomes makes him a role model within his team.

Rising star – celebrating emerging talent demonstrating significant potential and impact early in their career.

• Le Grand Rivers (state finalist) has quickly emerged as a standout talent, demonstrating exceptional initiative, curiosity, and impact early in his RTA career. He is a fast-learner, adapts to new challenges, and contributes to team and customer outcomes. Le Grand’s drive and potential make him a true rising star and a future leader in the making.

Customer experience champion – acknowledging those who innovate and enhance the customer journey, delivering superior experiences.

• Lori Lynam (state winner) is an innovative thinker with a commitment to service excellence, setting new benchmarks for customer experience across the organisation. She has transformed key touchpoints in the customer lifecycle and champions initiatives that not only enhance the customer journey but also inspire teams to deliver superior service every day.

Workforce management professional – recognising professionals who excel in forecasting, scheduling, and optimising workforce efficiency.

• Taylor Dean (state winner) is sharp, thinks strategically and always looking at ways to improve our workforce planning processes. She built a forecasting tool, which has reshaped how we allocate resources and reduced processing delays. This has improved our customer experience across the board. Taylor embodies what excellence looks like in this space.