After closing a sale, I always ask the client what the main reasons were that caused them to purchase from us. I find that this is a great learning experience for us to tweak or modify our sales approach. When I asked this client her response was a number of the usual reasons, ” your extensive product knowledge, your taking the time to really understand our vacation requirements and matching your recommendations to our requirements and budget.”  She also mentioned one other area that kind of surprised me. She told me that, as we had discussed she had received quotes from 3 other agencies. None of the other quotes hit the mark like ours but, she thought it strange that none of the other agencies followed up with her on the quotes they send like we did. I had called her to see if she had received our quotes, did she have any questions and did she want to go over the quotes. She did have some questions and we also went over the quotes and narrowed it down to one resort. She called the next day and booked it. Three days later I called her and she told me that she still had not heard from any of the other agents.

Follow-up, in my opinion is one of the most important and widely used steps in the sales process followed only by answering objections. You use it when a client contacts you for a quote, you should use it after you send the quote, You should use it if you have not heard from the client, you should use it to Thank the client for the order, you use it right before the client travels, you use it after the client returns, and you use it to stay in touch with the client for future vacations.

As you can see, it is a major step in the sales process. In my opinion it is hard to over-use the follow-up step. The only time it should be stopped is if the client requests that you stop contacting them. if you continue at this point it will border on stalking.

I think that a lot of agents don’t follow-up enough because of the big fear in sales, the fear of rejection. They feel more more comfortable with no feedback rather than hearing that dreaded word NO. When you think about it, hearing no, after sending a quote, opens up a lot more options than not hearing anything. It allows you to answer any objections, real or perceived, clear up any misunderstandings, or change your sales tactic.

Follow-up should be fun for both the agent and the client. Remember, we are selling travel experiences, not cemetery plots.

Follow-up often with your clients or another agent will.

Geoff Millar is the Co-Owner of Ultimate All-Inclusive Travel Inc., specializing in All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean for Honeymoons, Weddings, Families, and Groups. www.ultimateall-inclusivetravel.com

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After 15 plus years in the travel industry, I am back to my roots in the middle of nowhere. Operating a rural travel business. I say “travel business” instead of “travel agency” because I had intended to go strictly “group travel” when I returned to the business after a well-deserved hiatus. I had no intentions of becoming a full-service travel agency. The community had other plans. Herein lies the main challenge: saying “no” to a client. Especially a client with no internet access. “Are there really such people out there?” you ask. The answer, unbelievably, is yes. The rural client. Now, don’t get me wrong. There are some very computer savvy clients in my area who simply don’t want to book their own travel. There are also some very well educated folks who think it is always less expensive on the internet and that booking with an agent automatically means you are paying more. We all know these clients. They need no introduction.

If any of you live in a rural area, you know the “good ole boy” philosophy. If you are new to the area, you can’t be trusted. This seems to be a relatively unique quality when it comes to small towns. Travel is a shady business. Price is key and low price is king. That is the general consensus in a rural area where every penny counts. Low cost, high volume seems to be the key to success in these rural areas. Is there a luxury market? Perhaps. Is there enough of a luxury market to stay afloat? Not that I have found. Perhaps it is there, waiting to be tapped. (I speak only of the local market and not the online market).

In a small town, the cost of advertising in the local newspaper is minimal. There are free sections in the local newspaper if you need to advertise an event. Your entire community reads the “Events” section because everyone is looking for “The Next Free Thing”. Costly advertising in the Sunday Paper? Non-existent. We don’t have a Sunday Paper! Word-of-mouth advertising goes a long way in a rural community.

The Up Side: When you do a great job, you have 1 happy customer.

The Down Side: When there is a problem, the whole town knows. Everybody knows everybody. Just the other day, a client said, “You know how it is here, there are no secrets.”

Another unique benefit of being in a rural community, is being able to speak face to face with your local mayor at business networking meetings and have him be completely supportive of your endeavor. “Well, I definitely want to keep business in our community instead of giving it to the internet.” he said. Just imagine if every agent lived in that same type of community.  Yes, I am booking air only reservations and charging him a fee, which he willingly pays. 

The daily struggles of being a rural travel provider, as all rural providers know and city agents deal with every day, is doing enough marketing to let consumers know that the “cheapest” is not always the “best” price. Letting potential clients know the true value of working with an agent. In this age of the online “mega agency”, the agency with seemingly unlimited marketing funds, it is very challenging to try and dispel the myth that online is best. We all see it daily, book with “so and so” for the best deal. We know better. The client, however, sees it again and again and starts to believe it. If they see it so much on television, it must be true! This seems to be especially true in a rural community.

