2022 FERRYSCANNER INTERN FEEDBACK

Every year during the high season we recruit a group of university students to assist with issuing ferry tickets and interacting with customers. We asked our 2022 interns to share feedback about their recent Ferryscanner experience. Here’s what they had to say…

Tell us about your Ferryscanner experience

• “My internship at Ferryscanner was a very nice experience! I was given the opportunity to learn a lot about ferry tickets and apply what I learned from school on a practical level. Ferryscanner provides a very beautiful and modern working environment, with the computers, the meeting rooms, and a fully equipped kitchen.” (Ioanna P.)
• “My experience at Ferryscanner was the ultimate internship opportunity. I  learned so many different things, such as how to use the booking programs, how to respond quickly to queries, and how to handle multiple customers at once. During the whole internship, I was supported by my team leader Eirini who was the most helpful.  I never felt lost since I knew the whole Ferryscanner team was there to assist me at any time. In the beginning, we had a month of training in order to learn the work process and the systems.” (Argiro I.)
• “It was 5 months that I wouldn’t change, I learned a lot of useful things, and I met very important people with whom we worked well, and that helped me develop as a person. It was a very beautiful experience. If I could go back in time I would choose Ferryscanner again. There were many beautiful moments during my internship and I gained knowledge that I could not even imagine before coming here.” (Alexis D.)
• “It was an amazing experience here at Ferryscanner. These past 5 months we got an immense amount of knowledge and information while cooperating with a fantastic staff. I learned about a lot of useful things while working with a team of highly skilled professionals.” (Savvas D.)
• “My personal experience at Ferryscanner was beyond what I imagined a working environment could be. It is a modern and clean space with all the necessary facilities. Regarding the cooperation with the rest of the interns, (but also with the people who already worked there as permanent employees), it was perfect. I was very satisfied and whatever I needed they answered my questions in a few seconds!” (Irini L.)
• “My experience at Ferryscanner was special! I am very satisfied. I had the opportunity to work with new people while developing my knowledge, skills, and personality! I learned a lot about the ferry industry and how this part of tourism works.” (Aggeliki L.)

What is something you learned during your internship?

• “During my internship, I learned to issue ferry tickets with various discounts, changes, cancellations, conversions to open date tickets, and check the commercial policies of the ferry companies, so that I can perform the above procedures correctly, for the maximum possible service to our customers.” (Ioanna P.)
• “I learned a lot of things about working in an office, how a team behaves in these conditions, and the kind of results that come from good cooperation and understanding.” (Elton H.)
• “During my internship, I learned most of the common programs and tools that are used by the ferries companies. Also, customer support skills that I didn’t know I had. I learned that having patience is not a given but you can acquire this skill if you gain experience in the customer support field.” (Argiro I.)
• “Through my internship at Ferryscanner, I learned to operate at a fast pace, serving many customers at the same time and managing their requests and bookings for maximum service. I did training on the systems used in ferry reservations and I also learned to communicate directly with the ferry companies, so that customer requests were met.” (Alexis D.)
• “During my internship, I learned how to put my knowledge and skills into practice, accept feedback, and work in a team.” (Esmarilda Z.)
• “I learned to adjust my time exactly as needed, I learned to communicate excellently with the customer, I learned a lot about ferry tickets, I learned how the booking tools work, and I learned to make good modifications according to the requests of customers.” (Artemis F.)

What did you like the most?

• “I liked the friendly environment in the office and the comfort we had in turning to our leaders to help us with anything that was difficult for us! Also, I liked the daily life we ​​had with the rest of the trainees and the friendly and pleasant atmosphere we all had between us.” (Ioanna P.)
• “Personally, I really liked the communication with the ferry companies. Also, the direct interaction that existed with the customers and being able to assist them in just a few minutes.” (Michalis G.)
• “I liked everything, especially the atmosphere at the office. I was always happy to go to work in the mornings.” (Elton H.)
• “Basically, every day here was special. The fact that we got to make friendships and have a good time even with a heavy workload during high season.” (Esmarilda Z.)
• “I liked that we were all the same age, and I really liked dealing with customers. I didn’t expect during my studies that it would seem so interesting. The environment was very ideal and beautiful. I never felt alone and I always had someone’s help to try to avoid mistakes or at least learn from them.” (Artemis F.)
• “I liked the trust that Ferryscanner showed us in managing the customers and the systems that we had to handle with absolute correctness and accuracy. We had full control of customer bookings. Hard work was often rewarded with great food and sweets!” (Konstantinos O.)

Favorite thing/moment at Ferryscanner?

• “I can’t single out only one specific day, however, a good moment that comes to mind is when we broke a sales record and burgers were ordered for everyone.” (Viki C.)
• “The first day I managed to help a client that had an issue with a schedule change. I had to communicate with the ferry company multiple times but in the end, it was worth it as the customer was happy.” (Nikos P.)
• “There was not one specific day or moment, but in both June and July, I really enjoyed going above and beyond and serving as many customers as I could. I never thought at first that my numbers would reach this high.” (Michalis G.)
• “My favorite moment was whenever we needed to print the tickets before we could proceed to some action, as weird as it sounds I loved hearing the sound of the printer and then having to organize those tickets carefully!” (Irini L.)
• “My favorite thing was cooking in the office because we got the chance to bond in a different way.” (Esmarilda Z.)
• “What I will never forget and what will always give me great joy is that some customers contacted me directly and asked me to serve them because they were so happy with a previous conversation. Or when customers contacted me again after their request to thank me profusely for fixing their tickets. This made my day!” (Konstantinos O.)

