Saturday, August 16, 2008

Things that make you go hmmmm?????

I was reading a family members blog and read some comments posted from a US reader. He was quite thrilled when he found out that there was a Cleveland, Australia. It made me laugh because it reminded me of some funny times working as a travel agent.

Now, technically there are two Clevelands in Australia (I know this because one of them - the QLD one - I used to live the next suburb over and there is one in Tasmania I found out the other day). Did you know there is a Melbourne in Florida, USA. I didn't until I had a client call me in tears because she booked a flight online from Brisbane to Melbourne and couldn't understand why it was thousands of dollars instead of a couple of hundred. Upon checking the ticket she booked, it turned out that she had booked a flight to Melbourne, Fl instead of Melbourne, Vic. I felt sorry for her but a little disturbed by the fact that it didn't twig that a flight to Melbourne doesn't cost $3000.00.

Then there is the delightful women I met whilst working in group travel. This bright spark called wanting flight costs and times from Brisbane. The conversation went like this.

Woman: I want a flight from Brisbane. Can you tell me the cost and flight times?
Me: Not a problem. Where were you wanting to fly to?
Woman: Well, where does Qantas fly?
Me: *Dead silence for 30 seconds while pondering my answer* Well, they fly to pretty much every city with an airport within Australia. Which city did you want to travel to?
Woman: Well if you tell me where they fly I can tell you!

At this point in the conversation, I really felt like asking her if she wanted me to list every city i Australia that Qantas flys to in alphabetical (sp?) order or start from the bottom of Australia and work my way up?

It ranks right up there with people who walk into a travel agency and when you ask them where they are looking at going, they give vague answers..... "somewhere hot" "what's on special" "not sure really".

It's memories like these that make me glad I don't work as a travel agent anymore!!!!!


1 comment:

Brissiemum2 said...

Lol! Reminds me of when I was at uni and working in a take-away shop to pay for my fees etc. There were massive photographs and descriptions of each item on the menu up on a board behind the counter. Yet almost every day someone would come in and ask 'What's in a half chicken and chip pack?' To which I'd roll my eyes (silently, of course) and answer....'Ummmm... a half of a chicken and some chips!' Rofpmsl!