I suppose my challenges are the same as most. Getting the word out to the community. I have heard others say that they would starve if they counted on their own community to keep their business alive. I feel the same way but hope to make things different. When living in a community where lack of access is a problem for the residents, someone has to be willing to try something new to allow others to have opportunities that may not readily be available. Opportunities that people may not even know they want until they have the chance to take advantage of them. Travel agents have that power. The power to change peoples lives.

There are many rural clients who have never flown (my closest airport is 1 ½ hours away; the closest major airport is 2 ½ hours away), never left the state (we have no train or bus service), and some have never been out of the county (not every client has a reliable automobile). My goal as a rural agent is to be able to change some of that. I want to offer residents the ability to see a Major League Baseball Game or go to a zoo, to see the “Big City” or a spectacular display of Holiday Lights. To many, it will seem trivial. Others will say “there’s no money in it”. I believe, however, if you can make people happy when you are selling them a travel experience, they will always remember that feeling. A feeling that comes from an experience made possible by you, the travel provider.  That leads to lifetime clients.

I recently organized a motorcoach, red-eye, to New York City. I had 30 passengers on the motorcoach. There were only 5 passengers who had been to New York previously. The main comment, “I am so happy you organized this trip. I have always wanted to go to New York City and was never able to afford it. I am so excited!” The cost of the trip, $125.00 per person. The feeling you get from providing that experience, priceless.

So, the next time you get a call from a potential client who only wants to go to a ball-game or an amusement park, book their hotel and car rental and be happy that you are part of making a memory that they will cherish.

And remember, those $10.00 commission checks do add up!

I lived in a small town in Westchester County, NY about 30 miles outside “the city” of New York. When I walked home from school, I would always stop and look inside the window of the one and only travel agency in town. I thought that would be a great place to work, and since I needed a job, why not ask if I could be of help? So, at the age of 16, I decided to apply for a part-time position and was hired. My job was filing brochures. So you think that’s boring and tedious? It certainly wasn’t to a 16 year old girl who hadn’t been anywhere further than the state of Pennsylvania. The office was an exciting place to be. I loved hearing the travel consultants sell trips to exotic destinations, and listening to the storytellers spin their tale about a unique experience viewing Wildebeest as they migrate from Tanzania to Kenya, or hearing a conversationabout planning an around the world cruise! Although my job was to file brochures, I could imagine myself in anyone of these destinations, maybe even traveling in a jeep along the plains in Africa following the wildebeest and snapping photos. I thrived in thumbing through the colorful and captivating brochures with beautiful pictures and envisioned myself jetting off from one exciting city to another!

At that moment, I decided, that I would take a journey down this road and become a travel agent so I could see the world too! So, upon graduating from high school, I took a course at a local travel school and I was ready to embark on my new adventure. What place better than New York City to learn the nuances of the travel business. So there my career began. Many of you may not know this, but years ago, you had to pay an employment agency to get a job. I did not hesitate for a moment; if that is what it takes to work in a travel agency, I would pay whatever amount was needed. The travel agency was looking for an agent in training and I was ready to do my part. I paid $200 to an employment agency and was hired for a weekly salary of a whopping $85.00. I didn’t care; I was living my dream. I resided in the suburbs at home with mom and dad, as I couldn’t afford much earning only $85 a week. I took the train which was a 45 minute ride, and happily walked every day up to 54th and Madison from Grand Central Station.

It was an exciting time back in 1968 when the city was thriving and the travel business was at its peak. At that time, we used dial up phones, hand wrote airline tickets, and believe it or not, there were only 3 classes of airfare: First, Coach and a 21 day Advanced Excursion. Simplicity at its best! The agents in my office worked with corporate clients, jet-setters such as relatives of the Aristotle Onassis’ family of Greece, luxury clients and cruisers. I worked long hours with no overtime pay. At times, 10:00 pm was the bewitching hour and I had to finally leave the office with calloused fingers from hand writing airline tickets, and a tired body. It didn’t matter, I would do it all over again the next week. Overtime was the norm to get things done -I never complained, I just absorbed it all up like a sponge!

Sales representatives from airlines would come in and bring us coffee and donuts and schmooze with us looking for business – those were the days. They offered us weekend “fam” trips to Europe, the Caribbean and many other exciting places. Fam trips would entail a grueling but fascinating weekend touring a city (one of my favorites being Paris) and inspecting about 10 hotels a day for two days and return Monday morning bright and early to work! Working in the “city” provided me with a wealth of knowledge, and after 3 years I was ready to return to the “burbs” for a new adventure.

