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The Lodging Company

I thought I would chime in,.. since I see TLC is hiring,...again. No big surprise as their annual retention rate is about 2%. After having worked here, I learned, it isn't that they don't know anything about employee retention. It is simply that they just don't care.
This is a sale job; no more; no less. The environment in this office is killer!! Someone posted in the questions that it was toxic. I cannot think of a better word myself.
The system is bad but simple. Push a button, get a "lead." No cold calling. Work the lead. Some are $100. Some are $100,000. How do they distribute, you may ask? Well, they will tell you it is generated by sales. They tell you that, your sales over the course or four weeks will give you a rating and that rating will determine the level of lead your receive. They will tell you they have nothing to do with it. I don't think anyone in the office believes that but there is no way to prove otherwise. And, true or false, It is a horrible system that people complained about when I was there (3 years ago) and, when I run in to my old colleagues now, that are still there, they are still complaining about it. It is very much a "rich get rich, poor get poorer" type of system. If you have a good four week run, you are pulling good leads. If you have a bad run, you are pulling bad leads. How do you get out? It is tough and guess what,. they don't care.
This might be the only office in the world that is not embracing technology. In fact, quite the opposite. If you have a cell phone at your desk - suspended. If you are on social media - suspended (this include all levels of social media, including the business ones). You are not permitted to use social media, in any capacity, for work or personal use.
They will tell you that you are not required to work outside business hours but that would be false. This is a sales job where your schedule and lead distribution is determined by your sales numbers. It is true - you are not REQUIRED to come in, on your day off, and close a sale. You are not REQUIRED to monitor work emails from your cell phone. BUT, if you don't monitor your emails or go in to complete a sale, someone else in the office will take it from you. And you will get nothing. Your sales plummet, your schedule will suck (As that is also determined by your sales) and now you are pulling leads for $100 that are completely unbookable. Soooo,...your decision. 
I do see that the wage went up. $4 per hour increase!! Wow! I don't know why but I do know this, the owner of this company does nothing for his staff (like he doesn't even say hi or know their names). 
When you have a concern, you can take it to management. They will listen and nod. But they don't care. When you do a good job - no praise is given. They don't care. But, if those numbers are not high enough, you will be out the door. No second chance to improve. No opportunity for additional training. Out you go. Because they don't care about you. They care about numbers. In the Spring, you could get laid off or, in the least, you have a required two week leave, without pay (They don't divulge this in the hiring process).
If you are noticing a pattern here, it is simple, the whole process is based on lies and they just don't care. I have never worked a more ungratifying job in my life. If you succeed at this job, it is only because you have sacrificed all of your time, energy, and integrity to do so. You will find yourself leaving every day bitter, disappointed and unappreciated.
I watch the job postings. I know $17/hour jobs, that require very little post secondary education, are few. I promise you, you do not want to work here. The money is simply not worth it.

Many of the reviews on here say that the turnover rate is high. I want to start out by saying that you should not be detoured by that. If you have been here for a while and have a good attitude, the management will do everything they can to keep you. It is likely that those who have had less than ideal experiences, are expressing their dissatisfaction with no longer working here more so than expressing the reality of the environment. 

I have found the management to be extremely approachable and can honestly say that they do care about their employees very much. Like with any job, they do want you to prove that you are a good fit before they invest too much time/resources into you, but so long as you are reliable and able to retain information, there will be a place for you. 

It is a sales job, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to have sales skills coming in to it (though it certainly doesn't hurt if you do!). I have seen people do very well in this position that don't have the best social graces, but if you do your homework it's easy to excel. It really comes down to a combination of being good with clients, good with sales, competent, organized, and motivated. That doesn't mean these need to be your defining qualities, but you should have some mixture of several of those skills to be very successful.

It is a desk job so much of your day is spent sitting. This was initially not something that I was very keen on, but having the gym on-site and the central location to be able to utilize the downtown core over the lunch break helps immensely. There is almost no possibility for overtime (paid, anyway), however there is the possibility of having to come in on your own time if you want to make the sale - but is by no means mandatory or expected. 

