Agent Diary: ‘Our biggest incentive is knowing we do the very best for our customers’

We have an amazing amazing team that thrives off finding the customer the perfect trip, not vouchers and rewards, says Arundel Travel’s Helen Parry

Last month my husband Nick and I enjoyed a trip of a lifetime to Nashville and Miami. We had saved up for two years, which proved to be worth it, as each day delivered a ‘wow’ moment.

In Nashville, our highlights were the Grand Ole Opry music venue, Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse and Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar.

It wasn’t that anyone was particularly rude, but it became clear to me that much of the joviality we encountered was a bit of a facade

An excursion to the Bahamas to swim with pigs and nursery sharks is what stood out in the second half of the holiday, as well as an airboat ride in the Everglades.

We found that America really is the land of opportunity. However, I always have my customer service head on, and I must say I did not think the service we received in the US was always first class. I know that you can receive substandard service anywhere, and it wasn’t that anyone was particularly rude, but it became clear to me that much of the joviality we encountered was a bit of a facade, driven by the extreme tipping culture that has taken over the States. I’m not sure that many of the people who served us really loved their jobs.

Working with passion

After returning home, I attended an Advantage Travel Partnership regional meeting and a Jet2holidays ‘Big Night Out’. Both were wonderful events, full of enthusiastic members of this fabulous industry we work in. It was great to speak to so many travel colleagues, old and new, who are clearly so passionate about their jobs, unlike the staff we met in the US. They showed so much pride in the service they give their customers, no matter which corner of the industry they represent.

While I understand it can be easy to be drawn towards the bright lights of a voucher or a fam trip draw, I don’t feel you should allow winning a prize to compromise your service

Over the many years that I’ve worked in travel, there has always been discussion around low wages. Pay packets are often boosted by bonuses and incentives, but while I understand it can be easy to be drawn towards the bright lights of a voucher or a fam trip draw, I don’t feel you should allow winning a prize to compromise your service.

Don’t get me wrong: in my early years as an agent I found myself switch-selling a customer to a different country or property to get points towards hotel stays or to win a case of wine. But looking back, I realise there was only one winner, and it wasn’t me or the client. I was soon haunted by these decisions, worried that I had potentially mis‑sold holidays and that the customers would never come back to me.

Finding the perfect trip

Now, with 28 years’ experience behind me, there isn’t any talk of incentives or loyalty points in our team chats. We have an amazing team that thrives off finding the customer the perfect trip. Seeing the smiles of families who are heading off to make memories; receiving a card from a solo traveller whom we helped make booking a holiday that little bit easier; or hearing the excitement of bucket-list bookers – these are what make our day and are worth their weight in gold.

Our biggest incentive is to leave the shop at the end of the day knowing that we did the very best we could for our customers

We do have someone in the team who sends off for any incentives that we may be eligible for to support the operators and suppliers running them. But our biggest incentive is to leave the shop at the end of the day knowing that we did the very best we could for our customers.

I’m still happy to put pen to paper

We have a very new team at Arundel and I am eager to give them plenty of in-house training so they have the skills they need to feel confident in helping customers make the right choices. It takes me back to when I was starting out at Lunn Poly – before the days of Google and online training courses – when all we had was a ‘secret guide’ under the counter and an atlas. How times have changed! Now, we have amazing tools readily to hand and can see the world at the click of a finger. And yet, I have to say the old-school way still works for me, which is why you’ll still find me with pen and paper. If it ain’t broke…