I would work at one agency for a few years and move on to a better job and more money. In the 70’s, I worked for Andy Robustelli, the NY Giants football great. He owned Robustelli Travel in Stamford, CT and the family still owns it to this day. We were required to wear a blue & white uniform (of course the Giants colors) and we had a choice of a dress or pants suit. O.K., so it was interesting with fake grape vines and music playing as you walked in the front door (a little bit of the Italian flair) but clients loved it! I worked at small agencies, as well as large corporate agencies in all capacities. Throughout my career, I moved onward and upward, sales, marketing and management. At one point, I managed a staff of 22 for a corporate travel office and still juggled booking airline reservations.

In 1995, agencies were blindsided by the airlines. We would no longer receive commission on airline tickets. The Internet arrived. We thought that this was the end of the travel agent era. Many brick and mortar offices closed as their business worked with predominately corporate accounts producing 80% revenue from airline tickets. It was a tough time but as always we adjust and find another way to be creative. Agents would re-invent themselves in the area of a niche market such as cruises, or specialties in honeymoon travel or luxury travel to exotic destinations.

Many home-based businesses started to build. The overhead was less, commuting was not a factor and it was a great environment to work in. When I got married and gave birth to my daughter, I knew that I still wanted to enjoy my career but found it hard to leave her so I started a home-based business. We converted a playroom into an office and this became my workplace. I was very fortunate that my business gave me the flexibility to work and have the time to volunteer for my church, do my part as a girl scout leader and also work on various fundraising committees at school.

Being of Italian descent and enjoying people and food, I embraced the home-based lifestyle. “Life is food and food is Life” our family motto! When my clients arrived at my home office, I would always have fresh brewed coffee and my home-made coffee cake on hand, or if I met clients in the evenings, wine and cheese. If a client was thinking of going to Italy, I would display a red & white checkered table cloth with a bottle of Chianti and well-aged provolone cheese to get everyone feeling at home as I spoke about my heritage and discussed the wonderful country of Italy. I lived in a small rural town and there were no home-based agencies other than mine. My local newspaper wrote a wonderful article on my day- to -day operations and when the reporter came to interview me, she also enjoyed my warm straight from the oven coffee cake with fresh brewed java! Over time, I built new relationships as I booked my new client/friend’s travel arrangements.

Years have passed, my daughter grown, time for my husband to retire and for me to relocate my travel business to new surroundings. In September 2005, we moved to Murrells Inlet, SC from South Salem, Westchester County, NY with our two cats, Pepper & Rusty. Our daughter is now 25, graduated college, working, and is married to her high school sweetheart. So off we went to our new location and started anew. I was one of the lucky ones who loved doing what she loves and was rewarded tenfold. I have been blessed with a wonderful family and over 35 years in a business that is my passion.

I find myself in beautiful South Carolina not knowing anyone except two lifelong friends that moved at the same time as we did. But my business has enabled me to start up a conversation about a fun subject such as travel. So, through my business, and social events, I have met many wonderful people in my community and along the Grand Strand. I have worked together with local businesses and hosted cruise nights. Most recently, I offered a raffle prize for the “Dragon Boat” at the Beach ladies luncheon. They are a wonderful organization in support of cancer survivors. I offered the attendees onboard credit on booking their next cruise and in addition a donation to the Dragon Boat at the Beach when they make their reservation. There are many ways to network with businesses and organizations in a slow economy – you have “pound the pavement” as they say.

The travel business has evolved with the Internet as a interesting competitor. The Internet is my friend. I welcome her vast knowledge of information. But, she cannot offer “personalized service” and build a working relationship. When people tell me that they can get a “deal” on the Internet, my response is, “did you read the fine print”, “what are the restrictions”, “who do you call if you need help while traveling”, etc, etc. When you book through an agent, we assume responsibility to provide you with our expertise along with competitive rates. Let’s take booking a cruise as an example. You can go online, look at the pricing and then get a quote. It can take many hours navigating through the myriad of information on cruise lines, cabins, categories etc. So clients should know – when you call a travel agent, they do it all! We provide personalized service with Internet Pricing! We keep in mind that the cruise line will not call you if the price drops, if there is a senior special or regional promotion for South Carolina residents, or a special balcony promotion, etc, etc. Get the word out that Travel Agents are alive and kicking – let your neighbors know that we live in your community and are here to help you plan a unique and stress-free journey!

I recently took a group of 30 people on a 12 night Mediterranean cruise, and look forward to returning to Europe this year. In April, I attended the Home-Based Agent Conference. It is important to embrace continuing education and learn new information every day to pass along to my valued clients. Educating yourself is very important in the “world of the Internet”. With webinars, specialist programs, cruise line accreditation and so many programs and on line information such as Travel Research Online will help you to grow in your business. It is necessaryto be informed and competitive with the Internet.

