Amanda PhillipsBarrhead Travel Back Office Heroes – Barrhead Travel Blog
Next up in our Barrhead Travel Back Office Heroes series is Tain Cleland, Wholesale Admin Assistant.
Tain’s worked for Barrhead Travel for 15 years in a number of roles, starting out at the age of 24 as a Telesales Consultant in the firm’s first-ever contact centre in Barrhead, helping customers to find their ideal holiday to the sun.
“Barrhead Travel was much smaller then, and it was really exciting to be part of a company that was growing and had such big plans,” Tain says. “The Manager of the contact centre is now the Sales Director, and the contact centre has moved to become part of the Glasgow Oswald Street superstore, but one thing that has never changed is the feeling that you are part of a family. I love working here!”
Throughout her years at Barrhead, Tain has had the opportunity to learn and develop, moving into servicing online bookings received through the company’s websites after a few years. “I was looking for a change and was really happy to be given the chance to try something different. I enjoyed looking after online enquiries, but as my colleagues will tell you, I do like to talk to people! So after a couple of years, I was asked if I would like another role in the Wholesale Department, dealing with customers who had booked holidays using Barrhead Travel’s exclusive summer charter flights. I was flattered to be asked and jumped at the chance.”
Tain’s current role sees her help customers pre-book their seats and help with any additional travel requirements or after-sales requests relating to their booking. “My role really helps make sure that our customers get the most out of their holiday. It’s lovely when someone calls me on their return to thank me and tell me what a great time they had.”
It’s a varied job, as no two bookings are exactly the same, and Tain’s love of speaking to customers is quite evident when she says, “I actually race other people in the office to pick up the phone! The best thing about my job is my colleagues, though. It’s important to have fun where you work and I think Barrhead Travel has the right balance. I’ve always felt looked-after in my time with the business, as effort really gets rewarded.”
Asked about what makes her proud in relation to her role, Tain says, “It might be a bit off-the-wall, but what I’m proudest of is the fact that in 15 years I have never had a day off sick – which must be pretty unusual in any job!”
And her advice to anyone looking to join Barrhead Travel? “I’d say – go for it! You won’t find a better place to work in the travel business.”