TRAVEL consultants
need to do their
research thoroughly
before accepting job offers.
Stories about unsuspecting
travellers being left stranded
as a result of fraudulent travel
agency practices are on the
increase but it’s not only the
travellers who are victims. The
consultants recruited for these
companies are also being
taken advantage of.
Most recently, a senior travel
consultant reached out to
TNW with her story. She says
a Cape Town travel agency
and shuttle company (which
is still actively recruiting
consultants predominantly
on free advertising websites
such as Gumtree) employed
her, promising “a great career
opportunity”, but the whole
operation turned out to be a
façade.
She says the company put
up attractive adverts recruiting
travel consultants, promising
them a great opportunity
with potential for growth and
an impressive salary. She
applied and was contacted
for a telephonic interview
by the ceo. He told her he
was impressed with her CV
and would like to offer her a
position. After doing some
basic research and seeing
a ‘seemingly’ professional
website, she decided to
use her savings to rent an
apartment in Cape Town
and make the move.
“I arrived at my new
workplace at a posh Eden on
the Bay shopping complex, and
the moment I walked in I knew
that something was terribly
wrong and didn’t add up.
Apart from me, there was one
other consultant and the ceo’s
personal assistant. There were
no systems running, no fax
machines, no posters on the
walls, no advertising material,
no clients and no business. It
was just an office with empty
work spaces, three computers
and nothing else,” she says.
She was told she was
expected to go out and market
the company, get clients and
decorate the office. However,
no funds were provided for this
and the promised salary never
materialised, the consultant
says.
Bridget Benadie, director
of Quantex Executive
Recruitment, says she has
helped a few consultants who
have fallen victim to the same
scam in Cape Town. “The
employer brought candidates
to Cape Town from their
home towns. Some of them
left children behind to come
and settle in Cape Town and
landed up without jobs and
accommodation. One staff
member was even stranded at
a bus stop in the middle of the
night after he had promised to
collect her.”
Bridget says consultants
should be wary of responding
to ads on free sites, as there
are other more reliable and
dedicated sites for the travel
industry, such as Travelinfo.
She says usually the same
unscrupulous employers will
advertise regularly and provide
free e-mail addresses, such
as gmail.
Jill Morris, director of Lee
Botti and Associates, says
consultants should get as
much information about a
prospective employer as
possible before taking a
position. “In this day and
age, access to the Internet
is invaluable and one can
more often than not find out
information about a company
by just looking on the Internet.”
Jill says consultants can
also check if the company
is a registered travel agency
with Asata or a member of
other industry-related bodies
such as SKÅL, Travelbags and
TROGS.
“When accepting a job offer,
consultants should always
insist on a comprehensive
contract of employment,
which has been signed by the
employer and clearly indicates
job description and salary,”
says Bridget, adding that
consultants should not be
afraid to ask for details. “Ask
for a dummy pay slip. Ensure
you understand how and when
commission is earned and
paid. Ask the employer the
reason for the vacancy.”
She says consultants should
also consider using the free
service of a recruiter as they
can act as a buffer and assist
in ensuring the consultant
receives a contract that is fair
to both parties. A consultant
can also negotiate the salary
package on the consultant’s
behalf.
If after doing their homework,
consultants still end up in a
fraudulent company that won’t
pay them, it is advisable to
contact the Department of
Labour about the unscrupulous
activity, as well as the CCMA.
Jill explains: “The CCMA will
conciliate workplace disputes,
including those of salary
matters. The candidate also
has the option of contacting a
Labour Law specialist to assist
them but this would most likely
be a costly measure.
