ProRide is the Consumer Choice!

ProRide is the Consumer Choice!

Permit me to speak candidly. A couple of weeks ago I received notice from Capilano University advising us of an envelope addressed to ProRide having been delivered to the University. We don’t normally receive mail there so it struck me as odd. Eventually I picked up the unsolicited mail and threw it in the back of the ProRide-mobile, where it sat untouched for a couple of weeks.

Fast forward to yesterday – I answered a phone call from an agent of the Consumer Choice Awards, asking me if we received their letter. Fortunately I was answering the call from inside the ProRide-mobile (parked at ICBC), so I quickly reached back, pulled out the envelope and opened it.

Consumer's Choice 2018Inside the envelope was a letter advising us that ProRide has won a Consumer Choice Award for 2018. Admittedly my reaction was one of cynicism; as a matter of routine I am approached regularly by some flavour-of-the-month company trying to sell me some sort of marketing program, and so why should this one be any different?

But in fact, there was something different about this guy talking on the phone about the Consumer Choice Award. I agreed to receive more info from him via email, and then proceeded to look up their website and learn about this award.

It turns out that the Consumer Choice Award is not program that can be bought into; it is an award that recognizes Business Exellence. Potential award winners are first nominated by consumers as well as the business community, and winners are chosen by vote. It seems that being voted as a winner of this award is a sign that the community feels we are consistently providing products and services of the highest quality.

Upon reading more about this illustrious award, what crossed my mind next was that famous saying by Abraham Lincoln: “You can fool all of the people some of the time …”.  Just kidding. 🙂

Consumer Choice 2018Where I’m at now is just an overwhelming feeling of gratitude.  Having been involved in the field of education for so many years, we never tried to win any awards; that there was even an award to be won was completely unbeknownst to us.  The thought of winning an award of any kind never even crossed our radars. We only strived to be the best version of ourselves, to offer the best version of our riding program to our students, and to do so as much as possible with a smile on our faces. That the community has rewarded our efforts with this prestigious award is both humbling and unexpected.  We are honoured to have had this opportunity to work with you all over the years.  On behalf of all the staff here at ProRide Motorcycle Training, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives!

Allow me to also extend a special thanks to our business partners – your contributions to our operation has been instrumental and critical to our success, and is very much appreciated!  Thanks firstly to Mark and his team at Capilano University for giving us a home all these years! Thanks to Darwin, Sean, and the whole team at Trev Deeley Motorcycles, to Warren & Vern at Up Your Leather, to Duncan, Galen & the Gang at The Honda Centre, to Jason and his team at Moto Concept Inc., and to Jeff and his team at Rocket Fuel Supply.  Thanks also to Corrlee, Jerry and their team at ICBC Burnaby, as well as Ken, Neil, Dagny and the entire support team at ICBC for your help throughout the years. Finally, thank you  to the Consumer’s Choice Awards, and to the entire Motorcycle Business Community for telling people to come and learn at ProRide!

On a personal note, I also want to acknowledge the ProRide staff at this time.  ProRide has been successful over the years due in no small part to the gargantuan efforts of all the ProRide staff, past and present.  There are the obvious faces that can be seen working the front lines; what many people don’t realize is that it takes more than knowing how to ride to be a good teacher, and I truly believe that the ProRide instructors are amongst the very best teachers that this industry has ever seen.  Thanks to Matt, Marcel, Otto, John, and Patrick for helping to guide our students along their journey.  Additionally, ProRide has a number of support staff contributing in no small way to our efforts as a team, and without whom our success would not be possible.  So a big heartfelt thanks to Anton & Simon on the tech team for fixing our bikes every time they break.  Also thanks to Len for your guidance on the road tours, and to Aiko for all your help in the office.  Lastly and most importantly, thanks to Matt for giving me the keys to this ship and letting me drive the boat. 🙂

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Be it sports athletes, entertainment professionals or just every day people doing their jobs, it is truly a pleasure watching people who are good at what they do, and I have been blessed with the opportunity and benefit of watching and learning from these people who are very good at what they do! I have learned so much from this amazing and eclectic team of professionals and look forward to continue working with them, to continue to raise the bar each and every week, as we teach the next generation of Survival Riders in the years to come.

~Brian Antonio, Director
ProRide Motorcycle Training
“We create Survival Riders!”

Ref: www.ccaward.com/organizations/8808-proride-motorcycle-training

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