Ever wondered what it’s like to be a Travel Agent? Like REALLY what it’s like to be a Travel Agent? Christina Woods, a real-life consultant offers you a glimpse.
So, you want to work as a Travel Agent? Maybe you just got home from backpacking around Europe, maybe you’re sick of bussing tables or maybe you just want a change of scenery. Either way, you need to know what you’re getting yourself into.
Let’s start with the travel agent life. It looks glamorous, with free trips galore and Instagram feeds full of weekend jet setting. However, the reality is very VERY different. I asked around for a few questions from my colleagues and for a few misconceptions about being an agent; the results are below.
The training is intense – There’s a full day recruitment process that involves a written assessment, group tasks, an individual interview and a panel interview all before you even get the job. If you do get that magical phone call a few days later you’ll be asked to start training almost immediately. This is split over three weeks in our head office, and you are required to pass a lengthy practical assessment at the end of the course in order to progress to an office. The learning doesn’t stop there though; you’ll undergo constant training on the job and through assignments until the end of your first year.
We don’t work 9-5 – We often pull 12 hour days, staying back late to ensure that all of our clients get the most thorough service, long after the shop closes. If you’re ever driving past an agency at 7 or 8.00pm at night, have a look and see if the lights are on. Chances are there’s an agent inside slogging away at their fifth around-the-world itinerary for that day.
We don’t get free flights – That’s for the airline crew and aviation industry workers, lucky them! We do get pretty good deals on hotels and tours though, provided we’ve been selling high numbers of that product. EG: Sell lots of TourX = get your own TourX trip for half price. (Disclaimer: “TourX” doesn’t exist.. yet)
We are there when shit hits the fan – If you don’t like problem-solving, or don’t work well under pressure, then you’re not going to enjoy this job. There’s nothing more stressful than having fifty unread emails, six phones ringing, five people waiting with screaming children, and a client overseas who is stuck in an airport because they missed their connection. Being able to think clearly and juggle multiple workloads is crucial. You also need to be able to prioritise and meet hourly deadlines every single day.
We have epic work parties – This one is true, we work hard and play hard too! We can often be found at 8.00pm in the office with our colleagues and a bottle of wine after a long day. We also have frequent staff award nights which are always a great time!
We don’t overcharge you to make money – Our commission is not equal to our paycheck. Most people seem to think that agents get a cut of every sale made, whereas the truth is that each sale contributes towards a target. If we hit that target, we get a bonus in our pay.
We don’t get paid if you don’t book – Yep you read that correctly, if you go into an agency and spend two hours with someone to plan your itinerary and then go home and book it online, you’ve just used that agent’s valuable time and service for free. This is what saddens us the most, so please appreciate your agent’s time and just book it with a human. The internet is generally only $20-$50 cheaper anyway.
But all you do is talk to people – Our job is so much more than this, but talking to people all day does have its drawbacks. You’d be surprised how often we get pulled into talking about politics, air crashes, terrorism, and even relationship advice. In one day I had someone try to bait me into arguing about President Trump, quiz me about the exact details of an air crash from over thirty years ago (Mt Erebus, NZ), and try to get me involved in a dispute between someone and their husband. This stuff gets heavy after a while.
But travel agents are a dying breed! – This could not be further from the truth. The company I work for is actually growing each year and making constant profit as a business. People are coming to us for things they can’t get online: a professional service and insider know-how. We still have a few tricks up our sleeves to keep our jobs relevant.
But I can find everything I need on the internet – Can you? What’s the minimum connecting time for an itinerary booked on two separate tickets in different terminals in LAX? Which is the best airport to fly into to get to Boracay? (Hint, it’s not called “Boracay airport”) What documents do you need to provide to get a tourist visa for Brazil? How long can an Aussie passport holder stay in Europe for without a visa? The answers to these questions are not on my computer, they’re in our head. And we can list them all to you over the phone in less than a minute, rather than the multiple hours it would take you to find accurate information online.
Local tips – I’ve lived in three different countries so far and can give you insider knowledge on each of them. Do you need restaurant recommendations close to your hotel? Maybe you need suggestions on how to spend your time in a specific city? Is it easier to taxi or take a transfer to the airport in this area? These are the kinds of questions that the internet just can’t confidently provide. But we’ve been there, done that.
The downsides – There are always a few negatives in any job, but this one has been by far the toughest one I’ve worked in. You will have days where you don’t make any bookings, and stress about your target. You’ll get up early and get home late, and toss and turn in your sleep dreaming about the next day. You’ll be overloaded with information that you are expected to learn and recite immediately, and given assignments to keep your product knowledge sharp. The pay is average unless you are hitting those big targets (and getting bonuses) and it can feel like every client just wants to argue over the $20 booking fee that puts your food on the table. It’s hard to not take that personally, especially if you thought you’d done a great job connecting with that person so that they saw you as a human and not a robotic sales pitch.
The good bits – However, if you play your cards right you can travel often and for cheaper than usual! For example this year I will be visiting four countries over three different trips. The people we work with are supportive because we’re all in the same boat, and we all understand the stress we each feel. It looks great on your CV and can open many doors within the travel industry and in wholesale departments too. The feeling I get when I nail an itinerary for someone and deliver an amazing travel experience is beyond words; it is the very definition of job satisfaction when a client brings you a present or postcard home from their travels.
If you are hungry for a challenge and are prepared to invest a year into your career, give it a go. You may be surprised at what you are capable of. Make those travel dreams come true!
READ: 11 photos that capture what it’s actually like as a Travel Agent
READ: Why these travellers should have booked with a Travel Agent