Dealing with holiday deal overload | Travel Research Online

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Dealing with holiday deal overload

Oh the holidays and the deals out there. Even the travel vendors got into the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping frenzy. We just got done with Thanksgiving and I easily had 200 emails from travel vendors sending me their specials. In fact, I was receiving Black Friday and Cyber Monday email specials from vendors, well before Thanksgiving; and like most of the traditional retailers, they are trying to get a head start.

It is hard enough to sort through the hundreds of emails I normally get, but when the vendors overload you with more, it becomes more and more of a hassle. I realize they need to stay in front of us, like we have to stay in front of our valued clients, but is a bombardment of emails the best way? I generally delete them unless there is something specific in the offer that is on point with a specific trip I am planning for a client. I am knowledgeable in the travel industry; and I know the vendors that offer the product I need. It is my job to match the client with the vendor—an email blast is not going to usually sway that. I also know that I can’t unsubscribe because a future deal may be exactly what my client needs in their next travel adventure.

So what do you do? We get these emails all the time throughout the year, but during the holidays it becomes a real task keeping up with them all. I have tried creating folders for each, but then there is the task of keeping those folders current—a task I loathe. The offerings from the vendors are time sensitive, so filing them, unless it is the circular file, really serves no purpose. I can just as easily go to the website, contact the DSM, call on the phone, or email a request. It’s not that I don’t want to receive the emails; it just gets overwhelming.

With business booming this time of year, the blessings of being busy are wonderful so I am not complaining. But, there needs to be a balance. I want to receive time appropriate information that is valuable to the clients to offer them options; but bombarding them with options does not serve anyone well.

It is said that we have but a few seconds to connect to a client, and that is true for the vendors as well. If it is not something appropriate at that moment, then it gets deleted. I am not sure about you, but my time is valuable and I simply do not have the time to thoroughly scour each email received. I won’t go so far as to mark them as junk mail, but I may delete them. It’s a tough conundrum. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment!

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Jamison has traveled to over 50 countries, including most of Europe. Wandering Puffin LLC. Is located in Minneapolis, MN. Jamison can be reached by email at jamie@wanderingpuffin.com or by phone at  763-244-0669. www.wanderingpuffin.com.

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