Meet The Rep: Sukina Fagg, Saga Holidays
Sukina Fagg, trade sales executive, Saga Holidays, likes green tea, cheeseburgers and her dodgy CD collection– just don’t trust her to find the right car park.
Describe what happens in your typical week
I am normally on the road for four days and have one admin day. I can often drive up to 1,000 miles a week. A typical day could involve a breakfast training session with an agent, then agent visits during the day, and sometimes finished off with a Tipto event in the evening. My area is from Norfolk down to Cornwall, so there’s lots of ground to cover.
How big is Saga’s on-the-road sales team?
We have an amazing but small team. Sharon Moore is our agency sales manager, Sonja Howell is the agency sales executive and I look after the south. Kate Broad looks after the central region and Liz Kildare looks after the north.
What’s in your car?
Sweet wrappers, chewing gum, Berocca, green tea bags and my dodgy Eighties CD collection.
What do you listen to?
Magic FM on the radio, but I love the classics, so Fleetwood Mac, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton and The Who are a few that feature on my iPod.
What fast food outlet keeps you going on the road?
I’d love to say none and that my body is a temple, but who doesn’t love a cheeky double cheeseburger from McDonald’s?
What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever done as part of a sales visit?
It wasn’t part of it, but after a sales visit – I actually lost my car. After searching the multi-storey car park, I realised it was the wrong car park and then had to be escorted to the correct one by a very kind man from Argos…
What’s the best part of being on the road?
The diversity of the job – no two days are the same and you meet so many lovely people.
And the worst part?
Being away from my daughter – although she is a teenager, so sometimes this is a plus. And the M25 – I think I spend more time on that road than I do sleeping in my bed, yet I still don’t know the junction numbers so never know if I’m going to hit traffic from the warnings that flash up on the signs.
Who would be your ideal driving companion on a long journey and why?
James Corden. He seems to have the ability to make a car journey fun and who doesn’t love car karaoke?
How do you think agents would describe you?
Friendly, fun, supportive, knowledgeable and sociable.
What key messages do you try to convey in an agent visit?
I try to let them know the product variety that we do from Australia to Zambia – and pretty much everything in between – from our stay and relax, escorted touring, river cruises and our two ocean ships. We are still fairly new to the trade, so it’s letting agents know what makes us unique, such as our transparent pricing, Early Bird Price Promise, included travel insurance and VIP door-to-door travel service.
What’s your advice for agents who don’t currently sell your product but are keen?
Get involved. We are the market leaders for the over-50s and there is no one out there like us. We are truly unique.
If you didn’t work in travel, what would you like to do instead?
I’d have a vintage stall doing the music festival circuit.
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Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
