In my opinion, the Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) have done a huge disservice to the consumer by focusing on providing CHEAP vacations. I mean, how cheap does a bad vacation have to be for it to be a good deal?
I told him that I worked with suppliers who could match or beat any price he found as long as it was "apples to apples". The customer finally asked, "Is that how using a travel agent usually works, I do all the work and you just beat the price?". That's a very good question.
As a Travel Consultant, I consider my "magic" to be customizing a great vacation, honeymoon, or cruise for each and every customer, providing excellent personal service, staying current with a myriad of promotions, acting as an advocate for my clients, and following up to ensure every client's satisfaction.
The following was my response to the customer:
Hi XXXX,
You ask an interesting question about using a travel agent and how it usually works.
As a travel consultant, most customers come to me with a general idea of where they want to go and a budget. I work with them to determine the travel aspects that are important to them and make recommendations as to what would be a good fit for their desires, their budget, and their travel style.
For example, customers come to me saying they want to take their family of 5 to the beach for a week over the holidays (or spring break) within a certain budget. I find out the ages of the travelers, what's important to them (the beach, the food, the activities, the space within the rooms?) and present some options that would be a good fit. We discuss, and once it's narrowed down, I shop for the best value across several suppliers. At that point, if it's a good fit and value, we wrap it up.
On some occasions, I have people that are looking for an agent who can sell a certain packaged vacation (such as Apple Vacations or a certain cruiseline) because the customer has had a positive experience working with this vendor and knows they can get the same great vacation at a great price, as well as some personal service, by working with an agent.
I rarely have customers who know exactly when and where they want to go and come to me looking to beat a price they have found online. As I mentioned, I do have suppliers who will beat virtually any price that the Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) offer. The OTAs compete solely based on price and don't care about service or customer satisfaction. You get no expertise, no one-on-one service, and no advocate if you run into a problem. And the next time you book, they really don't care if you use them again. You're just a number, and your "travel agent" is a computer.
If you want to use an agent who will share their expertise (such as which resort has the best food, the nicest beach, or 24 hour room service), save you time, get you a good value, and help out if you have any trouble before, during or after your trip, use a professional travel agent or consultant. We care about your experience and your satisfaction.
For someone, such as yourself, who is in the accounting field, it's very similar to someone using a professional accountant to do their taxes versus using "do it yourself" software. The professional accountant has the education, the training, and the expertise, to make the experience the best one possible for the client.
I hope that helps to answer your questions. If you would like more information, please feel free to call or email.
What do you think: Is a customized trip and personal service more important than a cheap trip?
Fun 'n Sun Travel and Cruise provides friendly, personal, professional service in order to plan each and every client''s dream vacation, destination wedding, honeymoon, or cruise at one of the best prices available. Call us at 1-855-557-5588, visit us on the web at fnstravel.com, or email us at info@fnstravel.com.