The co-workers are great for the most part, though it can be a bit competitive at times given the nature of the position. If you are good at communicating with your clients, it is a non-issue. Generally speaking, The Lodging Company seems to attract a lot of like-minded employees and clients so I have found the atmosphere to be fun and enjoyable, yet still professional.

For the most part, you are responsible for your clients so you should have some conflict-resolution experience and you must be a self-starter. How busy you stay and how much money you make relies heavily on how motivated you are and how much effort you are willing to put in to achieve results. 

Some of the many perks include benefits, on-site gym and showers, on-site break room with efficiency kitchen and pool table, free un-paid travel opportunities, discounts, free swag (gift cards, personal trips, jackets, lanyards, etc.), no cap on commission, and excellent networking opportunities.

If only there was a lower rating than 1 star, because that would be a better representation of how I feel about this company. The only positive from this job was a few of the people were wonderful to meet, and it taught me to never again work for a family owned company.

They are greedy, all they care about is you bringing them money in, whether it be by the rules or if you cheat your fellow employees, they don't care as long as THEY are making bank.

It'll start with their ad probably... they make it sound like a great opportunity and you'll be convinced but don't be fooled. You need to have no soul to work here and last. You'll apply with the manager who is the worst woman I have ever met- no soul. does not care about you, has zero personality, and no social skills... great person to have in charge right?

There's lots of training yes, but they leave a lot out and act like it's a huge inconvenience for them if you ask for help... be it her as previously mentioned or the other manager who is equally rude and awful. What they're not going to tell you (that their senior agents DID tell us) you have to stay at a certain percentage of sales or you're out- like that. They throw people out like the weekly trash and thats exactly how you're going to get treated. 

As a travel agent and travel professional, from that stand point, this place is a joke. They don't operate how agencies should. And their lead generation process is ridiculous- your average sale becomes the dollar amount of your future leads. For example, if you start out and your average sales are $1,000 you're now only going to get  leads around $1,000... they keep the $10,000 and $20,000 leads for the other agents and family members... so how can they expect you to better your sales, if they never give you an opportunity to work a large lead. Sure you can take a large one over the phone, but those large bookings often come from online leads. 

So, there's no opportunity for advancement, the training should be a little better, and the higher-ups do not care about you unless you're making them lots of money. I hate to be SO NEGATIVE in my review, but working there was indeed, SO , NEGATIVE. I wish someone had written this type of review when I applied, would have saved me a year of misery at that place.

Do not work here, don't even apply, you're better than that I'm sure. Work for a REAL agency, Kelowna has many. This was a sugar-coated review... And don't book with them either, their prices suck... and never in training did they emphasize the importance of our clients... but they sure did emphasize the importance placed on bringing (them) in lots of money... Be aware.

There are a few great things that come with working at the Lodging Company. First of all, being located downtown is great if you have to commute as the bus is right near by and if you live in the Pandosy area, Manhattan Beach, or the lower parts of Kelowna, it is great for biking to work.  Second, it is a very professional looking environment when you walk into the office.  Yes we live in cubes, but the plexiglass half-wall set up, makes it not feel super confining.  

Are you good with numbers and a ton of information? Then you will excel right away.  There is a ski hill of data that you are fed from day one and the learning curve, if you have not done phone sales is rather steep.  The other workers around you are helpful and have great tips and tricks, but for the first bit you will have to fake it till you make it.  Confidence cannot be taught in this industry, you need to bring that yourself.  

As the weeks go on, you will sell more and more areas around North America and the bookings will get better.  The bonus structure is decent once you hit a certain level, and with some confidence, skill and some luck, you can get there 75% of the year.  

Full and fair warnings, spring is a slower time as we book SKI VACATIONS.  So you need to budget yourself to ensure the slower months where you may not hit a decent bonus do not kill you.  

Management will be there to analyze your bookings and ensure that they are put together properly, but you will learn all your selling tactics from the other agents, or you will bring them yourself.  

The overall culture is nominally good, with the same sort of day to day shenanigans that any sales business will have.  Don't be afraid to be funny with the clients as you are given a bit of leeway to talk in your voice when booking, not a formulated script, which is a HUGE boon for those who are great conversationalists.

