If you’ve been in the travel industry for any length of time, then no doubt you’ve heard of the DOPE personality test – aka “the bird types.” But have you forgotten who you are?
Travel agents come in all shapes and sizes – and bird types.
If you’ve had one too many beers or wines at a Buzz night or industry event, and you’ve forgotten exactly who you are, then don’t stress. Here’s a quick recap on whether you’re a a high-flying eagle, showy peacock, flower wearing dove or calculator bearing owl.
The Peacock
These are the agents that whistle on the way to work and burst into the office with tales of their weekend shenanigans – often to the annoyance of their colleagues who are still nursing a hangover from nights before.
Peacocks are showy, gregarious and the most optimistic of the pack. Because they love to travel and spend hours talking about it, they make excellent travel agents. They are forever enthusiastic and work exceptionally well in sales and marketing.
You’ll find peacocks effortlessly networking at industry events, where everyone just seems to know them, and you’ll hear them consulting from the other side of the room. They’re also known to rip it on the d-floor.
However, peacocks lack time management skills and are apt to miss important details that can often land them in hot water. They can also be impatient and manipulative to get their way.
Summary:
- Peacocks have the gift of the gab and can talk just about anyone into anything.
- Peacocks know all the BDMs and are well-known in their pocket of the industry.
- However, they can miss important deadlines, such as deposit dates and TTLs, and have their reservations cancelled.
- They can also misquote on flights and end up going in a neg.
The Eagle
Dominant and authoritative, eagles are natural-born leaders, and you’ll often find them in a managerial role.
They tend to focus on results, and for this reason they do exceptionally well when they’ve set themselves a commission target for the month – they’ll go after it and achieve it, come hell or high water.
Consultations with eagles are the shortest of any bird type. They are not there to stuff around but there to make the booking and move on. As such they are very popular with business types who don’t have the time to consult with an owl or a peacock.
However, eagles lack the warmth of other bird types and can often find it hard to relate to their customers. They may also arouse antagonism in the work place for their domineering ways.
Summary:
- Eagles give off an air of confidence that make people feel safe in booking with them.
- They will consistently out-do themselves and win awards for their sales.
- They are also excellent role models for newbies in the industry.
- However, because they aren’t very social, they aren’t the type to go for beers or wine at the end of the week.
The Owl
Perfectionist, methodical, well-organised and systematic: these four adjectives perfectly describe the owl travel agent.
They are the most trusted bird type in the industry as they have a keen eye for detail and manage – somehow – to stay abreast of all the latest updates in the industry. For this reason, their repeat customer database is HUGE – probably the largest of any bird type.
Indeed, if the owl travel agent stays in the biz for longer than a couple of years, it won’t be long before all their commission comes from repeat clients.
However, because they have systems in place, they can lack the flexibility and spontaneity of other bird types, finding it hard to respond on the fly if one of their systems breaks down.
They can also find it hard making decisions as they weigh up EVERY conceivable possibility before coming to a decision.
Summary:
- You’d be hard pressed to find errors on an owl’s quotes and invoices.
- Owls hardly ever get negs as they check and re-check important details.
- However, owls are risk averse, and find it hard to put themselves out there, often resulting in missed opportunities.
- Their consults can also take so long that they find it hard to keep up and may succumb to stress.
The Dove
The dove travel agent is the hippy of the pack. Doves are friendly, peace-loving and people-orientated, and as such they are very approachable.
Clients feel comfortable booking with a dove because a dove appears (and often is) to be interested more in the customers’ well-being than in merely making a sale (contrast that with an eagle). They are attentive listeners, too.
Doves make excellent team players, and are valued in the workplace for the positivity and warmth they bring to the table.
However, doves find it hard making the tough decisions, and are not confident cold-calling potential customers. They also avoid confrontation like the plague. This fear can often hold them back from reaching their full sales potential.
Also, their laid back vibe can make them a little slower in getting work done
Summary:
- Doves are in it for the people, not the sales.
- They are able to garner the trust of clients easily as they are open and genuine.
- However, because they are afraid of confrontation, they tend to ignore problems until they get out of hand.
- Also, because of their inherent honesty, they lack the ability to talk sh#t that’s sometimes necessary to bag the sale.