Monday, 6 August 2018
Travel Counsellors has changed Charmaine’s World
10+ years looking back Charmaine says…
"I don’t think that I will ever stop being a Travel Counsellor and that is from the bottom of my heart"
"I think that I was born to be a Travel Counsellor quite honestly"
"And I know that with the support of my husband, Peter he will never let me stop"
"I’m truly grateful to Travel Counsellors for the life that I have had over the past 10 years"
Let’s take a look at the journey that Charmaine went on from being an owner manager of a retail store to moving her business home to Travel Counsellors.
I was running my own Travel Agency before I joined Travel Counsellors. I love the travel industry but I hated all the paperwork, the administration along with the responsibilities that came with running a bricks and mortar agency. I found that I just couldn’t make enough money, I was working all the hours I could, often until very late, but the administration costs, overheads and staff issues very strangling my business. My retail travel shop bogged me down... with things like the back-office admin, salaries, airline BSP, IATA bonding, auditors, management of staff, annual leave, maternity leave, training, errors, ADM's offices and equipment costs, insurance, debt collection, fraud and more. These things among others got me down and took the joy out of travel for me. I was at the point where I needed to make a life choice – I needed to choose life over work or work over life.
That was when I picked up the phone to Travel Counsellors. I was at a stage in my life where I had no children at home and owning a bricks and mortar travel agency was becoming too stressful to handle! I had my meeting with Travel Counsellors and then I spoke to my husband Peter. Reminiscing back to that moment over 10 years ago, working from home was not a familiar concept within South African market, which Initially cautioned Charmaine’s husband, Peter.
But really Travel Counsellors was genuinely an answer to my prayers and I managed to convince him that the move was right for me.
Watch the conversation where Peter and Charmaine speak about Charmaine’s journey to becoming a Travel Counsellor.
Ten years later, I can honestly say it was the best career choice that I could have made. The transition was seamless and from day one I started earning more money, my clients remained loyal and most of my clients have all become friends and some even see me as a part of their family. I have been able to grow my business because of them as they have kept referring me. One client has a saying, “when in need to travel, pass that need onto Charmaine for your solution” This alone makes me extremely proud of myself and, in turn, Travel Counsellors.”
When my granddaughter is at my house and she seems me at my laptop she never fails to ask me are you booking a plane ticket for someone?
Overall my experience being a Travel Counsellor has been incredible – my business has grown 10-fold since I started and some of my highlights include winning top TC in South Africa for 5 years being a Gold Travel Counsellor and retaining this status year after year.
Being a Travel Counsellor simply opens up a world of opportunity – from a work life balance, to increased earnings, to reward and recognition and the chance to do what you love best - selling travel.
If you can relate to Charmaine's story then allow us the opportunity to change your world too. We would love to hear from you!
