Monday, 2 March 2015
I first heard about Travel Counsellors when I saw an advert on Travel Info about four years ago. After reading about Travel Counsellors I had a few concerns about leaving the security of a retail agency and going on my own. I was concerned about moving away from an office environment and also whether I would be able to earn a salary on my own. I was also a bit concerned as to whether I was ready for the next step of running my own business.
At the time that I was considering joining 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 as 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. I realised that I was missing out on valuable time with my children. This prompted me to make an appointment with Travel Counsellors head office. 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 my heart I just knew that it would work.
The three day induction training was wonderful. I arrived home with my fax, scanner and 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 it in no time and I found that these systems were fantastic. Travel Counsellors provide us with our own in-house dynamic packaging system Phenix; I call this our secret weapon! The deals within Phenix are outstanding and it has become my life. If I had a client stuck in New York who is in need of assistance I could help them immediately through Phenix. If I had a client at the airport 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 the vouchers to their phone or iPad, it’s that easy!
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 is. We sit 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. 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 on 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 e-shot being sent out to all my marketable clients the very next day. I usually find that I start getting phone calls from my clients straight away and they ask 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 then able to give my clients the option that best suits them, rather than me having to sell the operator that suited my company.
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 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 am able to take the kids on holiday. The best part is that I have the ability to earn more from the comfort of my home, which is just fantastic! I get new clients mostly from word of mouth referrals where my clients tell others about me. I will often get a phone call from family members of those whose honeymoon or trip I arranged and they want me to arrange theirs.
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 about 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. Travel Counsellors was made for me, it was made for my family and for my clients and 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 2am in an emergency from anywhere in the world.
Joining Travel Counsellors has been the best decision that I have ever made and I am very thankful that I did it. If you are hardworking, loyal and passionate about travel then Travel Counsellors is definitely for you. If you give it your all, it will be returned to you. I'd recommend you join immediately – just go for it and don’t wait as long as I did! Joining Travel Counsellors has changed my life and it will change yours too.
