January Peaks: Travel Counsellors vs Retail Travel

Everyone in travel knows about January peaks.

It’s the busiest time of the year. And for good reason – Christmas is done, and everyone’s thinking about the summer sun as they head to and from work in the dark.

But the choices for consumer holiday destinations, accommodation, flights, transfers, and attractions is enormous.

This is where our Travel Counsellor franchisees come into their own.

Their focus is on building a loyal customer base, and fully understanding their customer’s needs and requirements. The output is a better experience for the customer throughout the booking process, a happier and more efficient Travel Counsellor, and a customer who gets their perfect holiday.

Travel Counsellors continue to work extremely hard in January and beyond, but the experience is more fulfilling as they are in control of the hours they work and pressure comes from targets they set themselves.

We spoke to two Travel Counsellor franchisees who compare their experiences of peaks now as a Travel Counsellor, against to that of their previous role in travel.

Rebecca Berzins – Travel Counsellor since December 2016

"I feel I have the perfect work-life balance now. I probably work longer hours now than I did previously, but it’s different because it’s on my terms and it’s a good sign that my business is thriving.

I work when suits me and my customers. I love having control of my own business, and it’s never a hassle to put in the hours as you get out what you put in. I have no aggressive sales targets to hit. Instead, each and every booking I make earns me money.

It’s natural for customers to shop around in January, so it’s important to check they are coming to me for the right reasons.

And that’s because they value my service. I will always review my prices to ensure they are getting good value, but I try to avoid getting into situations where I waste time shopping around, just for the client to go elsewhere.”

Sonia Brobbin – Travel Counsellor since May 2017

“After working for tour operators for a number of years I found that the busy season meant doing 12+ hour days, and the pressure was always on to hit huge targets which grew year on year.

After having a baby I returned to work in October, but it was proving so difficult to balance childcare and work. Having people glare at me when I left at 5.30 to collect my son from nursey wasn’t pleasant at all.

What was the most upsetting is that I didn’t have time to give the best possible service to my customers during peak.

Now in January as a Travel Counsellor, I’m still really busy, but I can share my time equally between my life and work.

I take my son to and from nursery feeling relaxed instead of stressed, and I can work when I need to. My overall health has also improved as I have carved out time to go to the gym at a time that suits me and my business.”

Do you want a more fulfilling lifestyle in January 2020?

If you want to improve your work-life balance and run your own travel franchise business in time for January 2020 peaks, get in touch here.