Ian Biddlecombe
Where were you born? In Vancouver.
What was your 1st job? I was a Vancouver Sun paper boy at the age of 11. Every Wednesday night, we had to roam the streets looking for new subscribers. I won a trip to Disneyland! That started the travel bug.
How long have you been in the business? Since 1990. I was with a Japanese tractor company for 18 years before that and I ended up buying its travel agency.
How has the business changed since you got into it? The good old days versus the struggling days! But we keep moving forward and have done reasonably well.
Do you have a specialty? Luxury – cruise, tour and travel, though others in the agency have other sectors covered, including corporate travel.
If you could have any job in the business what would it be? I’m happy here. I’m blessed.
What was your best FAM? The Greek Islands with Nordic Tours. I love that area.
What drives you crazy? Thousands of emails a day – can’t keep up with them.
What was your biggest individual sale? An around the world trip for a single lady who hadn’t travelled much at all. $36,000 and that was 10 years ago.
What’s the 1st thing you do when you get into a hotel room? I look out the window!
Do you have a magic sentence to close the sale? “Which credit card will you be using?”
Do you have any time management strategies? I start out every day with a list, writing out what I have to do that day. I try to keep focused with that and I try to instill that in my staff as well.
How do you cope with jetlag? Take drugs! (laughs) I drink lots of water and on international flights, take a sleeping pill. It has worked marvelously.
What do you do to keep you clients loyal? We try to constantly wow them. We have 2 or 3 events a year and we phone them. Phoning is a big thing to let them know you’re thinking about them.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received? “Don’t worry about the small stuff. If it’s out of your control, why worry about it?” Disney said that all of our dreams would come true if we visualized it.
If you had to spend 6 months in a destination, which one would you pick? Papeete, Tahiti.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing? A good question. I always wanted to be a pilot. But even when I retire, I bet that I’ll be keeping my finger in the business, perhaps escorting world cruises!
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.
