CEO Monthly August 2017

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 25 From A to B at a Price You Can Afford g our backbone so we incentivise and offer commissions to sell our products starting from 10%. We also invest heavily in training, both through face-to-face visits and with online webinars. “There is a ‘live chat’ system in place that allows agents and clients who have any queries to speak to staff on the website, who are available at all times. A transcript of the conversation is then sent to the agent and a copy is kept by staff for future reference, should a similar query arise again. We also acknowledge the importance of ensuring agents are properly trained on our booking system, and for that reason we offer the Affordable Road to Success (Arts) webinar information and explanatory sessions. It provides agents with training modules to help them add revenue by making car hire easier to sell. The courses are complemented by weekly training alerts and monthly free prize draws for those who pre-register. “We like our agents to know exactly what’s happening and to feel like they can contact us anytime. Our national sales team regularly visit agents to maintain relationships and make sure we are both happy with how we’re working together.” Regarding the company’s business and ongoing strategy, Angela outlines which techniques she employs as CEO to ensure that the company and its staff implement this strategy. Highlighting that the firm is a family-run business, staff adopt a very hands-on approach and are constantly trying to be innovative with regard to its products and technology, as Angela explains. “Our ongoing strategy is to continue to innovate and match our products with demand, led by technology, and to continue working with the trade. So often suppliers underestimate the value a broker like us offers in generating trade sales and supporting agents, that they decide to go direct to the public. But travel agents need to be trained, nurtured and looked after. They have so many products to sell, so we try to make their lives easier especially as they are selling an ancillary product. So, we will continue to incentivise travel agents, offer them lots of training and be on hand for any questions they have. “I am also only as good as the team around me, so I’ll continue to provide direction and motivation to my team. I like to mix things up a bit too; as an entrepreneurial company we like to innovate, so I will often change the strategy a little bit to up the pace and introduce a bit of spontaneity. “Affordable Car Hire is a family- run business, so we adopt a very hands-on approach. We also try to be very innovative and creative in what we do. We are very focused on technology and innovative products – like the SuperMaxi insurance that we’ll include for excess, which also covers for your tyres, undercarriage, bonnet, roof, windscreen, lost luggage, lost keys, so it’s like an added extra.” As CEO, it is important for Angela to ensure everyone in the organisation is pulling in the same direction and understands her vision and works towards it. She discusses what challenges and opportunities she has faced during her time at Affordable Car Hire and how this has affected her role. “I manage a staff of 35 and negotiate at a senior level with clients, vendors and suppliers. My aim is to develop a growing company and hopefully provide strong inspirational leadership and clear direction. I generally like to ensure the team has a clear, shared sense of purpose and a corporate “one team” culture across the organisation where all employees are valued, empowered and motivated. “The spate of terrorist attacks makes for a nervous travelling public, and the falling value of the pound against the US dollar after Brexit meant consumer budgets were squeezed and sales to certain destinations felt the impact. However, within these uncertain times there are opportunities for us. Consumers who are worried about having enough spending money on their holiday will appreciate all- inclusive car hire packages that represent good value for money. So, we are tailoring our product to meet consumer demand and able to offer a bespoke service.” Looking ahead, Angela excitedly tells us about her future aspirations regarding Affordable Car Hire as well as being complimentary of the industry and the people within, before demonstrating her ambition to make the company one of the leaders in the business. She is quick to praise her clients and says that her own personal ambitions are intrinsically linked to the business aspirations for the business. “I’m personally extremely humbled by the success of our business and am very grateful to all the support we have received from our clients. My aspiration is to continue to build a highly successful global business. I love what I do, so half the battle is won as you need to have enjoyment from your working life. I also enjoy meeting like-minded people, learning from them and hopefully continuing to expand the wealth and knowledge of life. “My future career plans are intrinsically linked to growing the business with new product offerings to give the trade additional ancillary products to increase their revenue. We continually seek new partnerships and affiliate partners where we believe there is a natural link to Affordable Car Hire and a benefit to our customers. Recent partnerships have included working with WeSwap, the currency exchange card, and APH, Airport Parking and Hotels.” Company: Affordable Car Hire Contact: Angela Day Contact Email: hayleyattwood@ affordablecarhire.com Address: Cambridge House, Cambridge Rd, Harlow, CM20 2EQ, UK Phone: 0345 900 0420 Website: www.affordablecarhire.com