Guest Blog: Providing a special service through working smarter - By Steve Byrne - Travel Counsellors

The advantages of flexible working have been integral to the continued success of Travel Counsellors. Back in 1994, we were the very first travel company in the UK to empower experienced travel professional to run their own businesses from home. Through the freedom and flexibility we’ve given our people the company continues to go from strength to strength, with over 1,400 Travel Counsellors agents across eight countries now reaping the benefits of flexible working practices, for both themselves and their customers. 

By working smarter, and adopting a totally flexible structure where no two working days are ever the same, it seems our people are happier and more productive than they’ve ever been. In a recent survey of all our agents we asked what the main reason was for leaving their previous role. The most popular answer was to improve their work/life balance. When asked what the key benefit is for them since joining Travel Counsellors the fact that they can now work in a way that fits around their lifestyle was by far the highest response. So our agents are happier than they’ve ever been, which in turn clearly manifests itself in the levels of service they provide to their customers.  

The internet has made 24/7 travel a commercial reality. By giving our agents the freedom to work the hours which best suit them (including evenings and weekends) Travel Counsellors has been able to give people the round-the-clock service they now expect – but crucially, a service with all the friendliness and personal interaction they wouldn’t have expected from the internet. It’s a truly unique travel experience for our customers, and the fact that over a third of Travel Counsellors’ business is done after 5 pm shows how well our customers respond to the flexibility we’re able to offer through our working practices. 

An integral factor in making this level of flexibility work is of course technology. The digital infrastructure we have developed as a company enables everyone in the business to stay connected and do what they do best, anytime, anywhere. From our bespoke dynamic booking platform and internal communication system to our in-house TV channel, we’re always investing in new ways to bring Travel Counsellors around the globe closer together, and make their working lives as easy and efficient as we possibly can. It means we’re also able to unite our global network of Travel Counsellors into one single community of travel professionals. Our technology doesn’t replace people, it empowers them. 

By helping to unlock the true potential of our agents, and forge those all-important personal bonds with our customers, flexible working will continue to underpin the success of Travel Counsellors in the years to come.

Steve Byrne

Managing Director - Travel Counsellors