This sales job is different in the fact that the people you are selling WANT to talk to you. No cold calling, no skeevy sales gimmicks. First and foremost: you have to be a people pleaser. You have to be genuinely interested in someone else's happiness or enjoyment of their vacation; because that's how you'll make the most bookings. 

There is lots of earning potential here, however not much advancement opportunity within management. If that doesn't bother you, and have no desire to "move up the corporate later" then this would be a great job. 

Your coworkers are a wealth of knowledge, and the majority of them are quick to jump in and lend a hand if they hear you struggling. The people that have been there for over a year absolutely love their jobs - which is really refreshing to see that. 

My experience with management was great. The reservations manager does a great job at ensuring you have all the skills and knowledge to do your job without micro managing and peering over your shoulder. The learning curve is tough here, but he does a great job at teaching you. A lot of what you learn is on the job.

The Lodging Company books vacations to ski resorts and other mountain destinations - fun! All customers are inbound and contact TLC via phone or email. There's no telemarketing and they often already know what they want. Perks for staff include discounted rates on skiing and hotels and free merchandise from supplier partners.

A sales agent who is willing to work hard can make a very good living here. Some of us have been working for 10+ years and likely earn more than management. Some of us have been working for 5+ and do really well. But, it is a sales job and you do have to put in your time and effort. Yes, there is turnover and people are competitive, as with any sales environment.

Most of the management and administrative staff have been working here for a very long time and it's rare that positions open in these areas, therefore there is little room for advancement. And, they prefer to keep their good salespeople in sales anyway. But agents can always earn more! The sales bonuses do not have a cap. 

Overall it is a pretty good place to work.

I really enjoyed working here. Coming to Kelowna it can be hard find a full time job but with The Lodging Company I always had a full 8 hour day, 5 days a week. I worked here for about 8 months and I would have stayed working here but I moved out of Kelowna. Its a great working environment and your coworkers and managers are great. I worked as a reservations agent and you are provided with a lot of job training before you begin (which is really helpful). Management is always helpful and want to see you succeed in your position. I had a lot of things going on outside my job and the Manager was always extremely helpful is helping me with a work/life balance. The work space itself is very clean and as a reservation Agent you are given your own desk. The lunch room was very clean and their is even a gym to use on your lunch break or after your shift. The company hosts staff lunches and a great Christmas Party. I also really liked the downtown location of the Office. Its a great place to work with good hours and good pay.

I joined the company since the new ownership and I have to say, it's been an incredible experience over the past 6 months. There's been a lot of growth and change in the company and it's been really interesting and motivating to get to be part of that. 

There's lots to learn but I always have the support and encouragement I need and feel valued as a team member. It felt like being welcomed into a family from day one, and that feeling has only intensified. 

The company is owned now by former employees and it definitely has the vibe of being run by employees with the benefit of employees at the center of their values. 

I've had a lot of jobs and I definitely have lots of experience with companies who don't value their staff or understand the importance of nurturing a great team environment. I can honestly say, with lots of gratitude towards the Lodging Company, that they get it, and they take steps every day to make sure that the staff here knows it's not that kind of place. 

I absolutely love working here! The people in this office are fun, friendly and always willing to help. It really has a family feel. Is there competition between employees ABSOLUTELY. But that is what sales is, and at the end of the day most people are pretty good about it. There are many contests within the office that result in you winning gift cards, ski gear, ect. The learning curve is as said below steep, but management and co-works are all there to help. The management team is outstanding! They are there to support you and help create a good work/life balance. There are times you may have to come in on your own time to complete a sale, but it is NEVER expected. You do not make overtime on it, but the sale does count towards your bonus. The location downtown is extremely nice (especially in the summer months). Parking can be a bit of a hassle if you drive. Overall it's really a great place to work!

The Lodging Company is a travel agency that functions the old-fashion way. Instead of using live systems to check on accommodation availability, you need to call the properties / agencies directly. This has pros and cons, of course, but I found that overall those who were already professional travel agents did not like this and ended up leaving the company. Turn over is quite high, which makes job security feel on the uncertain side. If you do well though, your selling opportunities grow and your potential to reach the commission levels goes up. This company is open 364 days a year, from 6 AM to 9 PM and schedule is determined based on sales ranking. If your life does not permit a flexible schedule, this job may not work for you.

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