FRONTLINE
sharon thompson owner, Thompson Travel, Portadown, Northern Ireland
We often hear talk of respect, but what
exactly is it? I was always told you had to earn it yourself. One definition of respect is: “A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities or achievements.” That definitely sums up how I feel about my team on a daily basis, and I hope the example I’m about to share demonstrates why earning respect is so important. Last Friday, we attended the Travel & Tourism Awards at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle, County Down. The awards are celebrating 30 years and, coincidentally, so are we. In the 30 years of the event taking place, we have attended around 25 of them, but have never returned home with a trophy. Despite this, everyone in my team is a winner in my eyes.
EXCITEMENT BUILDS My staff love the event. In the lead- up to it each year they are busy discussing outfits, booking their hair and make-up appointments and adopting various diet plans. Jason is the only man in our team and he often pokes fun at our pre-awards rituals, but he loves it really. We closed early on the Friday, took the Saturday off and booked to stay at the fantastic hotel after the awards. I see this as a small reward for my team’s ongoing hard work. Aside from a few
22 27 OCTOBER 2022 AGENT It takes time to
gain the respect of everyone in
your team, but it’s worth the effort
annual events, we don’t get many opportunities to relax as a team, not to mention enjoy great hospitality and entertainment courtesy of our respected suppliers.
It would have been fantastic for our agency to be recognised in our own country with an award, but that is not the focus of the evening. Instead, we see it as much-needed chill-out and socialising time. Then, on the following Monday, something happened that for me epitomised the meaning of the word respect. I was working from home when there was a knock at the door – it was a delivery person, who handed me a bouquet of flowers.
The flowers were from my team, and with them was a card that read: “Thank you for Friday night from all of us.” Needless to say, I was really touched. Organising some time off and paying for a few hair and make-up appointments was nothing compared to the commitment my team give all year, but it clearly meant a lot to them.
CUSTOMER RESPONSE What really prompted me to share this was the reaction I had to a Facebook post I made after receiving the flowers, as a way of publicly thanking my team. A comment from one of my longstanding customers really stood out: “Teamwork and respect goes a long way. Thank you all.” There is a lot to be said for trying
to build your business and team with respect at the core. Hard decisions have to be made when you run a business, but respecting your team and your customers builds trust, and that is invaluable. Businesses are full of people with
different opinions, as well as those who share the same views. It takes time to gain the respect of everyone in your team, but it’s worth the effort. As Sir Richard Branson said:
“Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.”
LET’S MOVE FORWARD AS ONE
We would like to thank all those operators who have kept us up to date with training opportunities and their latest
products, who came to visit us face-to-face again when they were able to, and who have been at the end of the phone when we’ve needed them. This industry is at its best when the companies within it come together as one.
Going forward, we would love to receive a bit more support from those airlines we sell lots of, so we can grow both our business and theirs and attempt to deal with the issues we have faced over the past few years, to restore consumer confidence.
Caption
travelweekly.co.uk
DavidKim Colin ClareHelen DavidKim Colin Clare Helen diary diary
Sharon Sharon
PICTURE: Shutterstock/
Rawpixel.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 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
