Ridiculous"computerphobia" and the demise of the travel agent!

When I started in the Travel Industry over 30 years go things were very different. My desk consisted of a type writer, notes pads, phone and ashtray (as we all smoked at our desks) There were no computers, internet, fax machines or photocopiers. When my boss walked in with headphone for us all for our commander telephones we thought it was heaven. 

My day consisted of the following: FIRSTLY Organising the brochure room. There were hundreds of brochures for Australia and around the world. Every one needed to be stamped and filed and it was a nightmare but very important as this was our product. Then there was writing tickets which meant pressing so hard on the top copy that your hand would feel like it would drop off, so it would clearly go thru several vouchers behind. The typing of the itineraries with carbon so the office could retain a copy. This meant if you made more than one mistake you needed to start again. Spending hours on speaker phone to service providers like airlines, hotels etc to make the reservation. This was an endless task as if you had 3 services for one client then that could take most of the day. I certainly learnt very quickly the value of multitasking back in those early days. 

The client did not change that much really as they were still unsure, undeceive and getting lots of quotes. You could lose a client for five dollars. I believe this is still the case but one thing has changed the client – knowledge.

Back in the day the only knowledge a client had was the information the Travel Industry provide. Information from media, service providers and travel agents were the only way to find out about a destination. We thought we had it tough back then. 

At a conference I attended in my first job as a retail travel agent a discussion paper was presented on “How the Travel Agent will survive the Millennium” Perhaps my youth at the time but I thought this was ridiculous as everyone needs to travel therefore you need a travel agent. The presenter argument was that if we as Travel Agents do not value our time by charging for it we will become the dinosaurs of the Millennium.

Fast forward to today and the presenter was correct. The Travel Industry has changed from the days 30 years ago that I describe above. It is not good or bad it is just different. All industries need to grow and move with the future but one thing remains the same today as when I stated in travel – TIME IS MONEY !  

Think about what are you being told today that you think is ridiculous. Ridiculous can become the norm.

In the early 1980s, the age of the personal computer had arrived and "computerphobia" was suddenly everywhere. Sufferers experienced "a range of resistances, fears, anxieties, and hostilities," according to the 1996 book Women and Computers. "These can take such forms as fear of physically touching the computer or of damaging it and what's inside it, a reluctance to read or talk about computers, feeling threatened by those who do know something about them, feeling that you can be replaced by a machine, become a slave to it, or feeling aggressive towards computers." (The Atlantic's Daily Idea)

This is a great example of people dealing with change. One thing that we can all agree on is that change is a constant part of business and life.

What can I do differently today to future proof my business?

1. Outsourcing - many businesses outsource - I have a VA (Virtual Assistant) and as long as it is ethical and responsible outsourcing its a great way to move forward and get ahead. Many large travel business do this too now!
2. Innovation: Thinking outside the square and your world. Expanding thinking, look at new opportunities and being open are little things that can make a big difference.
3. Have a mentor or business coach - set some goals, be held accountable and see your hidden blind spots. No one can see their own blind spots in business or in themselves BUT we all have them.
4. Invest in you and your business - Growth takes investment and this maybe investing time or money. Remember that time is money as that is all you have.
5. Systems & procedures - these are building blocks to building a substantial business and a profitable business
6. Stop worrying - anxiety and worry make no change. They maybe flags of awareness but without some type of action you have not moved forward. Look at what you can change take action and stop worrying.

A REMINDER HERE:

“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Yoda - The Empire Strikes Back

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