What was your favorite customer interaction/biggest takeaway?

• “This job made me understand that for me personally, having a job that will keep you busy is a hundred times better than a job that is based on routine.” (Nikos P.)
• “The best feeling was when a customer thanked you for the service. It is basically a reward for all the work that may have happened behind the screen for fast and correct service.” (Irini L.)
• “One of my favorite moments was a time I was talking with a customer via our live chat. She was very polite and funny and made my day when she called me queen for no reason! That was something that stayed with me during my internship and everyone ended up calling me that. Also, I really learned to be patient and understanding.” (Esmarilda Z.)
• “A big takeaway was that the pattern regarding changes may remain the same depending on the ferry company, but I had to adjust the communication method, speed, and quality depending on the client.” (Artemis F.)
• “My favorite was being able to solve an issue quickly and efficiently and then receiving a nice and honest review/comment from the client.” (Isidora F.)

What surprised you the most?

• “I was surprised when I found out how big the ferry ticket market is.” (Nikos P.)
• “It really surprised me that many ferry companies still don’t have electronic tickets.” (Esmarilda Z.)
• “Each ferry company has a different policy and you could be responsible for whether the customer will actually travel, lose money, or whatever else.” (Artemis F.)
• “How different the policies can be between the ferry companies.” (Vasiliki P.)
• “I would never have realized all the effort that goes into making things work properly in this industry.” (Isidora F.)
• “I was impressed by how difficult some of the systems used by ferry companies are and how different their cancellation/change policy is from company to company, as well as how sensitive the systems are to use. Sometimes a wrong move cannot be easily corrected.” (Konstantinos O.)

Would you recommend an internship at Ferryscanner to other students?

• “I would 100% recommend that someone should do their university internship at Ferryscanner. Especially if he/she is interested in dealing with ferries – there is just not a more suitable place.” (Viki C.)
• “I would highly recommend Ferryscanner to anyone interested in either an internship or a permanent job as this is a unique environment with a real interest in what happens to its employees – something that is hard to find elsewhere.” (Michalis G.)
• “Ferryscanner is a beautiful work environment and I would suggest future interns do their internship here because they will learn a lot.” (Alexis D.)
• “I would definitely recommend doing an internship at Ferryscanner. Not only do you get solid experience by speaking to customers via online chat or in person at the reception area, but you also cooperate with all the other agents who are always there to help you no matter what.” (Savvas D.)
• “I would recommend the internship at Ferryscanner to someone because one will gain the experience they will need on the subject of ferry tickets and beyond that, they will gain skills in customer service and management. In addition, due to the fact that it is a modern and well-known company in the labor market, the acquired experience is an important positive element in the resume of anyone if they wish to continue in the tourism industry and beyond.” (Irini L.)
• “It goes without saying that I recommend Ferryscanner for an internship. We learned a lot and the atmosphere was very friendly.” (Vasiliki P.)

What is something you would do differently?

• “There is absolutely nothing I would change. It was all a very pleasant experience.” (Viki C.)
• “What I would do differently is pay more attention to the training as the lead agents were explaining literally everything. Recently, I found some notes that I had taken from the second week of our training, and even the most advanced parts had all been explained step by step.” (Nikos P.)
• “I wouldn’t change a thing about the company under any circumstances. A personal thank you is the least I can say for everything.” (Michalis G.)
• “I wouldn’t change a thing!” (Esmarilda Z.)
• “There is nothing I would do differently. Everything was perfect.” (Artemis F.)
• “I don’t think there is anything I would do differently. I’m proud of my work and growth.” (Isidora F.)

What advice would you give to next year’s interns?

• “To the next interns, I would suggest that they be open to all the new information they will receive every day. If they face any problems, they should talk to their leaders and communicate the issue, because there is a solution for everything.” (Viki C.)
• “My advice to next year’s interns is to be eager for all the information that you can get from your internship – regardless if you have other future plans. You will acquire so many skills that are useful even outside of the tourism field.” (Argiro I.)
• “I would advise them to manage their tasks normally and not overwhelm themselves from the very beginning. This way, they can learn to do many things at the same time.” (Irini L.)
• “To give enough importance to the training and not to be afraid to make mistakes as these will shape them into who they will become later.” (Artemis F.)
• “Just keep calm and create your own way/steps for how you will deal with every issue. Everyone works differently and that’s okay.” (Isidora F.)
• “My advice is to not get lost in all this information that you will learn and don’t hesitate to push yourself because, in the end, you will learn more.” (Lampros M.)

If you are interested in joining the Ferryscanner team as a student intern or in a full-time role, please check our Recruitee page for the latest job openings.