‘It’s great to see the wave of pent-up demand driving the industry’s recovery,’ he says. ‘The key to the HOT@Home model is that enables consultants to return to the industry in a way that grants them control of when and how often they work.’
Todd says another advantage is that consultants can log off at the end of each day knowing the after-hours support team will pick up their work while they are offline.
House of Travel’s people and culture lead, Gaynor Morrah believes the HOT@Home model is ideal for many experienced travel consultants for whom the standard office hours and locations are no longer an option, but who are keen to return to the industry.
‘The tailor-made technology which sits behind the HOT@Home team means that our team members never feel alone,’ she explains. ‘In connecting through chat groups, they have developed the camaraderie and support of an effective team, even though they have not met face to face.”
‘They have the flexibility of a broker model with the security of a constant stream of well-qualified customers and the support of an experienced team – the best of both worlds. However, we also have roles available across many of our 57 stores – either in-store, working from home or in a hybrid approach. We have something for everyone.’
From the client’s perspective, Todd says House of Travel’s electronic customer documentation delivers a streamlined, automated booking process.
‘When ready to confirm a booking, the customer can electronically accept the terms and conditions and pay online via an integrated payment gateway. The consultant receives an automated email saying the booking has been confirmed and paid for. The support team finalises the booking, carries out a check to ensure nothing has been missed and sends final documents to the customer on behalf of the consultant.
‘This leaves the consultant free of paperwork and able to focus on collaborating with customers on designing holidays.’
