The Rookie Rep
The Rookie Rep is about when you work as a holiday rep and a lot of your clients want to hear all the horror stories about trips you have been on and some even suggest you write a book about them. I have always kept diaries of my trips and at first this was for the reports I had to write at the end of each trip but then I realised I had a fund of stories and experiences that I could turn into a book – a humorous book as there is a lot humour in many of the situations I found myself in. This book deals with my first year on the road as an inexperienced rep. There will be more.
Where had you always wanted to travel to before becoming a holiday rep?
I really wanted to travel to the Greek islands – it struck me as such a romantic destination. Bizarrely my first assignment was 5 weeks on the island of Crete and it was nothing like I had imagined it would be.
Why is it important that holiday makers see the other side of the coin?
I do not think clients realise how hard we work on their behalf. Our job is to be cheerful and friendly at all times (even if we have just had a night without sleep) they do not want to hear us moaning about how tired we are, how difficult it is to organise vegetarian meals, how the hotel has let us down regarding rooms with a view and all the other problems that we encounter and have to resolve. They just want to enjoy the holiday of a lifetime. Sometimes it is impossible to meet their demands but this is never through lack of trying. For me this is one of the joys of the job – meeting the challenges that clients throw down, for example, organising a trip that someone really wants to do but is not on the list of excursions available, helping someone to find a particular souvenir or organising a special birthday celebration. Until I started doing the job I really did not appreciate how difficult some situations can be and how hard we have to work to ensure a trip runs smoothly.
What was the worst treatment you ever had in the job?
Occasionally one of your own clients turns against you and will try and make the rest of the group follow their lead. Fortunately this does not happen very often but on one trip two friends in my group succeeded in turning most of the group against me. For example, if I walked into the hotel bar they would immediately take the whole group out of the hotel to a bar in the local town. It was the same after dinner every night – they would go off to a bar without telling me where they were going so I was left on my own in the hotel. I felt very lonely on that trip but some groups do not want you around and you have to accept that. However, this particular individual then filled in her feedback form to the effect that I never socialised with the group. I had to answer this criticism and it sounded really feeble to say I had not joined them because most of the time I did not know where they were!
Had you always planned to go travelling after university or was this something that you decided later into your studies?
I have always loved travelling but I never planned to make a career of it. After I graduated I lectured in law at a university and then I decided to qualify as a solicitor. I studied for my finals while still working and promised myself a year off before taking up a training contract. I wanted to travel but not on my own so I contacted a holiday company I had travelled with and asked if they would take me on for a year. They did take me on and when the year ended I decided I would rather be a holiday rep than a solicitor – that was 17 years ago and I have never regretted my decision.
Which place have you enjoyed visiting the most?
Difficult question. I love Italy and since I became a holiday rep I have learnt the language and I have worked there so often that I have made lots of friends and always look forward to going back to the country and in particular the Dolomite Mountains. I love their language and their food and I find their history fascinating.
I also love India – and particularly Rajasthan – a place that is so colourful and rich in tradition.
What was your biggest high and low while you were in the job?
My biggest high was successfully completing the Inca Trail and arriving at the Sun Gate above Machu Picchu. The sun was actually shining and below us the ruins were spread out on a green carpet of grass. It was stunning and I really was moved to tears – it was the most magnificent sight I have ever seen.
My biggest low was during a trip to the Gambia. I had a very unpleasant man in the group who was rude to everyone, including me. His language was appalling and his expectations ridiculous. I really did not know how to deal with him but eventually when he was shouting and swearing at me that I was his rep and I was paid to do what he told me to do I responded that I was not paid to listen to foul language and walked away from him. He threatened to report me to my company and I spent a sleepless night wondering if I would lose my job because of him. I knew I had to resolve the problem before it affected the rest of the group and spoilt their holiday. The next morning I approached him quietly and asked him if we could discuss the problem. I was really nervous in case he started shouting at me again but he did not and after a long conversation he even apologised for swearing at me!
What advice can you give to other aspiring travel reps?
This is definitely a job you either love or hate and it is not a good way to travel and see the world. In some destinations you may be so busy you rarely get out of the hotel but then some trips are so wonderful I cannot believe how lucky I am to be doing the job. There are different types of holiday reps – some are based in one resort for a whole season and deal with large numbers of clients in several hotels. They have regular hours and a day off every week. Other holiday reps, like me, travel with groups and are on duty 24 hours a day dealing with any problems that may occur from requests for room changes, dietary requirements, clients being taken ill … the list is endless. Every holiday rep has to have the confidence to tackle all types of problems and also be prepared to speak to large groups of people using a microphone on transfer buses etc.
Anyone wanting to become a holiday rep should first decide what type of rep they would like to be and then research those companies they would like to work for and approach that company by writing a letter explaining why you think you would make a good holiday rep. Several companies now take applications through their website but I still think a personal letter is a good way to approach a company you really want to work for.
Never tell a company you want to work for them because you want to travel – they know that – they want to know want skills and experience you have that will make you a good rep.
This is your first book, so do you have plans for another?
Yes, I intend to follow this up with more books in a similar vein – I have diaries covering 17 years travelling as a holiday rep.
What is next for you?
I want to write some articles and more books about my experiences and also to continue to work as a holiday rep as I would not want to give this up completely - l love doing it so much.