Thomson and First Choice agents will be rewarded for bookings made in their shop’s postcode area from the start of October.
In August last year the company announced changes to its high-street working practices, making agents responsible for all bookings made in their shop’s catchment areas – including bookings made online or over the telephone.
TUI Travel distribution director Nick Longman confirmed the company hopes to have a system in place to reward staff for bookings not made directly through their agency from the start of the next financial year. This could cover, for example, bookings made online after a customer has sought advice from the local agent.
Longman said: “It’s about being responsible for all sales in your postcode area. Clearly we want to make the best use of the shops that we can.
“It’s more about recognition of sales created by our shop staff but not made through the shops. We are doing more research on the corrolation between brochures and web bookings.”
The company has yet to reveal how exactly staff will be remunerated for these sales.
Meanwhile, agents have been using their spare time to earn extra cash through the virtual call centre this year as the full force of the economic downturn hits home.
In total, 550 out of TUI’s 880 shops have accesss to the VCC system, which allows agents to take phone bookings when the shop is quiet to earn extra cash.
Longman said “Through January we have had staff staying late to take VCC calls to earn extra money.”
The back-offices of the two retail networks will be fully integrated from March 1.