Do you swim with the flow or resist the currents of change? Are you people orientated or goal-driven? Do you like to make a splash or prefer to chill amongst the coral?
We’ve all heard of the bird types, but today we’re going to explore another travel agent analytical tool that you’ve definitely never heard of. You’ve never heard of it because this is a KarryOn original.
As you already know, at KarryOn we’re not afraid of swimming into uncharted territories to gain a deeper insight into the workings of the travel agent. We also like being a little creative and cheeky and fun too, and we know you do to!
So that’s why today we’re introducing a new analytical tool: travel agent fish types.
Give them a read, share them with your colleagues, and see where you fit in!
1. The Gold Fish
Kind, always thinking of others, and calm, gold fish travel agents are the dependable ones, always showing up to the office on time and always there to stay back to help a colleague.
You love helping people in general, which makes you very popular with your clients: your commitment to the customer is a-maze-ing. For this reason, you act as a shining beacon of customer service in the office, and every travel agency could benefit from your example.
However, your tendency to put the needs of others above your own can sometimes frustrate you as you struggle to meet your own deadlines. For this reason, you need to set your own boundaries.
Sure, you can still be the awesome person you actually are, but don’t drop everything you’re doing just because someone is having a little trouble. Instead, calmly tell them what to do and help them learn things for themselves.
2. The Piranha
The go-getters of the travel agent pack, piranhas are ambitious, natural leaders, and hard-working. They always have an eye towards their monthly sales target and are constantly hustling – yep, these are the guys that consistently win the awards and PBs.
Piranhas are more direct and business orientated than other fish types (such as people-orientated gold fish and dolphins – see below) but this is part of their appeal to the busy and time-poor segment of the market. Piranhas are also very creative, and are great problem solvers.
However, with all their attention set on achieving their goals, they often don’t spend time in forming deep emotional bonds with their customers (or peers), and this ultimately results in them not holding onto customers over the long-term. They needn’t dwell on this for long though, as they’re guns at getting new ones.
3. The Dolphin
Playful, showy, but with a heart of gold, dolphins aren’t shy about tearing up the d-floor with their moves and getting a little too tipsy at industry events. Happy drunks, they’re consistently the life of the party. Yet their loyalty and sense of responsibility means that they’re always at the office each morning on time – even when they’re hungover.
Yep, dolphin travel agents are absolute pros, and their “work hard, play hard” attitude makes them feel right at home in the travel industry. This professionalism extends to their clients too, who they deeply value and respect and are always pushing to make their holidays even better.
But because they dislike delving into details, piranhas often find themselves in sticky situations such as missing a TTL or payment deadline, and this ends up taking up heaps of their time and dampening their otherwise positive spirit. Luckily, dolphins quickly bounce back from setbacks and you’ll see them smiling again the next day as if nothing happened…
4. The Shark
Just like in the ocean, shark travel agents are dominant, confident and driven, but thankfully they’re not out to hurt anyone at all. Inspired to lead, sharks are excellent organisers and delegators, which makes them ideally suited to take on managerial roles.
Unlike dolphins, sharks actually love getting into the details, and they rarely find themselves in a neg.
Yet every fish type has negative traits, and for the shark these are impatience and a lack of empathy. Sharks are very quick to pick up systems and processes, and they expect other agents to be just as fast. Unfortunately, other agents are wired differently, and it may take them longer to learn – sharks have trouble understanding this.
However, sharks are always coming from a good place, and ultimately want to see everyone be the best they can be. They just need to understand that some agents work differently, and to not be too hard on them when they don’t do things their way.