Pros
-Free stuff (fruits, coffee, ½ of lunch, sometimes events…) -Colleagues are for most very welcoming when you start and along the months/years, you can make very good friends. It counts when you don’t speak french and when you’re a foreigner landing here without knowing anyone. -You will work with 2 screens which is helpful and your own material given by the company (hygienic I suppose) -If customer service is your thing and like to work in a fast work place with plenty of different nationalities, you might like it. -You work 35 hours per week which is less than agents of other offices in Europ -Office environment is not too bad but very noisy at time. You won’t be cold during winter nor too hot during summer (don’t know what else to say guys, sorry …. !)
Cons
I feel like I work for a new company every week due to lot of changes in procedures and system. don’t see it as negative to be honest, but they happen so quickly and with minimum information given before hand (sometimes none.) that guests will be the ones informing you of things booking does rather than the opposite. Take it easy and smile !. Oh, and, don’t be sick or off holidays, or it will take several weeks to catch up. -The workload can sometimes be very intense and even overwhelming. Be ready to face abusive customers who will not hesitate to use insults when not happy with the conditions of their bookings or from accommodations owners who are fed up. Do not forget to come with your tissues as, if you’re the type who can hold tears, you’ll see how they will be useful for others. -My team leader look after me (for my case at least). Generally, these people are good but not all are very knowledgeable. They are available if we need help. When I arrived in the company, I was lucky to have one who even help me with personal things and facilitated my integration in france and believe me, it can be a nightmare (for instance when needed to register to bank or to local health insurance. Nice stuff). I’m also lucky to be in a team where everyone helps each other. But watch out as low performance are not tolerated. You still tend to be warned before hell falls on you. - System is inconsistent and we have loads of problems (also with phones). When reporting one, it can take a long time to fix. Just inform guests to be patient! … Rrrright ! - Work schedule changes every week and this can be tiring. Be always careful t check it to make sure you don't come on day off ! You will work some weekends but you will be double paid on Sunday. - We are evaluated with targets and on performance. It seems to me it is more if you don't complain about anything. I don’t understand as every so often, the targets change and we need to work on a specific target and then change again while we have not yet completed the initial instruction. This last sentence might not make sense, well… to me neither don’t worry. It explains everything ! - After several years here in Tourcoing office, I’d say (and maybe most would agree) that the work atmosphere has recently worsen at light speed. Director changed few years ago and a new management team was created several months ago. And… guess what, if it was not great before, I would not be surprised if our office would now be awarded with the worst work environment ever super hard gold medal. But don’t worry, you won’t see them often unless your station is on the ground floor where they are hidden from the real world. They will still keep in touch with the “floor” by posting messages, on our internal facebook, destroying your mental health and trying hard to play employees off against each other. Don’t know if the big directors in Amsterdam are aware (I cannot imagine they are or they will do something) but if were they will totally not believe how we are all badly treated. People recently got sacked for things that you don’t understand and more than anything, in an inhuman way in front of all colleagues. Director doesn't care about anything. He raises his voice against employees (I witnessed it and I would not have liked to be talked as such). I feel pretty safe (I hope I am actually) as I never say much nor complain at work because it would quite difficult for me to find another job around anyway. Overall, it was a good company to work before. Work was not harder before but ambiance, god, it was. If you want to apply, a website called workatbooking give you the positions available. Then you will enjoy during your first fixed term contract (as long as you are way above what is asked and if not, don’t bother, you’ll be ask to go) and after it, the only website you may want to connect to is : resignatbooking.com. Can’t believe I write all this after having promoted so much this company to my friends !! But what else could I say.
