Well how strange do I feel sat at my desk with my clothes on, well I mean probably like most of us since last Thursday I have sat at my desk in my dressing gown from the minute I woke up,  just another one of the benefits working from home.

My first 7 clients who were part of a sport group I deal with every year were stranded on the 15^th and were moved on day by day by the airline until things did not seem to be getting any better.  Once Saturday arrived I had another 8 to depart who clearly were not going anywhere especially when their airline advised they could re book for the 29^th April, so my clients wanted me to look at alternative ways of getting home.

Whilst speaking to them they mentioned although there are only 15 of them there are another 30 odd who also needed to get back….30 odd who were not my clients, what was their agent doing???

Through a Travel Agent in Portugal I arranged on their behalf a 55 seater coach to collect them all at 3 am in the morning to drop them off for the ferry at St Malo to Portsmouth and they arranged transport from the port home, I booked their ferry crossing and day cabins. I asked to be updated along their journey no matter what the time, the first request being when the coach arrived at 3am I wanted to know.  Local coach companies were asking for 300 euros each to  take them to Calais. They thought I was truly amazing when I got them home for £150 each!!!!.

Some of the  passengers I rebooked on the coach arrangements laid on by the airline. They have just arrived back today and the other coach is due to arrive in Portsmouth tonight.

I received another call asking me if I was “Mel’s Coaches” to which I thought was one of my clients having a laugh? How amazed was I when it was a stranger (someone else’s customer) wanting my help. He could not get home until the end of April and was desperate. I managed to get him a 36 seater to which he went to hotels and bars in Montegordo and filled up the coach. I booked them all on the ferry and they are ready to depart tomorrow morning. They too think I am fantastic. I have 7 of my own customers left due home tomorrow so I will have to wait and see, fingers crossed they will be on the flight.

I love working from home and I love my job, I have to be honest and admit I don’t like situations like this as I won’t sleep until they have texted me at 3am to tell me the coach is there etc. You cannot put a price on what your customers come back and say about you for what I see as JUST DOING MY JOB! And as I have said to my new and existing customers, the biggest compliment they can pay me is to remember me next time they want a holiday.

I have laughed nicely at friends that booked their own holidays online and gloated on how fantastic we are and Cruise liners are willing to help just TC customers, you know just another little reminder that I book holidays too!!!  They were so impressed with all the information I had, I reminded them again that the technology we have is second to none.  

The biggest laugh I had through it all is,  as I lay in the bath with my glass of wine one night waiting for Monarch to answer the phone, I just had a big grin on my face thinking how many of the agents on the high street will be doing this tomorrow.   

Thanks to all at head office and colleagues who I have laughed with and nearly cried with in the last week.

Mel Hartley, Travel Agent Manchester