P&O Cruises has added a who’s who page to its agent portal as the line declares it must work harder to secure agents’ support.
Robert Scott (pictured), vice-president of sales, marketing and brand for P&O Cruises, said he wants to be at the end of the phone for agents who have a question and will make time to see partners in person as part of a wider plan to support agents.
He also revealed plans to grow P&O Cruises’ sales team in 2023, but did not confirm how many staff it is looking to take on.
More: Arvia in ‘final sprint’ to completion ahead of maiden voyage, P&O Cruises declares
“I want to make sure I’m available and ensure I can see those guys quarterly and speak to them on the phone whenever,” Scott told Travel Weekly. “I know it sounds really basic but it matter to me.
“Agents are absolutely critical to our success. We continue to look at our structure and listen to agent feedback so we have our finger on the pulse when it comes to what agents need, and that helps us frame our objectives for the next year.
“Within our plans for 2023, we have a number of growth goals and want to look at expanding across the team to see where we can improve our relationship with agents.”
Director of sales Ruth Venn said: “We’ve launched a new who’s who page on our Shine Rewards Club portal as it’s really important for agents to know who we are. The list goes from Rob right the way through the whole team so agents know exactly who to contact if they have a query.
“We are also looking to reintroduce ship visits from next year as we know how important it is to bring the product to life and for agents to meet the team in person in Southampton.”
Scott added: “There are fewer agents since the pandemic which means we need to work harder to secure them.
“We have so much capacity to fill on our ships so we need a strong network of agents around us and we will continue to work hard and support them.”