FRONTLINE
colin burns branch manager, Hays Travel, Gateshead
Breaking news! Panic takes hold of Hays
Travel in Gateshead as Colin has a cardiac arrest after opening a mysterious package. Well, that’s not exactly a true
reflection of events. What really happened is that I had a bit of an “oh, I wasn’t expecting that” moment when I opened my lunch box to find two meat and potato pies instead of the usual sandwiches that Mrs B so lovingly prepares for me each day. Hardly anyone else noticed and those who did weren’t in the slightest bit bothered. And that brings me to this
summer’s silly headline season, which is in full swing, with online news agencies flooding social media with what at best would be described as misleading headlines, and at worst, out and out fake news.
NOT THE WHOLE STORY Following the tragic Air India crash, I was horrified to see the headline “Ryanair flight crashes on Greek runway” flash up on my phone, only to read that there had been a minor scrape of a wing on a fence shortly after landing. My thoughts turned to anyone who had relatives on that flight who had seen that headline and feared the worst. There was another that read “Government announcement set to ruin trips to Brit holiday hotspot”. This turned out to be the authorities in Peru declaring a 30-day state of emergency. Now, as stunning
26 26 JUNE 2025 There was another story AGENT
Silly headlines might gain a few extra
clicks but they can cause customers
considerable anxiety
a Peru is, and without wanting to trivialise the situation, the headline was clearly designed to attract as many hits as possible by concealing which country was involved. However, if the story involves a mass-tourism destination, the media will be keen to name the country in the headline, and Turkey is getting more than its fair share of coverage. Just the other morning I saw
“Turkey travel advice changes after UK Foreign Office alert” – the change being that UK nationals wanting to cross the land border from Iran to Turkey will need to request a facilitation form from the British embassy in Ankara.
claiming Marmaris had become a “ghost town” at night following the introduction of a curfew. We book loads of customers to this area and have not had a single one saying Marmaris was too quiet on their return! Lots of towns and resorts have rules covering loud music after a certain time, but they do not affect holiday enjoyment at all.
UNNECESSARY STRESS It’s easy for us within the industry to see these headlines for what they are, but for most holidaymakers they look real and are reported by supposedly credible media brands, so customers who are looking forward to their well-earned annual trip can start to feel concerned. Most don’t read the whole article – they just see the headline and call us to seek reassurance that they will be safe to go on their holiday. Of course, the safety and wellbeing of every customer is the priority and our industry must keep up to speed with the ever-changing world we live in, but headlines such as these serve no purpose other than to gain a few extra clicks. Anyway, I feel better after that little
rant. Now, drum roll, please – and defibrillator at the ready – as I open my lunch box. Ah, it’s fine, just Spam and beetroot sarnies. Happy days!
ER, DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO!
I had an email from Hays
Travel HQ today advising that, following a random check, they had found an error on a travel money transaction where we had only recorded the customer’s initials instead of their first name as we’re supposed to. Harvie, Kirsty and I all agreed that it couldn’t have been any of us as we know the rules and would always
record the full name. I asked ‘Forex Col’ – the other Colin in the branch – to investigate and he said: “We have three transactions for that customer and they all have just the initial: one was processed by you, Col, one by Kirsty and one by Harvie.” Now, where did I put that rule book again?
Going back to basics
travelweekly.co.uk
SharonAndreaJenniferHelenClare diary diary
SharonAndreaJenniferHelenClare
Colin
Colin
PICTURE: Shutterstock/iQoncept
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