You’ve got mail

Picture: Image Bank

E-mail is a great invention and many businesses could not function without it, but there are a lot of downsides.

Every member of the Travel Weekly editorial team spends at least an hour a day sorting through the hundreds of e-mails that arrive in their inboxes. And, even though everyone claims to be up to their necks in work, once an e-mail pops up from a mate no-one is too busy not to reply immediately.

Then there’s the impersonal nature of the thing – why speak to colleagues across the desk when you can just e-mail them? And, of course, there’s the dreaded spam. Some companies don’t allow their staff access to the Internet or e-mail, but others just can’t live without it.

C&M Recruitment sales manager Barbara Kolosinska said: “I can’t remember the last time we had a CV sent in by post or on the fax. E-mail and the Internet have revolutionised the business.”

She said the speed of access to people’s details and the ability to forward on an e-mailed CV is essential, but she also acknowledged the downsides. “We have very good spam killers here. We get many applications from overseas and we must have good security.”

However, the travel agent is often hampered by strict policies on Internet and e-mail access. Many agencies can only look up a selection of travel-related websites, and woe betide them if they send personal e-mails to friends.

Arif Khan, a director of Tooting Travel in south London, said his business still relies heavily on people or clients coming into the office and, although e-mail is useful, it is not essential. “Staff do use e-mail to contact clients, but they must only use it for work-related business and not for personal use, ”he said.

At Tappers Travel, in Teignmouth, Devon, assistant manger Jo Gray said her company has strict access to the Internet and e-mails. “We’d be shot if we used e-mail for anything that’s not work-related and we do not have complete access to the Internet,” she said.

The company only allows staff to surf the Net on selected travel websites such as Flybe or Gold Medal, or it is back to good old viewdata.

Tappers also has tough security measures in place to weed out the spam, and only encourages offers from known companies to come through.

Thomas Cook is currently in the process of rolling out e-mail to its stores. The agencies can already access limited travel-related websites such as DG&G and weather information.

A spokeswoman said: “While consultants will be able to e-mail customers if requested, Thomas Cook is encouraging all staff to focus on face-to-face and telephone interaction with customers.

“There is no replacement for dealing direct with an experienced sales consultant when booking a holiday. E-mail should be only used when absolutely necessary.”

Thomas Cook has a policy in place which limits personal use of Internet services. However, the company will look to store managers to oversee the use of e-mail use and to ensure it is treated appropriately.

At First Choice, meanwhile, e-mail is only accessible by shop managers and assistant managers, and all stores have their own account. Staff are asked not to look at non-travel sites when customers are in the shops.

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