From the moment they step into the office to the moment they finish up for the day, Travel Agents are pretty much on go, go, go, and most don’t even have time for a lunch break.
And if they do, the food is consumed so fast that heartburn usually follows.
So there simply isn’t enough time for Travel Agents to zone out and let their imaginations run wild; except when on hold to a wholesaler. Indeed, waiting on hold is about the only time Travel Agents can have a breather and fantasize about where they’d rather be and what they’d rather be doing.
Here are without-a-doubt five of the most common Travel Agent fantasies.
Ready to get your Freud on?
1. A basket of bintangs in Bali
Source: flickr.com
Alcohol cannot solve your problems, but neither can water. And at least with alcohol, you’re able to address some of the cumulative stress that’s been brewing from all those wasted minutes waiting on hold to a wholesaler. In case you’re wondering, by address I obviously mean drowning it all in a basket of ice-cold beer – preferably from the balcony of your hotel room in Seminyak, Bali.
Be honest folks, but ain’t this what you guys fantasize about when starting off into space and waiting for the other end to come to life?
2. The Captain: Nuff said?
This one’s for the ladies, but also for some of the chaps. A lot of agents swoon over a man in uniform, especially when it’s a uniform that can literally take you anywhere.
According to the lasted edition of the Travel Agent dream dictionary, fantasizing about El Capitan means you’re on the verge of breaking a PB sales target. It could also mean you have a slight obsession.
Either way, it does make the time go faster when on hold to a wholesaler, so whatever floats ya boat…
3. Getting in a cage and settling the score
Source: easports.com
“How many times do I need to call this damn supplier? Why can’t they ever GET. IT. RIGHT? Boy, if only I could meet them; I’d sure give them a piece of my mind…”
And so it goes on and on and on.
Frustration over a botched booking and the inevitable wait on hold to sort it out can often push some Travel Agents over the edge. Some agents express this frustration outwardly in the form of yelling abuse over the phone; others, however, use their frustrations to create vivid fantasies of fighting to the death with a representative of the supplier in a steel cage in front of a blood-thirsty crowd.
4. Leaving the rat race & going to India
Source: collective-evolution.com
Fantasies of waking up to views of the snow-capped Himalayas and the smell of incense in the air with no recollection of GDS commands and airport codes is an extremely popular way for stressed-out agents to pass the time when on hold.
Dreaming of leaving the rat race forever and achieving some form of enlightenment in India or Nepal is indeed so alluring that you’ll soon be thinking of packing it all in and booking a one-way flight to the Sub Continent. But you’ll need to know your Galileo commands for that, so slow down there cowboy/cowgirl.
5. Creating the perfect holiday – for you
Source: dreamatico.com
Years of honing your craft as a Travel Agent has made you an expert in finding the cheapest flights and scoring the best prices on hotels and tours. The only thing is that you hardly ever get to use that knowledge to benefit yourself – you just don’t have enough leave.
But when on hold to a wholesaler, you can fantasize about crafting the perfect itinerary to the most exotic destinations, whilst still paying only the cheapest price (agent rates? industry discounts? some GDS trickery?).
Of course, these dreams are smashed to pieces once the wholesaler actually picks up the call. But hey, at least you’ve exercised your creative muscle!