business development manager

business development representative

senior application developer

travel coordinator

delivery manager

Collette Travel Service

It's sad to see a good company go down hill. I'm sorry to say, but Collette is on a downward spiral. Be warned that the management of Collette Vacations could care less about it's employees and only about the money they bring in. If you're easily persuaded by free travel and a few flashy perks, feel free to join the team, but from someone who worked there for many years it's not worth it. They lack respect for their staff.

They say a company's biggest asset is it's people, but for Collette it's certainly the money in their bank accounts. Hard work and dedication isn't valued at Collette like it use to be. I left on my own terms after many years. I started to see a toxic work environment developing and a management team that focused on themselves and little about the people of Collette. The same was true for my fellow colleagues. I personally watched them get demoted and deflated to lessor roles in other departments after 10+ years of service after being told "they didn't have the right credentials for their roles?? This was my turning point. I knew from that point - Collette was changing and it wasn't for the people.

The inside story on Collette is this - when THEY decide you're no longer of value to them they do one of 2 things.

1) Demote you to a lessor role and make you feel worthless. so much so that you in turn quit because your so unhappy.

2) Post your job description to the tee, title and all and let you find it online only to ask what's going on. Their reply - "we decided to hire someone that can train you" or "we're going to make you a coordinator now, but feel free to apply". This is true and many can tell you first hand.

People quite due to what's called "constructive dismissal" - in essence Collette strives to make your work environment so uncomfortable and unfair that you quit. Reason is... they want you out but have zero grounds to do so, no warnings, no write-ups. The only option is to make the employee so unhappy that they quit from pure unhappiness.

Sound like a fun place to work? No - and this is coming from someone who left on their own terms a few years back. The company has since gotten much worse. The lack culture, respect, innovation and forward thinking.

Despite disclosing medical conditions during the interview process, the company has shown little to no accommodation for health-related needs. Over time, expectations increase significantly, particularly for those working the later or closing shifts. Employees are routinely expected to stay well past their scheduled hours to handle last-minute calls and complete documentation, often after other team members have logged off.

Communication within the organization is limited, and management is frequently unresponsive—even when issues are urgent. This lack of support leaves employees feeling overlooked and undervalued.

Additionally, the company is inflexible with situations like power or internet outages, even in areas prone to weather-related disruptions. Requests to temporarily work from secure alternate locations, such as cafés, are denied due to strict at-home-only work policies.

There is a clear disconnect between what is promised during the interview, what is taught in training, and the actual expectations once on the job. The pay is not reflective of the workload, and the benefits do not compensate for the low wages or lack of support. What initially seemed like a promising opportunity has instead turned into a disappointing and stressful experience.

You had better like working overtime because it is expected all the time. Company holidays don't apply to everyone in the call center, which is completely typical, but this company seems to keep it a secret. As an hourly employee, my breaks were often shortened or completely eliminated. Managers in the call center sit away from their employees and have little interaction with them since they are (literally) up on a pedestal in the middle of the operation. There is very little feedback and the training program is very different from what actually goes on. It takes a long time to feel comfortable since you feel like you have to learn things over and over.
Make sure you ask very specific questions during the interview about anything that is important to you. Get clear answers and then get them in writing if you choose to work there (benefits, vacation, review process, salary, bonuses). FYI - It is common practice for this company to require a mandatory physical AFTER the letter has gone out (and you’ve told your current employer that you’re leaving) so be prepared. Physical isn't a big deal, but the process is very odd and your employment is contingent on your ability to "pass."

Working here continues to be one of the most positive experiences of my career. The company genuinely invests in both its employees and the local community. I especially appreciate the paid volunteer hours, which allow me to support organizations in and around Pawtucket. Through these opportunities, I’m building meaningful community relationships that enrich my work and personal life.

The manager support and coaching are outstanding. The leadership I have experienced has been patient, diplomatic, and consistently encouraging. Collette’s leaders have helped me develop new skills and excel into higher roles, and I continue to feel supported every step of the way.

The flexible work schedule, generous PTO, and hybrid remote setup make it easy to maintain a healthy work-life balance. There are also plenty of employee engagement activities that help me feel connected and valued, even in a hybrid environment.

Overall, this is a company with a truly caring and supportive culture. I feel appreciated here, and I’m grateful to be part of an organization that prioritizes people, purpose, and ongoing growth.

CV has extremely paranoid management. The nanny-state they enforce on all the employees, is just an insult to any person who wants to be treated like an adult.

