TTG Travel Awards 2019: Cruise agent of the year winner

Having only begun his career as a travel agent three-and-a- half years ago, Gerald Buck has hit the ground running and already wowed the cruise industry with his expertise.

Before joining the team at ROL Cruise in May 2016, Buck had no travel experience and decided to apply for his current job after hearing about the agency’s expertise and how well it treats its staff. By April 2019, he had ended the financial year as the agency’s top seller for the second year running. Buck was also promoted from cruise consultant to commercial account manager in the same month.

These are just a few of the reasons he was crowned Cruise Agent of the Year at the TTG Travel Awards last September.

“I walked into work the
morning after the awards to
applause from all my proud
colleagues,” says Buck. “When you work in sales you’re only as good as your last month – winning was a validation of all the hard work I’ve put in.”

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC SERVICE

Despite entering the industry later in his working life, Buck has already made a big impact on his customers. Recently,
a client requested a special anniversary trip to surprise her husband but did not give much information about what she wanted. With very little to base the trip on, other than the fact that it needed to be luxurious and include a journey on the Orient Express, he spent weeks building a bespoke package.

Buck believes it is this dedication to his clients that made him stand out from the competition and scoop the coveted TTG award. “I always sell the holiday as honestly as I can by weighing up the client’s needs against what different cruise lines offer. It’s about going all out to do your best to deliver what they are asking for.”

With a genuine enthusiasm for the cruise industry and a knack for smashing sales targets, Buck hopes to keep excelling in cruise despite coronavirus challenges. He says:
“I can’t describe how much I value the industry. There is no doubting what a monumental challenge the coronavirus pandemic poses, but I’m confident we’ll all pull through this, and the cruise industry will emerge stronger for it.”