This is not sustainable, is it?

[Namechangefail123]

I have a client facing job. I don't have that many meetings but when I do, I have to commute 6+ hours, and sometimes the only way to do it is driving. We can afford the commuting coats, however I don't think my company will be happy for me to waste two days to get to see a client, when most of my colleagues would only use 3-4 hrs tops.

No I wasn't aware (but that's by the by as I don't mind it). It's more that given my location, they're "wasting" extra 10-12 man hours because of where I live.

No

Dear lord, I think your location is the least of your companies worries if this is how you explain things to clients! What’s the issue? What are you worried about?!

Who doesn't know that it takes ages to get anywhere from cornwall, everyone know that Is it a foreign employer?

I'm worried that I'm too expensive in comparison to.my colleagues, and given the first wave of redundancies I could be let go. It wouldn't be the first time.

Crikey I wouldn't drive all the way to Newcastle, I would be half asleep! Could you work on the train all the way and keep being productive, or get a flight from Bristol?

OP, could you start from the beginning and explain in a bit more detail? What is your job? Do your colleagues do the same job? Whose choice was it for you to be travelling to/from Cornwall? Why are you doing so much travel compared to others?Who pays for the travel? What exactly are you worried about? Is it that you can't see as many clients as your colleagues? Or that it's too expensive?

Where is the company based? Was it reasonable to know you would have to travel around the country to attend meetings when you applied for the job/moved to Cornwall. Can you arrange meetings close together on consecutive days? What is the job, as I’ve it’s communication based, travel would be the last thing I’d be concerned about!

OP, I think you begin the first half of this thread in your head and forgot to write it down...

But I think what you're saying is that because you live in Cornwall, it is taking you ages (and costing more) to travel to meet clients whereas colleagues who live a bit more centrally don't take as long (and their travel costs the company less)
Therefore, you're worried that you'll be the first person to be made redundant, if the time comes?

In the end when you add all the transfer times it ends up being the same train Vs driving Vs flying + driving/ train. My main concern is that due to travelling costs I'm a very expensive member of staff. We all have different roles apart from one colleague with the same title. There's no real WiFi on the train

Could you make an environmental point to the company with obvious financial benefits to them by suggesting zoom presentations and meetings with clients?

Yes @VivX you're spot on. They've said that due to the current economic climate (especially post COVID) people want to meet in person and we should facilitate.

What's the value of the contracts you're servicing? And what's the value-add of the face-to-face? Is your value-add equal or greater than that of your colleagues?

Why are you travelling to Newcastle rather than a closer colleague? Are there colleagues doing the opposite and travelling further to visit clients that would be closer to you?

Spending a couple of days on the road for a contract worth £5k profit is very different to spending a couple of days on the road for £250k.

Can you milk-round your trips so that you spend one week a month/every couple of months on the road to make your visits most efficiently?

Can you demonstrate to your employer that continuing to work with clients entirely or partly remotely has no adverse effect on your performance?

Is this a job you started remotely in lockdown with client meetings over Teams etc, but now your employer expects you to meet face to face?

Are you genuinely the only member of staff who can do the Newcastle meetings?? If so, I'd be wanting to do it overnight!

SleazyJet have a Bristol/Newcastle route. Could you use that at all?

OP Are you not reading all of the replies or are you just choosing to ignore those who have asked pertinent questions because your post makes no sense?

It's a valid concern but redundancy depends on other things, too. For example:
Is your role different or more essential than others?
Do you close more sales?
What value of sales do you close? (In comparison to others)
Are the clients that you serve more aligned the company's strategy?
Etc...

Also, can you arrange it so that you meet with two or more clients on the same trip?

I'm not really sure what you're asking. The commuting time is what it is; you can't change that. If your employer is looking to make people redundant then I suppose this could be an area for concern but nobody here knows what their business objectives are and whether it puts you in a precarious position.

Depending on your relationship with the powers that be, you could always approach them to discuss your job security if it's something you're very worried about. Whether or not this would be wise (and whether or not they would be likely to tell the truth) is something you'd have to make a judgement on.

My other colleague could do it and she's much more central that I would ever be, I have the higher value clients whereas she doesn't. As an example, my trip was worth a £200k deal, and another one she traveled for was £50k. However there is no reason really for the company to give all client meetings to her. I don't have to travel that much, but when I do it's expensive

Why do you have a job so far away? Did you live in Cornwall when you got the job or have you moved?

Do clients insist on meeting at their place of work?

I've worked in Birmingham and agreed to meet Dutch clients in London.

Yes normally we meet them on site. I've lived here for the past 8 years or so, but 4 years ago I was made redundant and one of the reasons was living so far away.

So look at alternative travel options. Where can you fly to Newcastle or close to any appointment from that's not too far to drive? For example there are flights from Newquay to Edinburgh and a fast direct train to Newcastle from there. Or you could fly from Bristol maybe. Alternatively you could move house for work, lots of people do it or change jobs.
First off speak to your employer and see if you can do online meetings or stay overnight if you have a client a long distance away. Or only be allocated clients close enough to commute to in a day (given where you live that might be limiting).
The worry about redundancy is yours alone due to your past experience and location, no one can reassure you.

But is that client expectation or just the way things have always happened?

I really hope your job isn't relying on your good communication skills.