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 helped change Nina's world for the better.
Tell us a bit about your yourself as well as your background in travel before joining Travel Counsellors?
I am Nina Gerdener and I live in the Free State. I am married to Christiaan and we have 2 kids Gustaf and Steffie. I have been a travel agent for decades. I initially began my career studying law but my passion for travel kept growing that I followed it and entered the world of travel.
How did you first hear about Travel Counsellors and did you have any concerns initially?
I first heard about Travel Counsellors when I saw an advert on Travel Info about 8+ years ago. After reading about Travel Counsellors I initially had a few concerns about leaving the security of a salary and moving to commission only. I was also concerned about leaving an office environment and wondered too if I was ready for the next step of running my own business?
What prompted you to make the call to Travel Counsellors?
At the time of when I was considering Travel Counsellors there was lots going on at home - we were building our family home and my daughter was still very young. I felt completely frustrated that I had to work so hard just to try and get everything done, within the office hours, and still I was finding it more and more difficult to get my children ready before I left for work each day and by the time I got home, I had already missed bath time and I soon realised that I was missing out on valuable time with my children.
This prompted me to make an appointment with Travel Counsellors head office and after speaking to them and seeing the demo I realised what a fantastic opportunity it was. It was a family decision for me to make the change and deep down in the bottom of my heart I just knew that it would work.
Can you tell us about some of the support that Travel Counsellors offers?
The induction training was wonderful. I arrived home with my fax/scanner/printer and my laptop and I was ready to start making bookings. Nothing was difficult at all - it took a little while for me to learn the new systems, but I got that hang of it in no time. I found that the Travel Counsellors systems were fantastic.
Travel Counsellors provide us with our own in-house dynamic packaging system; I call this our secret weapon! The deals within Phenix (our in-house dynamic packaging system) are outstanding and Phenix has become my life and I couldn’t imagine my life without it. If I had a client stuck in New York and in need of assistance I could do so immediately through Phenix. Or if I had a client who was already at the airport and who was in need of an air ticket I could get this booked and issued for them immediately, or if that client needed car hire, I could book this for them whilst they were at the airport and I could immediately email them the vouchers to their phone or iPad, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Phenix has impacted my earnings hugely and through it I’m able to earn so much more. Learning a new system in the beginning was daunting, but when I saw how much it could impact my earning potential I embraced it, as I realised just how wonderful it was. I have also achieved Gold Status. This entitles me to attend a reward trip overseas and I also get to celebrate my success with my Husband Christiaan at the Annual Gold Dinner.
Travel Counsellors sits at the forefront of technology and there are no other travel agencies who have what we have, it is absolutely brilliant!
Travel Counsellors business development is fantastic and so easy. Plus, I can phone, send an email or use Travel Counsellors communicator, which is so easy to use and free of charge. Our Head office keeps in regular contact with us and among our Travel Counsellor colleagues we are like a huge family and we have become close friends - I never feel alone! Our intranet systems show how well each person is doing and we are able to pick up the phone and to congratulate our TC friends. It is so nice to be able to stay in contact with one another and to build friendships even across the world.
The marketing support from Travel Counsellors is just fantastic and I don’t have to do too much marketing of my own as most of this is done for me. For example, I get an email communication from my head office saying that there is a head office generated eShot being sent out to all my marketable clients the very next day, and then voila I start getting phone calls from my clients as a result of this eShot having gone out, where they are asking for more information about the advertised offers.
As a Travel Counsellor I love being able to offer my clients impartial advice, and I have access to a large variety of suppliers which means that I can get quotes from all of them – which then enables me to compare apples with apples. I am able to give my clients the option that best suits them, rather than me having to sell the operator that best suited my company.
How did you find the transition from moving from being employed to being self-employed?
The transition of moving from being employed to becoming self-employed was difficult at first but once I had changed my mind set, it was actually very easy. Travel Counsellors makes it very easy with their technology and the tools that they provide and especially with the advice that they give.
I also love the fact that I can meet up regularly with my TC friends who live in the same area. We have truly become the best of friends, we work together, share ideas, help one another. It's wonderful!
How have you personally benefited from being a Travel Counsellor?
I feel relieved now that I can spend time with my family, I don’t have to ask permission if I need to go to the pharmacy or to go and watch my son’s rugby game. I am now my own boss and my family support me in this as they understand how important this is to me and to them.
My earnings are unbelievable. In the past when I was working for a retail agency I was on a fixed salary, but now I am earning more and I am now able to take the kids on holiday, I can fix my roof which I couldn’t do before and the best is that I have the ability to earn more right from the comfort of my home, which is just fantastic! How do you find your clients?
I get my clients mostly from word of mouth referrals where my clients tell others about me. I will often get a phone call saying you arranged my brother’s honeymoon and could I please arrange theirs. And because Travel Counsellors is such a fantastic company it makes it so much easier for my clients to refer me.
How have your clients benefited from you being a Travel Counsellor?
I love it when my clients come back from their holiday - they are always so happy and they call me to thank me and to tell me the wonderful experiences that they have just enjoyed. I find it so rewarding to give them the holiday of their dreams. Most of my clients have become close friends, the more that I work with them the closer friends we become, I have got to know them well and I have got to know of their special events like their family’s birthdays & anniversaries.
Travel Counsellors was made for me, it was made for my family and for my clients, there is absolutely no ways that I would ever go back to working in a retail agency again. I find it easier as a Travel Counsellor to offer a good service to my clients whilst still being there for my family. My clients have often told me that it feels like I travel with them and they love the fact that I am there for them 24/7 and that they can call me even at 2 am, in the event of an emergency from anywhere in the world.
What advise would you give to someone thinking about joining Travel Counsellors?
Joining Travel Counsellors has been the best decision that I have made in my life and I am very thankful that I did it. I love Travel Counsellors – I am in control and I can balance my family life around my work. If you are hardworking, loyal and passionate about travel then Travel Counsellors is for you, if you give it your all, and it will return to you. So join immediately – just go for it & don’t wait as long as I did! Joining Travel Counsellors has changed my life and it will change yours too.
Becoming a Travel Counsellor has also allowed me to achieve a personal goal of mine - to climb Mount Everest. As a Travel Counsellor I had flexibility in my day and i could structure my day around my training, my clients and my family. I could never have done this working for a retail agency.
