Agent Insights is all about empowering travel agents and helping them be the very best they can be, so they can sell more travel, have a better work/life balance and generally just kick serious @$$.
This week we speak to Laurice Burke from helloworld Albany Creek/Kenmore.
She’s been in the industry for over 25 years, so you just know she has a few nuggets of wisdom up her sleeve.
So let’s get stuck into it shall we?
Meet Laurice from helloworld, a travel professional that first started in the industry she loves over a quarter of a century ago and still loves her job.
What exactly do you do and how long have you done it?
I have been in the travel industry for over 25 years, starting off as a junior travel consultant.
These days I do a little consulting but predominantly work on driving business through the door and looking at new ways that we can look after our existing customers and draw new ones.
Pretend I’m a potential client for a moment. What do you do that separates you from the pack?
Rather than reaching for a brochure when someone mentions the destination they are interested in, we invite them to sit down and get to know them.
After a number of questions are asked we can then work out what would be suitable for the client and make some recommendations.
Our team members also give new clients a copy of their CV which shares their passions and destinations visited.
Let’s travel back in time. What do you wish you knew back when you started working as a travel agent? And what do you think some of the common mistakes travel agents make when starting off?
I think I used to take things very personally.
I have learned over the years that every client is very different and if a client appears abrupt or even rude, it is not about me personally but rather the end of a trying week or day for them.
I always loved my job from when I first started in travel, but couldn’t have imagined how much I would love it.
I think when you are starting out in the industry that good training is key! I was fortunate that my trainer had a very customer focused approach to the way we did business and this has stayed with me and developed over the years.
Have you ever managed to turn a customer complaint into something positive? If so, how did you do it?
I think when dealing with any customer complaint that empathy is extremely important.
Fortunately I don’t have to deal with too many of them, however, I can recall a gentleman being very unhappy as he had an appointment and the previous appointment ran over making his 20 minutes late.
After profusely apologising, sending flowers with a note, and offering to make the next appointment with us visiting his house rather than him coming to us, I think he then felt like he had over reacted to the situation.
He still to this day books his travel with us and has recommended us to others.
What are your biggest challenges at the moment?
I think that often these days travel agents are perceived by many as information centres so people can take your knowledge and then go and do it themselves.
People do often say when I tell them what I do that they thought there would be no need for travel agents anymore as you can do it yourself on-line.
I am constantly challenged as an agency owner to come up with new ideas on how we can ensure that clients who walk into our office don’t just walk out with a brochure.
We need to sell ourselves early in the consult to let the client know that we will take care of everything for them, and in the process save them time and add value to their next well deserved holiday.
What are you doing to turn that around?
We have a number of steps in place to ensure our sales process is one that works on the model of building a relationship with the client first, and therefore reducing the chance that after all our work and advice that they would think for a minute to do it themselves.
Your staff are so very important and as a leader you need to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goal. Setting office standards is certainly a big part of this process and maintaining consistency.
Ok, last but not least: how do you see the industry evolving in 2016?
The travel industry is never dull and is constantly changing.
Every year there is at least one major external factor over which we have no control, that impacts our industry and businesses.
Where can people find you if they’d like to make contact?
They can reach me at helloworld Albany Creek by phone at 3264 6222 or by email at albanycreek@helloworld.com.au
They can also talk to me at helloworld Kenmore by phone 3378 8555 or by email at Kenmore@helloworld.com.au
Like what you’ve read?
Check out some of the other agents we’ve interviewed on Agent Insights, such as Peter Fiske from Clayfield Travel, Lorie Raymundo from Travel Counsellors, Ez Yiap from Student Flights and Sean Baldwin from STA Travel.
*If you’d like to be be featured on Agent Insights, then email shaun@karryon.com.au – I’d be happy to interview you!
