| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 01/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 53 |
| Copyright: Other |
The bread-smuggling traveller who really should start using his loaf
Some clients shouldn’t be allowed to travel, particularly when they reveal they want to conceal gluten-free foodstuffs in their luggage
Some clients shouldn’t be allowed to travel, particularly when they reveal they want to conceal gluten-free foodstuffs in their luggage
What a very rice eveningBeing situated in what might be termed by some as the rural depths of Dorset and by others as the middle of nowhere, we are not easily able to attend travel promotions in either Bournemouth or Southampton. Consequently, we missed the recent Cadogan/Valtur evening held in Southampton.
Our colleague Kate, however, had just returned from the Valtur educational to Morocco and was full of enthusiasm for the company. Boss Nigel decided to exploit this by treating us to our own exclusive Valtur training evening at Maxim’s, the local Chinese restaurant.
It is clear that Kate has a great deal of potential as a trainer as she arrived with questionnaires for us to complete as well as the odd prize or two. Fortunately, as it was a week-day evening, there weren’t too many other restaurant-goers to be disturbed by excitable travel agents going prawn crackers and shrieking the answers to Kate’s questions. It has to be said that one or two diners did stop chewing on their sweet and sour to listen, presumably in the hope of winning the extra glasses of wine that had been added to the prizes!
We all agreed it had been a great way to learn about a product and that it had the added bonus of a little corporate bonding too. The trouble is Nigel has now set a precedent for every brochure launch or training evening that we can’t get to.
Here comes the cavalry
I imagine the worst nightmare for a company rep would be to walk into an office to find the agent let down by the very company on whose behalf the visit was made. Such was the case for Stuart of Cresta Operations Department and Chris of Cresta Eurostar Holidays who visited us this week.
I was working hard to book a young man a three-night break in Paris as a surprise birthday treat for his wife. Departing the following day, it was proving difficult to find something suitable at the right price but between us we found a couple of options with Cresta offering a free night.
When I tried to phone Cresta, however, I was repeatedly cut off. Not only was this infuriating and frustrating to me, it was also professionally embarrassing.
Just as I was beginning to lose patience with the whole thing, two likely lads walked in and approached Nigel’s desk. As Stuart (for it was he) announced that they were from Cresta and were visiting independent agents to update them on, wait for it, new dedicated telephone lines to make access to the company easier, I was cut off again.
“Cresta? Did you say you were from Cresta?” I asked.
“Yes,” the two chaps replied in unison.
“Great timing,” I said, rubbing my hands with glee. “Maybe you can get through to do this booking for me, because I can’t!”
Stuart swung into action ringing various numbers unknown to me and eventually established that there had been a blip in the system. Happily, he reached Linda in operations who sorted out the booking.
My client was both relieved and grateful as he’d been with me for quite a while by now and had only managed a weak smile when I asked if he’d brought a packed lunch with him. He left clutching his ticket on departure details and I thanked the dynamic duo of Stuart and Chris for their timely arrival and subsequent help.
Office makes bald decision
Have you all received your Getaway Breaks potato head? Ours arrived in the office and was immediately accommodated on Nigel’s desk.
The accompanying note instructs us to water the thing daily and sit back and watch the ‘hair’ grow. Nigel was fascinated by this and wonders if a daily watering of his own pate might encourage hair growth in the same way. This prompted a fight between staff over who gets to throw the bucket of water over the boss’s head first!
Dough!
I often wonder if some folk should travel abroad at all.
Unlike in the days of Livingstone (Dr, not Ken) when medical supplies and other equipment had to be taken with the traveller keen to avoid all eventualities, these days tried and tested branded goods are readily available in most parts of the world. I tried to persuade an elderly couple travelling to Australia and New Zealand of this fact when they came in to pay their balance.
As he placed his cheque in my hand, the old gent uttered those famous last words: “There are just a few points I’d like to clarify.” My heart sank. The shop was filled with clients with more pressing requests – this client is not due to travel for another two months – and I knew he would not be fobbed off with my offering to phone him back later.
The thing he urgently needed to know is whether he could take his special gluten-free bread into Australia and New Zealand?
I explained that this product would be readily available in both countries so there was no need to take it with him. At this innocent statement, his wife sprang at me.
“That bread costs £3 to £4 a loaf but he gets it free on the NHS here! He won’t want to be paying for it overseas if he doesn’t have to!”
I smiled and elaborated on the other foods he would be able to eat and emphasised that the cost of living was so much less than it is here. “Surely he doesn’t eat a loaf a day?” I asked.
He replied that if the authorities wouldn’t allow him to take the loaves in his hand luggage he’d be forced to smuggle them in wrapped in his clothes and packed in his suitcase.
I tried to lighten the situation by suggesting that he might not find the bread so appetising once it had travelled half way around the world dressed in his vest.
He wasn’t amused.