Posted 04 November 2016
Computer systems are a key part of our careers these days and that’s why we’ve developed a bespoke system just for our Travel Counsellors.
Known as Phenix, our in-house booking engine is one of the reasons people are drawn to a career with Travel Counsellors.
Why? Because Phenix is easy to use and simple to understand, even if you’ve never worked in travel before.
Phenix allows Travel Counsellors to create tailor-made quotes for their customers in only a few steps. And there’s access to thousands of suppliers, too. Travel Counsellors can book everything through Phenix, from flights to transfers, car hire to cruises, accommodation to excursions. And, our Travel Counsellors control the margins they earn on each booking.
All the support and training you'll need...
We know that when you join Travel Counsellors you’ll feel a little worried about using our computer systems. That’s why we make sure that you have thorough training in all of the programs we use. By the time you’ve finished your introductory training on Phenix, you’ll feel confident tailor-making your customers' dream holidays.
And if you forget anything you’ve learnt or need more time to get to grips with the systems, our internal Skype system allows us to share screens and speak face-to-face. We know that there’s nothing worse than computer gremlins and our dedicated support team at Head Office in Manchester can help with every single one of them!
How does a new Travel Counsellor cope with Phenix?
Learning how to use all of the features in Phenix does take time and practice but once your induction is complete, you’ll be up and running.
As with all of the other systems you’ve used over the years, you’ll soon find that booking holidays through Phenix becomes second nature. And you’ll wonder what there was to be nervous about!
Our in-house specialist development team in Manchester are constantly working on improving Phenix, using suggestions from our Travel Counsellors to ensure it’s the best possible travel booking system. We also offer extensive, regular training sessions to make sure all Travel Counsellors are confident in using Phenix.
To help you understand how a new Travel Counsellor finds Phenix, we chatted with Trevor Pigrome. Trevor worked in the finance industry for 30 years before becoming a Travel Counsellor in March 2016.
Tell us a little about your decision to join Travel Counsellors…
“I joined Travel Counsellors in March this year, through the Academy programme, after thinking about it for over a year.
I made the ‘big decision’ back in November [2015] when I joined everybody at the Annual Conference in Manchester on my Discovery Day. This was the day that I found out so much about the company, especially the in-house booking system called Phenix and the planned release of the ‘my TC’ app, which has now been released and is loved by clients.”
Before you joined Travel Counsellors, had you used a travel booking system?
“My background was 30 years’ working for an international bank called Standard Chartered, trading Spot Foreign Exchange in the markets, so I have grown up with up-to-date technology. For the last five years, I worked with the Ecommerce team, which is electronic trading over the internet.
Part of my research and due diligence when I was looking for the right company to join was about how easy it was going to be to get bookings done and the support I would receive being new to the travel industry. What I found was that Travel Counsellors were the only company who were open to showing me the booking system and happy for me to speak to other Travel Counsellors about it.”
Were you nervous about using Phenix (our in-house booking system)?
“For me, it was a case of [Phenix] is just another system to get used to, and to expect the usual teething problems when learning a new system. Saying that, though, does not take away that horrible feeling when you are doing your first few bookings, “is it right, is it right, should I check it all again, can I call somebody!”
But, what I have learnt [since starting with Travel Counsellors in March 2016] is that nearly all of the time there is the support and back-up to help the small details that have gone wrong. I have made a fair amount of calls to the Helpdesk/Flight Desk/Land only teams but with their help and the support of the local Travel Counsellors around me, I am 80% of the way there to totally understanding the system. And I’m looking forward to the many upgrades to make it even better.”
How has using Phenix helped you as a new business owner?
“Phenix is a system that allows you to build a quote very quickly from the many suppliers we have in our database, allowing you to produce a very personalised and professional-looking quote for your clients. Many of my clients have commented on how good the quotes look and like the way they are presented.
Phenix has really helped me to get my business up and running very quickly, the support from Head Office and fellow Travel Counsellors to iron out the issues of learning a new system has been very helpful. A particular feature I like is how we request payment from a client. We send them a payment link where they enter their credit card details without having to pass them to me first and this has led to comments like, ‘Wow that was so easy’.
And your feelings so far…?
“Travel Counsellors has been very impressive. I loved the Mini Conference in Birmingham in May, where we were given a clear message about where the company is headed, and had a great evening with our suppliers. I feel that with hard work and dedication to my clients and the tools I have been given by Travel Counsellors, I am on a path to succeed.”
