Mel De Suza

Tell me about your journey, how did you get to be a Hottie?

The travel industry really is a small world, and when one of my colleagues was approached in relation to a new Afterhours team being set up for Orbit I jumped at the chance, a change of scenery was exactly what I needed. It is quite daunting to make a change after 20 years with the same company, but it truly felt like home right from the beginning, and I haven’t looked back once. My only regret is that I didn’t become a Hottie sooner!

Take us behind the scenes - what does a day in your life look like?

That’s the exciting part, there really is no typical day in the Afterhours space. I could be writing training programmes for new staff, negotiating service agreements for new business streams, sending out company alerts for a crisis event, or helping on the phones when the team getting inundated. As much as I like to plan my week, there is always something sneaks up and becomes a new urgent priority instead.

What advice would you give someone just starting their career or is interested in your role? 

Don’t be scared to be out of your depth, it won’t take long to get your feet on the ground. The travel industry is constantly changing, and you always must be prepared to learn a new skill to be able to evolve alongside the business.

Is there anything people don’t understand about your job that you wish they did?

I don’t think anyone is aware of the variety of calls that the Afterhours team receive. We have stayed on the phone with a client whilst they were hiding under a table when a gunman was on the loose, another time we managed to get a client on a sold-out flight to make it back before their parent passed. We are an ear for people when they are vulnerable, so it’s not just a case of sorting out new flights, but also reassuring them that we will take care of them.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

The old adage that variety is the spice of life definitely rings true for my role. I enjoy the fact that we touch on a lot of different areas on the business. Problem solving is definitely a key aspect of Afterhours, and you do have to think on your feet. That is where having an experienced team is essential to our success. Decision making based on years of experience in the industry. There are not too many scenarios that we have not come across at one time or another.

How would you explain to your friends and family what working here is like?

My friends and family already know how passionate I am about working for HOT. They know that the company and my role is just an extension of me and they love the opportunities that are available within HOT, the future really is bright!  

What is it about House of Travel that keeps you coming back?

Too easy, it is 100% the people. Whether it is the amazingly talented Afterhours team, the supportive and accessible leaders within HOT and Orbit, the unfailingly helpful IT teams, or the highly knowledgeable daytime staff, the people are really the point of difference, and all our clients reap the rewards of having such a professional team. 

What are you looking forward to currently, in your role and personally?

Growth! The Afterhours space is rapidly growing with the number of clients that we look after, which means we are all constantly learning new skills and we are needing to grow the teams to keep up with the demand. It is so refreshing that HOT considers Afterhours as a tailor-made solution for many areas of the business, and I know that the HOT/Orbit clients appreciate dealing with staff who specialise in emergency situations.