They say the only thing to fear is fear itself. Yeah right, tell that to the travel agent struggling to straighten themselves out of the foetal position as wave after wave of anxiety threatens to destroy their sanity!
Okay, okay, so that’s a wee bit dramatic.
But listen here and listen well: travel agents, as you undoubtedly know, have to grapple with many work-related fears and anxieties, and although we wouldn’t go as far to have each of these fears classified as diagnosable anxiety disorders, they definitely do exist.
And it doesn’t matter if you’re a complete noob or an old hat – no one is immune to them.
Here are five common fears you’ll find keeping travel agents up at night…
1. OH NO, WHAT IF THAT CREEPY GUY/WOMAN COMES IN TOMORROW?
They say that like attracts like, but surely you’re nothing like that creepy guy or girl who comes into the store every now and then under the pretence of booking a holiday with you – right?
No, you’re probably not. Yet most agents will have at least one stalker-ish customer frequent their place of work, and the fear over whether tomorrow/today will be the day Mr or Miss X decides to pay you an awkward visit is forever on your mind…
2. OMG, PLEASE DON’T LET ME GET INTO A NEG THIS MONTH!
Introducing the scary monster hiding in the nooks and crannies of your invoice and T&Cs – the mighty NEG!
This old scoundrel is the source of an anxiety that never, ever goes away, and it threatens to kick you right in the #$@^ and drag you down the team leaderboard along with your good spirits.
A common flightmare theme, this fear forever looms over the travel agent’s shoulders, and it can only be treated by submerging the brain in a vat of vodka, whiskey or rum.
A glass of wine of pint of beer is your next best bet.
3. I HOPE I DON’T HAVE TO STAY BACK TOMORROW NIGHT…
You’ve made plans to go [INSERT FUN AFTERWORK ACTIVITY THAT PROBABLY INVOLVES ALCOHOL] afterwork tomoz, and you’re destined for good times indeed.
But then a thought pops into your head: What if I end up having to stay back tomorrow night after work?
…HEART STARTS BEATING AT THRASH METAL-LIKE SPEED…
Sadly, the times you actually do have to stay back often syncs with your social calendar, which adds a further blow to what is already an unfortunate state of affairs. But cheer up there pal, as there’s always a cold pint or glass of wine waiting for you in the pub just down the street.
Hell, you may even make it in time for happy hour – YAY!
4. SHOOT, DID I FORGET TO TICKET THOSE FLIGHTS?!
Like NEGS, the fear of forgetting to ticket a customer’s flights (or pay that wholesaler) by the due date is a common flightmare theme, and thus the cause of many sleepless nights and work-related anxieties.
Check, double-check, and triple-check all you like, and still the possibility of missing a crucial deadline stirs the cogs of anxiety in your brain.
5. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DON’T LET WORK CALL ME ON MY DAY OFF TOMORROW…
RING RING RING!
Oh no. You can feel it in your bones. It’s work, and you just know it. But it’s your day off for god’s sake!
It’s not as if you don’t like ‘avin’ a good ol’ chin wag with ya boss or workmate, but when you’re curled up on the couch at home with a cup of tea, a bag of Maltesers and season seven of Game of Thrones on the telly, talking shop is the last thing you want to do.
And thus we have here another common travel agent fear, one that destroys any chance of sleep and has you develop a condition whereby a phone call has you running for the hills!