Tuesday, 7 August 2018
August is women's month and we will be focusing on some of the special women who have grabbed hold of the opportunity to start their own travel business from home. Each have different journeys but one thing remains they all have a love for travel and a passion to deliver exceptional customer service. This means they are now reaping the rewards from their efforts. Travel Counsellors changed Debby's World for the better.
We interviewed Debby and spoke to her kids and husband.
Tell us a bit about your background? What did you do before you become a Travel Counsellor?
In 1995 I started working for Keiser and Gentry, they went through a few name changes with the last being World Travel. I worked for them for 11 years. Shortly after I had our second son in 2006 I left World Travel and joined Michelle's Travel which was much closer to home. I worked there for about 4 and a half years.
What motivated you to want to start your own business/work for yourself?
My two little boys at that time needed extra help with their school work in the afternoon and I desperately wanted to spend more time with them especially while they were so young. I began looking for a half day job but soon realised that they are not easy to come by in the Travel Industry. In April 2008 I started to think about joining Travel Counsellors, I had heard of TC through a friend of mine who was also interested in joining. Finally, an incident at work made me decide that I couldn’t carry on like this and that fact that my kids were suffering, the flexible working hours at Travel Counsellors really attracted me.
Debby's Husband gives us some insight into her journey to becoming a Travel Counsellor and what it has meant to them.
Debby's Kids share what it has meant to them, having their mom as a Travel Counsellor.
Did you have any concerns before joining Travel Counsellors?
I was concerned whether I would be able to make enough money to cover my previous salary. Another challenge that worried me was having to go out and to find the business for myself. I made contact with Head Office and after seeing the demonstration I just knew that TC was right for me. I had lacked the courage to take the plunge and it took me 2 years to take that leap of faith and finally in July 2010 I joined Travel Counsellors.
How has your life as a Travel Counsellor been?
Looking back, it has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made. I am now earning significantly more than I did at my previous job, I have overcome the fear of going out and finding business, plus the back up support from our Head Office is incredible and everyone is so willing to help. They really do want you to succeed. I also have a Business Development Manager at hand who will help me to grow and build my business.
What do you love most about being a Travel Counsellor?
I love being able to sell the product that is right for my customers and not having to chase targets. My clients often refer me to their friends and family. Phenix, is a wonderful tool where I can dynamically package trips for my clients within a few minutes. The best part of this is that the prices often come in cheaper than our suppliers and there is a default commission of 20% built in that I can move either up or down. I am in full control of my earnings and can ensure that my clients still get the best value for their money.
The contact centre is fantastic as it houses all my clients’ information so I don’t have to keep asking my client for the same information over again when they rebook. Plus it also sends me very important reminders like my clients birthdays, anniversaries and reminders as to when their passport is about to expire and it streamlines my marketing activities which are all done by our head office and it is personalised in my name with all my contact details. This helps to generate more enquiries for me.
I love the TC message board as this is where I can post a question and another TC can reply back to me with local information that could make all the difference to a booking i.e. a restaurant recommendation for a corporate client who is travelling to Sydney or a must do sightseeing attraction in Venice.
How have your clients benefited from you being a Travel Counsellor?
I am able to offer my clients a far superior service an example of this was when I was on my own family holiday at the time...it was New Year's day and I received a call from two ladies who were stranded in Kathmandu, the weather was moving in and flights were being cancelled. I stayed in touch with them every step of the way whilst arranging an alternative route home for them. On their arrival back in SA I got a thank you call from two very tired but grateful clients.
Being able to spend as much time as I can with my family and being a Travel Counsellor whilst working from home makes me happy.
I Love my job!
