16 TTGB AGENTS VIEW 30/1/09 18:11 Page 16
16 frontline
agent’sview
The transition from working in a single sector to becoming a multi-skilled consultant
opened up a new world of training, team spirit and global itineraries, says Luisa Margione
My journey started back in July 2006 how a GDS works and the air/hotel consultants learnt how
when I joined Harry Weeks Travel as a rail Evolvi and Railooto works.
consultant. Previous to this, I had been working My previous part-time job at the marine company really
part-time while at college, for a marine travel company helped me with the integration, as I had already learnt how
where I learnt how to book flights on a GDS, so learning a GDS worked. This advantage gave me the chance to help
rail was a new challenge for me. my colleagues and make friends at the same time.
Joining Harry Weeks was a big change as my previous
job was within a small organisation, whereas Harry Weeks “We became Team bonds to tackle challenge
was a large, family-run business with both leisure and
a close-knit
Over the next few months, all the staff worked hard to
business travel departments. When I started at Harry
Weeks I had never booked rail, so learning the fare rules
group with a
learn the areas of the business that were new to them.
This brought a renewed sense of bonding to the team,
and restrictions along with using Railooto and Evolvi
real sense of
as we all helped each other and became a close-knit
systems was very interesting.
achievement
group with a real sense of achievement and purpose.
Buyout leads to new opportunities
and purpose”
We now sit as one team, including team leaders and
managers – which provides a buzzing atmosphere
On February 2, 2007, the staff of Harry Weeks Travel were and enables us to support each other better
told that Capita had bought the company. At first the during busy times.
Capita Business Travel team in Orpington had separate
booking departments for air, hotel and rail, much like Every day is different
the set up in the Derby head office. We have seen a lot of new clients being serviced
This format had been running smoothly for many years, from our office over the last six months, and now
however, after some research CBT suggested that the have a really wide spread of accounts.
departments should merge and become one multi-skilled Being a multi-skilled consultant brings variety
unit. CBT believed merging as one team would provide to the day. You never know what you are going
a better service to our clients who require our full suite to get when the phone rings or an email drops
of services: these clients would only need to speak to in your inbox.
one consultant about their requirements, without being It can be something simple such as a London
passed around to different departments in order to to Manchester train ticket, or a complex itinerary
arrange a single journey. such as airport car parking, flights to
So the process started, Capita Business Travel brought in Tucson, returning with a stop-over in
new systems for us to use, new accounts and invested in New York, and car hire and hotels in
training for all the staff. The rail consultants began to learn both destinations. L52159
Luisa Margione, business travel consultant,
Capita Business Travel
-BURDEN
Calling all agents and travel buyers: do you want to NEWKEY
share your experiences, views and advice? We’re looking T
AN
for outspoken people to put the travel world to rights.
: TRIS
Contact us at ttgbusiness.com to have your say.
What’s so great about working abroad? Find out in Your Career, p51
T
OGRAPHY
PHO
ttgbusiness.com ❖ february/march 2009
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