Me too!!
I applied recently to Thomsons but as I have no sales experience they wouldn't consider me for a job. To be honest though I'd probably get frustrated working there because I'd want to go on all the holidays I was booking for other people!
Some of the smaller independent travel agents know their stuff though and aren't restricted to only booking "package" holidays like the main High Street agencies - and they seem more prepared to go the extra mile for you.
This site is great and a wealth of information - the recent Turkish toilet topic and the "euro-chic" topic have had me falling off my chair with laughter. So glad I joined. Maybe we should all set up the Holiday Truths Travel Agency - I'm sure we'd do a better job than some TA's i've dealt with in the past!!

Kimi's right.

The problem is that you look on it as an interest and they just want to be a business that makes lots of money. If you honestly tell people that somewhere is unsuitable or just plain rubbish they won't give you money. And not having the staff trained is not much different than the old tales of buying computers and other electricals from the likes of Dixons. It's the art of retailing - getting people to give you money for what you want to sell them.

I don't think you'd have enjoyed working in a chain agents pumping out loads of packages - especially to people who didn't care where they went as long as the weather's hot and beer's cheap! You should have tried somewhere like STA where they do actually make an attempt to do some consulting.

You have given me an idea, there's another thread running about where you'd go if you won the Lottery. Instead of moving home you could start a travel consultancy and do the job properly! You might not make a lot more money but you'd have fun spending other people's and they would be better off for it!

Steve, I already run a consultancy business (unpaid) for friends and family.
I know what you mean though it is an interest but surely if you pay for a service you expect some sort of higher knowledge and sometimes you can't even get a simple answer to a simple question.

Kimi, we certainly would do a better job.

I'm trying very hard not to take offence at this thread!


Over the past 14 years the majority of what I do still, even as a long haul specialist, is package deals to yer usual bucket-and-spade locations and to be fair I don't mind. That's where I earn the bulk of my comission.
I don't work in face-to-face sales any longer, but I can appreciate where you are coming from. Many of the young men and women who work in shops are paid very often very little above minimum wage, plus a bit of commission. On that wage and being so young it is very rare they will ever be able to source a holiday for you that will suit entirely, they just don't have the experience of travelling or the money to afford to! However, us long in the tooth-ies (I'm all of 33!) have been around a bit (if you'll excuse the phrase), very often on fam trips and educationals plus my own travelling experiences and I'm confident I could suggest something to suit most people and can very often give a ball-park figure on what it would cost off the top of my head. The actual holidays themselves are all the same (a flight, a transfer and somewhere to sleep) and it's just learning what a destination has to offer that very often makes the sale. I always encourage our trainees to get the brochures out, get on the internet and ask, ask, ask as many questions as possible. Also, get the customer to tell you what they have done in the past, where they have been and what they enjoyed about the place, people love to talk about themselves!

So, yes, we do know our jobs, there are just some of us who know our jobs a little better than others!

Q

would it be right in my assumption that your lot [like others] brows HT for information [i have been told by others in the industry if they have time the look at HT/TA and the like for information], i even met a holiday rep a couple of years back who was using ours and others to build up a suggestion list for guest [tailored to age/family etc]

yasus
wizard

Absolutely, Wizard!

As much as I like to think I do, I don't know everything! Sites like this are invaluable to my job. I very often encourage my customers to check out the reviews of places I've not been and holidays I've not experinced so they get a better feel of if what I am offering suits. I really wouldnt know where to start telling a customer about the best bars in Benidorm or Malia or the like because I've never been and I'm fairly sure I never will because they are not my idea of a holiday destination. (Prejudiced, perhaps. Full time working Mum who wants to go on holiday to peace and quiet - definitely!).

I also use them myself and have asked questions in various threads about cruises, etc.

I've always sad that the great thing about my job (apart from the fam trips) is that fact that I learn something new every day. That could be from here, a brochure, a customer or elsewhere but I very much feel that to be well informed and prepared is something all clever travellers do. Including me!

I think a good travel agent is worth their weight in gold. For a start if things go wrong instead of yourself sitting at the end of an 0871 number, being passed from pillar to post and clocking up £50 worth of phone costs in one session and a potential coronary, they do it for you. It's always worth giving them a chance to match a web price for this alone.

There are also many folk who are not like HT addicts who have neither the time nor the inclination to spend hours & hours on the net first researching & then trying to get the best price.

Year before last I went to Port Aventura with another family, my friend was so pleased with her travel agent who got them a second room in the hotel for only an extra £70 for the week.

I would have realised that her 13 and 15 year old were both being charged as adults, with just a small 3rd and 4th adult reduction in a (so called) family room, whereas she didn't. The travel agent pointed this out, booked two standard rooms, for the 70 quid & she was over the moon with all the extra space and privacy.

She thought her agent was brilliant and apparently they spent two hours going through various options with her.

The complexities of ABTA, ATOL, bed banks, package holidays, dynamic packages, what is and isn't covered by credit, debit, visa and Insurance seem better understood by good agents than lay people, so that's another plus to using them.

On the downside though because the money is so poor in the chain high street shops, you are likely to be confronted by somone on minimum wage who is 18 and can't actually afford a holiday themselves, so is unlikly to give top notch advice on complex itineries and destinations.

Doe

I think if you find a good travel agent, stick with them. Last year we were toying with heading to Margarita, I had done all my research and went into the Travel Agents looking for some one to one advice. We left when I realised I was actually giving the agent more information than she was able to give us!! This year having got fed up with sitting on the phone to customer services in the past, I decided to research what we wanted and go in and book it in store (different one to before!)- I had a few queries that needed checking before we made the final decision on accommodation and they were really helpful. I think this way it gives you the best of both worlds.

Pam

I priced our holiday with one of the larger companies online earlier this year. Our friend who works for an independent travel agent couldn`t match our deal because the big boys wouldn`t pass on the free upgrade they were offering us. Pity because we would rather have kept the business locally but could`t afford to.

I am a travel agent , as I have been for 17 years, I am one of the top sellers in the company I work for (massive company) I have a great customer loyalty and am passionate about travel , I think I know my job

I value my Independent TA whom I have use for many years now and for many holidays. She will always give me the best deal possible but very occasionally she is not able to match it. When this happens I will weigh up the price difference and if it is say £50 or so then I will stick with her. If it is several hundred £'s then of course I will use another Agent. This has only happened once and she checked the Agent out for me as did I. Yes I got the good price but they were taken over by a large Company not long after this. They could as easily have gone out of business. Yes I know with bonding etc my money would be protected but a little extra is simply not worth it to me. She will also obtain price drops for me if this occurs. I have had price drops on every cruise I have booked in the past 3 years and this would number about 8.

Sue