Heather Kirkconnell
Where were you born? In Philadelphia, but I’ve been here since I was 8.
What was your 1st job? Working in a Scottish bakery in Don Mills.
How long have you been in the business? 2½ years, before that I was a language teacher with the Peel Board of Education for 30 years, and travelling as much as I could.
Tell me about your 1st airplane ride. When I immigrated to Canada.
How has the business changed since you got into it? Not tremendously, but I do notice that you have to keep on top of things at all times, change is constant!
Do you have a specialty? I have a background in selling cruises, plus I’ve taken a lot. And I’m now getting into exotic and adventure travel – I’ve taken my CATS certification, for example.
If you could have any job in the business what would it be? The one I’ve got!
What was your best FAM? I have 2 favourites. Vietnam and Cambodia with Compass Holidays and Peru with Transat Discoveries – amazingly colourful.
What drives you crazy? People who are trying to beat prices on the internet, hoping I’ll beat the price.
What was your biggest individual sale? A family of 5 going to London, Paris, Greece and the Greek Islands next summer - $25,000. A nice sale to someone I met at a neighbourhood backyard party!
What’s the 1st thing you do when you get into a hotel room? Check to see if I can get on the internet!
Do you have a magic sentence to close the sale? Not really, I try to express at a certain point that it would be an honour to design this trip for them.
Do you have any time management strategies? I’m an organization freak – I write everything down and update my to-do list every day.
How do you cope with jetlag? I try to stay awake when I arrive until it’s the local bedtime, and try to wake up at the normal time and synch myself.
What do you do to keep you clients loyal? I give them very good service. I make great packages for them and because I’m an organization freak, I present their package with great fastidiousness. I colour code things and walk them through the itinerary, day-by-day.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received? Don’t jump to conclusions that someone might be suited to another type of trip when they phone you for a quote. Really listen. Also, it’s better to talk on the phone and not by email or text. They don’t listen the same way.
If you had to spend 6 months in a destination, which one would you pick? Hard to say! I’m learning Spanish, so Spain or South or Central America.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing? Travelling. (Laughs) I do this because it’s fun!
If you or someone you know is a front line travel agent in Canada and would like to be featured in Up Front, please email martha@gk.openjaw.xyz.
