FRONTLINE
Q. Why did you decide to leave Thomas Cook? It was the work-life balance. When I left, I was regional manager, which meant there was less talking about holidays with customers and more about health and safety issues. I missed selling, and my role was more about managing a team of people. Thomas Cook was having some tough times earlier this year. I suppose when you are in the building you have that fighting mentality. My husband and I had reached a point in our lives where we had the financial security to be able to take a risk with my job. Swapping my stable, salaried job to set up my own homeworking business was a big decision, but it felt like the right time, and my husband and children have backed me 100%.
Q. How did you decide on your next move? I looked into different homeworking companies such as Hays Travel and Travel Counsellors, but I had some friends and colleagues who were Personal Travel Agents at Co-Operative Travel. My old regional manager at Thomas Cook was recruiting for Co-Operative Travel and supporting the PTAs. What I liked about Co-operative Travel was that it felt like more of a family – like when I started at Thomas Cook. Being a Personal Travel Agent means I can enjoy the autonomy of running my own business with the backing of a team of experts who provide the business infrastructure I need to succeed.
Amy shepherd
After choosing travel over midwifery, Amy started her career at Thomas Cook. She stayed for 20 years, but left in March to join
Personal Travel Agents. She spoke to Harry Kemble
Q. How did you start your career in travel? I did work experience at Lunn Poly and Going Places. I was going to go to college and study to be a midwife but then I decided to go back into travel and do a Btec diploma in travel and tourism. I started off as a part-time sales consultant at the Thomas Cook in Nottingham. There was only one branch in the city at the time. That same year I was offered the assistant manager role full-time.
40 31 OCTOBER 2019
Q. Do you meet a lot of your clients face to face?
It depends on the enquiry. The first time I met up with a customer face-to-face it was with friends of my husband’s who he knew from playing golf. They wanted to go to the Rugby World Cup in Japan. The booking was £20,000 and I knew that I would have more chance of getting the booking if I met them face to face. Travelpack put the three-week trip together for me. Most of my clients live locally so I go out to meet them but rarely have to travel far.
Q. How do you feel about your decision six months on? It’s early days but I am thrilled with the start I have made and can see clearly how I can build my business to a point where I have the best of both worlds – an income to match or even exceed the salary I was on as a regional manager, plus the freedom and flexibility I now enjoy. Long-haul holidays, particularly to the USA, are selling well at the moment and, in the last month bookings for summer 2020 have really gained momentum.
travelweekly.co.uk
‘I BOOKED EIGHT PEOPLE ON A TRIP TO ICELAND WHILE I WAS ON A CAR JOURNEY’
Homeworkers can offer customers an all-hours service. I recently booked a holiday to Halkida in Greece at half past nine at night because my customer had been at work all day. She messaged me at 8pm and we confirmed some of the outstanding details. It took around half an hour. I love having that
flexibility to choose my hours. For example, if I have received a lot of enquiries overnight I might start work at 7am some days. I’m also able to go away more frequently without worrying about missing enquiries or losing out on sales. I went away for a long weekend in May and made a booking for eight to Iceland during the car journey to my own mini-break destination. My clients benefit too because I have time to give them that extra level of service.
Amy’s family
backed her decision to become a homeworker
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