Moving up in the organization seems impossible here. They do a big song-and-dance, how it's a 'family run company', and everyone is 'family', but the fact is, promotions are for only blood-related 'family'. They have a systematic 'demotion' process whereby they keep hiring people in between you and your manager, and keep changing your job title. I'm surprised there hasn't yet been a class-action lawsuit against them.

If you want a company where no one really cares if your soul is sucked dry from giving 100% every day with no reward or recognition, then this is the place for you. If you like seeing mediocrity rewarded and encouraged, then you'll be happy here.

Otherwise, I would steer clear. In the recent past, I wouldn't have said these things, as I believe it *was* a truly wonderful place to work. It seems that they just don't care about their people anymore. The people I worked with directly were really wonderful and caring. It was hard to watch them getting beaten down each day by the poorly run management team.

(ps. I left my position voluntarily)

Working for Collette gave me a fun, diverse group of people who all looked out for each other. From the bottom to the top, my work always felt appreciated, and I always felt like I could reach out to anyone from co-worker to supervisor if I needed help.

The age range within the company is vast, depending on what department you are in, but, roughly about 50-75% of the work force was made up of millennials while I was there. Throughout my time at the company I was given multiple opportunities to travel, as well as benefits most other companies would not provide such as pet insurance and hotel discounts.

The work was definitely hard, especially starting out as a Client Care Agent in the call center, where you are working various day and night shifts with no set schedule, as well as on holidays and weekends. The training is intense, and the turnover rate in that specific department is extremely high, all for a paying wage less than some teachers.

But, within two years I was able to move up into a higher position in a different department. They are very big on internal growth and promotion.

I loved my time at Collette and would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to work in the travel industry in the future.

The Administrative Assistant position daily routine provided support to the VP of Marketing through correspondence with other executive-level management within the company, as well as outside organizations setting up and confirming meetings and events. This position also provided support to the operations manager by contacting printing firms and mailing firms for quotations and purchasing their services for marketing projects within budget.
I learned about purchasing and scheduling negotiations with printing and mailing firms.
Co-workers were considerate, enthusiastic and professional.
The hardest part of this job was to keep projects moving through the Marketing Department which involved the graphic design and proofing teams, in a timely manner to stay on schedule.
The most enjoyable part of working at Collette Vacations was having the opportunity to travel with co-workers to learn about the company's products.

The training was 9-6 EST because the training was combined East Coast with West. This is always daunting for everyone when companies do this for remote positions. Remote positions are only for those working within the Call Center of this company. Otherwise, it would be best to live near or in RI for most career advancements. The training was informative, however, some of the programs used for day-to-day work are outdated. There is a lot of manual maneuvering of the programs in place just to get simple tasks done and this becomes daunting quickly.  Calls coming in vary and if you enjoy taking calls this could be a wonderful job. The product this company provides is of great quality and truly allows folks to travel knowing they are using a company of the highest caliber.  I would work for Collette again but would prefer they put me in a position that best represents my value and skill set. However, this will not happen since most employees have to be near the home office. 

Monday through Thursday, you're on the road in your territory. Fridays are used to set your calendar and prospect for new leads. The expectation is a minimum of 4 pre-set appointments per day, with 2 "crash days" per week, meaning early morning and evening appointments. Fridays, the minimum expectation is 70 phone calls with over 3 hours of talk time. I love the opportunity to sell travel. Everyone wants to talk about their next vacation! The hardest part of the job is trying to work with management and the office. The office makes a lot of mistakes and if you're not on top of them, it comes back directly on you. The management rule with an iron fist and it's entirely fear based motivation. Nothing will every be good enough, so don't look for a pat on the back. If you can handle that and lack of praise or acknowledgement of hard work, you'll enjoy working for this company.

With the exception of one Supervisor and the trainer, I have been spoken to like a dog. I don't know if it's my ethnicity or that's just the way they are. Nothing is done to curb this culture. 
They are brutal when it comes to attendance. My device fell one morning and broke. I sent them a picture of the broken device. I spent close to $1,000 to buy a new one and still, I got a 1/2 point added to my record as if I flaked off. 
The second incident is just as bad. My internet went out one day. They have me 1/2 a point for that as well. Whenever an issue cropped up while connecting to their apps, Management tried to make me feel as if I was the only one having issues.  I started keeping a running log. Guess what, I'm not the only one. Every day there's an issue with other workers connecting to their apps. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Business development manager 7 salaries reported	$61,429 per year
Business development representative 76 salaries reported	$45,000 per year
Senior application developer 1 salary reported	$109,000 per year
Travel coordinator 2 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour
Delivery manager 1 salary reported	$70,000 per year

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