I
RREGULAR working
hours are the biggest
drawback for agents
who are ITCs, according
to a recent eTNW survey.
Doing their own marketing,
came second, followed by
competing with big-brand
agencies and the absence
of office camaraderie.
Nearly half (47%) of the
respondents said always
being on duty was the
biggest disadvantage.
Tammy Hunt, operations
director of eTravel, says
to cope with this, agents
should set boundaries
with their clients by
making them aware of
their after-hours fees.
Carol Eedes, owner of
Alphabet Travel, says
agents should feel
confident charging clients
after-hours fees and if it’s
a big client who is loyal
to their business, there
is always room to reduce
the fee.
Of the respondents,
24% said doing their own
marketing could be tough.
Carol advises agents to
set aside time every day
to focus on marketing.
“When you get in, for
the first half-hour, just
post on social media.”
She also says by doing
it themselves, agents
will avoid the costs of a
marketing company.
Tammy advises agents
to get in touch with their
host company for support
with marketing and says
eTravel is available 24/7,
365 to assist with several
options. Going it alone
can seem daunting when
there are bigger brands in
the market. It is important
for agents to understand
their value-add and make
sure their clients are
aware of and experience
it, says Tammy.
Carol says, rather than
going after clients that
larger travel companies
service, agents should
aim to provide services to
a specific market to make
a name for themselves.
Carol’s ITC focuses
on small to medium
enterprises by giving them
a personalised service.
When it comes to office
camaraderie, 13% of
respondents said this
was something they
missed. Tammy says
staying social is a good
way to tackle this. She
says eTravel organises
meetings, workshops and
high teas throughout the
year for their ITCs. “We
also have a social media
platform where ITCs can
communicate with each
other, which has bolstered
a lot of camaraderie.
