olumnıst

olumnıst

GUEST

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Our reps are often at the receiving end of abuse from holidaymakers.

Why is it that when they’re abroad people replace their normal manners and politeness with rudeness and sarcasm?

CLIve jewell

Kevin Abbey’s recent comments about young travel agency staff struck a chord with me, as overseas we face a similar conundrum.

Balanced, versatile resort teams require a mixed age range, which works for all concerned.

In the early years of his/her career, the rep will seldom have a travel background to match most clients, although after one busy summer the gap quickly diminishes!

The average Style Holidays rep is 29, which is appropriate for our product. But this summer, partly due to the reduction in applications most operators are reporting, I took on four 20-year olds.

One bombed, three have been terrific but they have all faced an alarming shift in the general conduct of British holidaymakers.

Even in the once genteel world of villa holidays in which we largely operate, foul language, intimidation and abuse are no longer rarities, and there is frequent over-reaction to matters which are trivial in anyone’s terms. Friends with other operators tell me I am not alone in wondering just where this is leading.

I am permanently based overseas, and I witness my resort staff, and others, contending with a breathtaking lack of manners and respect. People who run businesses and homes seem unable to cope with the most minor setbacks on holiday without flying into a fury and making instant demands for plainly daft sums of compensation. Belittling reps with sarcasm and downright rudeness, sometimes reducing them to tears (of frustration or fear) is viewed as a triumph.

Of course we accept total responsibility for our product from start to finish but I wonder how the foul-mouthed individuals who spit belligerence in reps’ faces would respond to the same thing happening to a loved one of theirs?

The catalyst for this piece was an aggressive, finger-poking gentleman who stormed into the Algarve office in which I am based, telling us in no uncertain terms that we would get him to his doorstep if the fuel crisis continued beyond his return date.

Aside from ensuring we deliver the agreed product and service to our clients, and acting smartly to settle any grievances, I thought our responsibility was to fly him back to the UK airport from which he departed. Perhaps I have lost the plot.

In any event, as I plan my reps’ training courses for next year, it occurs to me that as well as concentrating minds on attaining the highest levels of customer service, perhaps I should get somebody in to teach them self-defence and martial arts, and not necessarily in that order!

“Belittling reps with sarcasm and rudeness is viewed as a triumph”