p14 News feb27 25/2/09 14:51 Page 14
news
ttglive.com
Role swapping at
the Co-operative
Trevor Davis, the Co-operative Travel’s director of retail
distribution, and Tina Porter, manager of a Gravesend branch,
swapped places for a day to see what they could learn
TREVOR’S STORY to taste the joys and frustrations of life at the
I have worked all over the travel industry – I’ve coalface for myself.
been a tour rep for Club 18-30, have worked for The late-offers cards that we require the
Intasun, Shearings, Aspro and Going Places, branches to write each morning can take hours
and now I look after more than 400 branches when a branch is as busy as we were. friendly. I was impressed when he came in
as The Co-operative Travel’s director of retail. Checking confirmations doesn’t ever seem to wearing a full uniform and name badge. And
But it has been a long time since I was go smoothly and is extremely time consuming, he did make a great cup of tea!
behind the counter of a high street agency and you can spend hours a day on hold to Doing it the other way round and spending a
selling holidays. I hoped that Tina would operators when you have booking queries. day with Trevor in head office was my sugges-
remember this and take it easy on her boss, Most of them are also 0870 numbers, so tion. I wanted to understand what people did
who for one day was just an ordinary employee. they’re getting paid for slow service. there because I have never worked in an office.
Needless to say, she didn’t! It was a tiring day, but it was a valuable I got a warm greeting from reception,
The branch was busy from the moment I experience. I’ll definitely do it again – once I’ve opened the double doors and there was
arrived until we closed the doors at the end of recuperated. this big open-plan office with all these people
the day. I had been given a selection of typical beavering away. The atmosphere was fantastic
tasks including finding some late offers to put TINA’S STORY and everyone was so charming that it made me
on cards in the window, checking on customers’ Trevor’s least favourite job had to be the feel really welcome.
travel documents, sending through orders for window cards. He couldn’t believe how long it We spent time in the different departments
holiday money, and making sure all the took to find the offers, put them in the window rather than following Trevor around, but he
brochures on the racks were up to date. and then record them for trading standards. kept popping up, asking us what we had found
There is no denying it was hard work, but it What was he best at? Making tea! No, he was interesting. And I saw managing director Mike
was great to be on the other end for once and excellent with customers, approachable and Greenacre running around – he doesn’t walk.
I spent time with branch accounts, where it
was gently explained the trouble it causes when
we send something through that is not correct.
You don’t realise the repercussions that
doing something wrong can have in another
part of the business. Previously, I might have
just made a stab in the dark. Now, I will call and
ask because although it might take me a little
longer, it saves accounting staff lots of time.
I was surprised at how jolly the staff were
in customer solutions. They don’t let the
complaints and the angry people affect them.
They look into things from all sides and were
really helpful, although it shocked me how long
it can take to resolve problems.
I enjoyed the experience and it really did
open my eyes. It was tiring, but has helped me
understand the business. Apparently, Trevor has
set himself the mission of finding a quicker and
easier way of doing our window offers, after
seeing what a performance it was. I can’t wait!
14 27.02.2009
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