Agent Diary: Juggling clients’ calls with glasses of sangria while on holiday

When homeworkers go away we have no option but to take our work with us, but it’s all worth it, says The Travel Snob’s David Walker

As I sat in Menorca on my second of five trips in as many weeks, looking out over the terrific marina with a jug of sangria on its way to me, it dawned on me I was in a bit of a quandary as to what to write this month. Then my phone rang.

“Hello, Gladys (not her real name),” I answered, which caused my three mates to groan loudly in unison from their sunbeds. “Oh no, not her again!” one of them cried.

It was the fifth day in a row she had called me to discuss her £24,000, five-night booking she is planning with her husband

It was the fifth day in a row she had called me to discuss her £24,000, five-night booking she is planning with her husband. She had many concerns to discuss, including whether there would be enough hours of sunlight each day, whether the hotel room had a safe that was easy to use (I suspect for stashing a stack of diamonds and those fancy broaches you see on Posh Pawn), and whether she would be able to lift the sunbeds on her own (yes, I have checked the weight of the loungers with the hotel).

Sun and shade

She was so close to booking, but we were just waiting for the hotel to confirm what time the sun hits the patio each morning and what time it turns to shade in the afternoon (despite the fact she will most likely be in the hair salon at 5pm every day).

All this means that while my lovely friends were having fun racing in the pool on lilos, drinking sangria by the jug, learning some very bad Spanish and dancing to Ibiza classics, I was in the shade pretty much all day every day glued to my laptop, taking bookings and making money. Luckily I already had a tan before I arrived thanks to a trip to Corfu before Menorca!

I was in the shade pretty much all day every day glued to my laptop, taking bookings and making money

As a homeworker, when we go away we really have no option other than to take our work with us, certainly for those of us that don’t have a team. Let’s face it, if I wasn’t making bookings I simply wouldn’t be able to afford another holiday.

The day after Menorca, I had an early morning start for a lovely fam trip with Jetset to Dubai and the Maldives. The itinerary looked good but I wondered to myself how much time would be allocated for us homeworkers to do work while we’re away? Time will tell. I’m fortunate enough to go on many fam trips (I have one to Canada with Audley the following week) but it’s important that suppliers factor in time each day for us to make bookings, check emails and complete all our other tasks.

Crazy busy

On the fam trips I have done in the past you can always spot the homeworkers. We’re the ones on our phones on buses between hotel site visits, who have laptops open at the back of the bar while everyone else is stood at it doing shots (although I have been known to mix the two). We’re the ones setting our alarms at least one hour before everyone else to check emails and send out quotes, regardless of what time we left the bar.

We’re the ones on our phones on buses between hotel site visits, who have laptops open at the back of the bar while everyone else is stood at it doing shots

At the same time, we’re the ones posting pictures and videos as we go to promote and sell like crazy. But it’s all worth it. When I was in Corfu last week, I stayed at Ikos Dassia, and in less than a week I have managed to make three bookings to that hotel already from work I did while on ‘holiday’.

It’s plain sailing with a cruise fan

Not all my clients are as hard work as the one who wanted to know the weight of her hotel’s sunbeds. I also had a recent enquiry from a client who’s been using me for about 18 months. She asked me to quote for a Princess Cruises sailing, but I told her I didn’t feel it was quite her kind of thing. Instead, I upsold her to a Seabourn cruise. She loved this so much she rebooked while on board before also booking a separate round-the-world sailing with them. She then called me saying she wanted to do Antarctica, so 24 hours later I had her booked on a 21-night voyage with Seabourn with a seven-night post-stay in Barbados for £25k. Job done.