A DAY WITH... TRAVEL WEEKLY ON THE ROAD
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Juliet Dennis @juliet_dennis
Meeting the friendly bosses at Ascot Travel
House...made me feel very welcome!
JULIET’S DAY AT ASCOT TRAVEL HOUSE
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Tom Murphy, Lisa Fuller and Simon Everett
tour operation as does Tony Williams, who is attraction tickets manager for NAR (UK). All of the team are based at the agency, in a small parade of shops a few minutes’ drive from the town centre.
New challenges One of the company’s biggest challenges is the forthcoming GDPR data protection legislation, according to Simon. The business has appointed a consultant
to provide advice on what the company needs to do and how to improve its IT security. “The legislation is very unclear and it’s one of the things I am most worried about at the moment,” says Simon, who estimates the changes needed to meet the new regulations will cost the business about £3,000. “The biggest challenge is to get it right. It’s particularly hard to know if what you have decided to do to protect the data you are handling is good enough.” Simon says the business has no plans
to return to being a two-branch agency – it briefly had another shop in Farnham Common – but hasn’t ruled it out either.
Friendly atmosphere Spending some time in the agency, it is clear that many clients know the staff well and often drop by for a chinwag.
As we chat, Simon’s wife and daughter appear with a sofa at the back door that needs a new home, while customers pop in to say a quick hello or check on a booking. For Sarah, building this type of rapport with clients is crucial. The shop has also become involved in community fundraising, which has helped it forge stronger ties with locals. “We started with a Macmillan World’s Biggest
Coffee Morning event in the shop and we have done other events for different charities,” says Sarah. “We raised £700 from the Macmillan morning. Lots of customers came in but we didn’t try to sell them a holiday. It’s just nice to build a rapport with people who might come back in. We believe in strong customer service and personal recommendations to grow the business. “We get a lot of business through
recommendations – it can make or break you.” Sarah also encouraged Lisa to enter the
Great Inghams Cake Off competition last year – which she went on to win after a day-long baking challenge. “We had to design and bake a mountain- themed cake at their head office,” recalls Lisa, who has been at the agency 12 years, and was a sales consultant before taking on the agency’s paperwork in a full-time role two years ago. “At home, I bake to relax,” she adds. “But the competition was quite stressful, although
due to numerous train cancellations and delays. Fortunately, my second attempt was plain sailing, and as I walked along the platform at Ascot train station, I immediately spotted the friendly face of agency manager Sarah Busby who had driven down to collect me. The team couldn’t have been more welcoming. I had a cup of tea within minutes of arriving and instantly felt at home chatting to Simon and the team. The office is spacious, light and
❛
colourful with parking directly outside thanks to its out-of-town location. It’s clear the team enjoy each other’s company, but also take pride in working hard and efficiently to get the job done. Lisa, the first person clients see when they enter the shop, clearly loves keeping on top of all the paperwork and administration, allowing Tom and Sarah to focus on what gives them a buzz – selling holidays. They are such a friendly bunch, it’s
no wonder the locals like to pop in for a chat!
there were four of us and we had good fun.” And for Simon, having friendly staff who
work on mutual respect and flexibility creates the perfect atmosphere in the office. “I don’t impose rules, but I expect people to
work hard,” he says. “We are a team and have fun, and everyone gets involved. Staff are the most important part of the business and my priority is to make sure they are happy.”
The first time I tried to visit Ascot Travel House I didn’t make it
26 April 2018
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