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UP, UP AND AWAY! Plotting a travel career on-job

19/08/2016

Flight Centre is a market leader in offering top quality personal service to create excellent travel experiences for customers. With a flair for service, a lust for travel and a preference for learning on job, 20 year-old Amanda Nelson has landed on her feet with a challenging career in customer service at Flight Centre.


“It combines everything I’m passionate about,” says Amanda.

To ensure a high level of customer service, the business trains staff in house using a robust set of procedures and standards.

At the same time, using ServiceIQ Qual-Link, Flight Centre training is linked to NZQA standards, which gives staff the opportunity to gain national qualifications based on the professional skills they master on the job.

After almost two years in the role, Amanda is rapt to be broadening her knowledge and know-how.

She has also achieved a significant ServiceIQ industry qualification, the New Zealand Certificate in Travel (Level 4) which is a huge confidence boost.

“I’ve always been keen on hands-on learning rather than sitting in a lecture theatre,” says Amanda. “I’m not great with study, but being prompted by my peers and managers to learn by doing works really well for me.”

Another bonus of earning while she learns is having the ability to save money and advance a career all without having to worry about paying off a massive student loan she says: “I hate having debt so this way of building a future is perfect for me.”

She relishes having the skills to make plans that make life easier for all kinds of customers in all kinds of situations. For instance, someone might be travelling to attend a funeral while someone else might be going on their dream holiday.

Amanda NelsonWhatever the set of demands, Flight Centre travel experts are trained to help take care of their customers from whoa to go and back again: from planning all of the logistics for a quality journey, arranging and confirming bookings, piecing together complex itineraries in faraway places, through to welcoming customers home.

Amanda says the more she learns the more her skills benefit both her customers and the business.

“I’ve learned how to better upsell and offer the special kinds of tailor made experiences that my customers expect,” says Amanda.

It’s all about problem solving and designing a customer’s trip no matter how intricate the details or difficult the destination. She gets some real brain teasers which require thought, patience and strict processes to make a plan that works for her travellers: “That’s what we are here for, to offer our clients a positive experience that they will never forget. It’s exciting and humbling to be part of someone’s big dream.”

For more information, please contact ServiceIQ on 0800 863 693 or email intel@ServiceIQ.org.nz