knowledge wtm pride of agents awards
Why pride matters...
Fresh from their success at TTG’s Pride of Agent Awards, the winners tell Kathryn Liston how going the extra mile for their customers and communities has made a difference to their business
Watch the video stories of our winners online at
ttglive.com, courtesy of HOMEWORKERS AWARD. WTM Pride of Agents Official Broadcast Partner Overall award winner Mark Maunder of Co-op Travel Llanelli
MULTIPLE RETAIL AWARD. WINNER & OVERALL. AWARD WINNER. Mark Maunder, The Co-operative Travel, Llanelli People popping into their local Morrisons supermarket to do the weekly shop will often come out with a holiday from Mark’s in-store travel agency as well.
Since the agency opened three years ago, it has reached its targets ahead of schedule each year, increasing sales by more than 15% year-on-year. It also won the Co-op’s branch of the year in 2009 and travel money branch of the year for south Wales. Mark puts the shop’s success down to excellent customer service, team work and a creative shop window that draws people in.
32 26.11.2010
“We pride ourselves on the personal customer service we give, because word of mouth gets around,” he says. “Our customers tell us that we take more care and time with them. We make sure they have got all the information they need before they book. I expect nothing but the best from my staff.” The five staff, including Mark, carry out every job in the shop, from working on the foreign exchange counter to sales and administration.
He has regular “one to ones” with his staff, where he updates them on new destinations and encourages them to come up with new ideas for sales. The shop sells everything from £89 coach tours to cruises, with the average price at £564.
“Our cruise sales are amazing, but people will often book eight or nine coach tours a year, so it’s worth our while selling them too,” says Mark.
Sponsorship and advertising deals with the local football club have boosted the agency’s profile. “We are definitely getting business from it,” he adds.
Louise Robinson and Louise Dickenson, Future Travel
With a recession and four young children between the ages of two and 10 years to contend with, the first year of business for the two Lous has not been easy. But thanks to hard work, 60-hour weeks and a new weddings gift business, the two friends from Barnsley have sold £700,000 worth of holidays in just 10 months. They had worked individually for Future Travel in the past and decided to return when the company they were working for went into liquidation, leaving them £7,000 out of pocket.
“This time we decided to pool our busi- nesses and work together,” Lou Robinson says. “Homeworking can be a lonely job and it is nice to be able to support, motivate and encourage each other along the way. We can pick each other’s brains and share responsibilities when things like the volcanic ash cloud strike.” Although they work from their own homes, they get together twice a week to work on marketing and time-consuming itineraries. They have kept their own
ttglive.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60