READERS’ LIVES YOUR STORIES


From the fjords to training, it’s all go at P&O Cruises


November was an incredible month here at P&O Cruises and we can’t believe the wave period has crept up on us so quickly! Last month saw the launch of our Iona Insider films and a new Module of the Month to get you focused on training. Find out more below… October saw our Iona Insiders


on November 16. All three are within 10 miles of each other, which means we can market easily. People don’t travel from town to town to buy holidays, so it works having one shop in each.


Q. How do you deal with the changing trends in shopping habits? A. We’ve taken on three homeworkers to work from 5pm to 10pm Monday to Saturday, and on Sundays, to help cover the times when the shop isn’t open. They take phone calls and look after our online chat. We decided to hire experienced agents, one was from Loveholidays and another from Teletext Holidays. We have seven agents in the shops and also have support staff who work across the auction company


as well as the travel side, doing admin and marketing.


Q. Where do you get most of your leads from? A. We are getting a lot through Facebook, and the digital marketing that we do. This is why the homeworkers have been a great addition as they can look after the clients that come to us that way. But we’re also looking for walk-in clients too. They’re definitely there – that’s why we’ve been able to open three shops in seven months.


Q. Do you have any favourite suppliers? A. We do a lot with Gold Medal, but we also like to use Hays Travel’s in-house tour operator, which we can by being an IG member. We like suppliers that have fast systems and choice to suit different customers.


Q. After such a rapid high street rise, what are your growth targets now? A. We are looking likely to hit our first target, which is £600,000 turnover in the first 12 months. After that we hope to grow by 20% in year two and year three on the high street – which we think is doable.


visit Iona’s maiden destination, the Norwegian fjords, and in November, we shared that adventure with you. From kayaking, rib rides, crayfishing, troll cars and seeing the fjords from 1,011 metres up, our Insider films really bring Norway to life for anyone who has never visited. Want to see for yourself? Visit shinerewardsclub.com/ionainsider. Also, we know this time of the year is a great period


to be refreshing your training in preparation for January and February – so we wanted to let you in on our new ‘Module of the Month’. This month, if you complete our new training module ‘Cruise Doubters’, you will receive 25 Shine points for your hard work. So what are you waiting for? Log in to the Academy Online now: shinerewardsclub.com/po/knowledge. This week, you may notice a few changes when you call our travel agent helpdesk. We will be coaching you through any queries you have and working with you to ensure you can confidently service your guests’ booking from start to finish. Finally, last week we were thrilled to win two


awards at the British Travel Awards; ‘Best Family Cruise Line’ and ‘Best Large Ships Cruise Line’! P&O Cruises success wouldn’t be possible without you, so thank you for your continued support - we all hope you have a fantastic December.


Nathaniel Sherborne Director of Trade Sales


6 December 2018travelweekly.co.uk45


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