Rent-to-own News - High Touch users give "high marks" to conference

Rent-to-own dealers from around the globe are giving rave reviews to the 2008 High Touch Users Conference which concludes today in Wichita, Kansas.

The conference was the company's biggest ever, drawing some 70 attendees -- dealers and employees -- from over 33 companies.

Roberto Van Dams of UHR Rents.

With four tracks and 44 training sessions available over the two day event May 7-9, High Touch users gained new insight into various aspects of the company's existing software packages and trained on a variety of new enhancements  unveiled at the conference.

Roberto Van Dams, IT manager for UHR Rents in Ohio, found the breakout sessions on networking and security most useful, specifically in regard to how virtual private networks can make data management more accessible within his company.

Steve Kruse of Bestway Rentals.

"With Sonic Wall boxes and High Touch's network and security features, you can do your work and access data from any store, from wherever you want," Van Dams said. "There was a great deal of information here, not just from High Touch but from the other dealers here too."

Steve Kruse, operations analyst for Dallas-based Bestway Rentals who has used HIgh Touch software for 21 years, agreed that "networking" at the conference was not just limited to pushing data between servers. It's the face to face interactions between people that give High Touch Conferences their true value.

"Over the years, it's nice to meet and greet people I've known for years and to meet new people in the industry," Kruse said. "You learn so much about what the software can do from other people who are using it everyday. This has been a very good conference."

Dan Singh, regional manager for Dial Rent-To-Own with six stores in Guam, Saipan, Aruba and the U.S. Virgin Islands, has used High Touch software for 20 years.

Dan Singh of Dial Rent-To-Own in Guam.

This was his first users conference.

"The nice thing about High Touch software is it measures everything," Singh said. "So a lot of the data has always been there. Here at the conference, we learned how to consolidate those reports and use them to set future goals. High Touch is a family, and they let us know they are in this with us together like a family."

Click here for the APRO photo gallery of the 2008 High Touch Users Conference.

Click here for the podcast with High Touch President Wayne Chambers.

Click here for the podcast with High Touch User Gary Ferriman.

Click here for the podcast interview with High Touch sales group director John Rogers.

Click here for the podcast interview with HIgh Touch co-presenter Mike Tissot.

mevans@rtohq.org