I have written travel articles based on my personal travel experiences for various community newsletters, started a travel group on Facebook, and is now working on my blog. Snorkeling is my favorite water sport, especially in the Caribbean. I enjoy water aerobics, bike riding and power walking. After over 35 years in the business, relocating to Murrells Inlet, meeting new people and making new friends, and being in South Carolina where one does not have to shovel snow is just what I needed. This is where I will move on in my next chapter in life. I will continue to offer personalized service and passion always remembering how it all started when I walked past that travel agency many, many, years ago.

Jean is a Destination Specialist for Italy, Hawaii, Caribbean and River & Ocean Cruise Lines. She is a home-based agent affliated with a host agency, Cruises & Tours Unlimited, (Outside Agents.Com,) a National Cruise & Tour Company out of Jacksonville, Florida. Jean has traveled extensively through the U.S., Europe, Latin & South America, Caribbean (she is an avid snorkeler), and Hawaii. Her last visit to the island of Maui she renewed her wedding vows on a bluff at sunset. She has been to the islands of Hawaii 6 times and can’t wait for # 7!

I understand the term was conceived to separate us from the brick and mortar agencies back in the day when agents started to move home. In 2010, we have moved past this designation. Agents are choosing to work at home and are very successful. We are ALL travel agents, consultants, advisors. Why lump those of us who happen to have a home office into a separate category? Aren’t we all just travel agents? The only difference being location?

I have attended industry events where traditional brick and mortrar agents still look down at those of us who work at home. Some feel we are hobbyists and in it for the perks. Unfortunately, without industry standards in place we are always going to have those types of agents. Agents working from home should not be lumped together and painted with the same brush. I work very hard. I have credentials, training, the latest technology and office equipment at my fingertips. I remain a professional and dedicated to the travel industry. Just because I happen to work at home should not brand me with a Scarlet A.

Let’s retire the term “home based agents.” We are all travel professionals. And, if anyone asks what I do– I am a travel consultant. If they ask me where I work — I tell them I have a home office. No further explanations needed.

The first question I hear is, “where can I find people who want to travel as a group?”  There have been many resources made available to answer that question in very rich detail, but one that has given me the most food for thought is a book called “The Idea Machine 2” by Dave Stockert, Director of Sales with Holland America Line.  It’s available at Amazon.com for a reasonable cost, especially if you purchase a used copy.  The book is filled with ideas that Stockert has gleaned from the travel agent community during his time at Holland America Line, and it not only gave me specific ideas, it helped me understand the possibilities with cruise groups and it spurred my own imagination.

If you really think about it, group travel prospects are all over the place.  They’re just not standing in your face with a big sign pointing at them saying, “Here I am!”  You have to find them.  Regardless if you are in a large urban area or a small rural community, groups are near you.  Some typical examples are social clubs, like the Junior League of Women, or the Red Hat Society.  Others are civic organizations like Rotary Club and Kiwanis.  Even a church can be a source of group business – don’t limit yourself.  I have come across potential group prospects just by reading my local newspaper!

I use an Excel spreadsheet to list group travel prospects as I find them.  I list the name of the group (Rotary, church name, etc.), a potential contact person, what type of group travel I think would be a good fit for them, and then I give myself a timeline to reach out to that group and try to earn the business.  Keeping this in Excel allows me to add, remove, and edit the list as I need to.  Perhaps I have a contact person listed, but I really need to be talking to someone else in the organization.  Or, perhaps I thought a particular group would be a good fit for Holland America Line, but after talking with them I discovered they were a better fit for Celebrity.  The list should be always changing!

Then, one by one, I begin contacting the people on my spreadsheet.  Sometimes they won’t have any interest, and sometimes you have to have a dialogue with them that can last anywhere from a week to a few months, but you will know soon enough whether it’s a viable prospect, and you can either eliminate them from your list or begin developing the group. 

Comment below and let me know what problems you have had in getting group cruise business.  Even better, let me know what has worked for you!

Steve Cousino, ACC, CTA, LS is a five-year industry veteran and owner of Journeys By Steve, an affiliate of Sunnyland Tours & Travel in Springfield, MO.  He holds Lifestyle Specialist designations in Luxury Travel and Gay/Lesbian Travel, and is known for specializing in cruises, Western European tours, group travel, and culinary-themed travel.  He can be reached at steve@journeysbysteve.com, or through his website at http://www.JourneysBySteve.com

Wikepedia’s defines “ Business ethics is a form of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and business organizations as a whole.”

My definition is doing the right thing, all the time. No matter how difficult it may be. Being  responsible for your own actions.

According to the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) companies that make a commitment to ethics and have a clear policy on ethics outperform companies that do not. The bottom line is ethics matter. It starts with how we treat our customers and up. People want to do business with a company or person they trust.  And, companies that practice sound ethics and professionalism are rewarded financially as well.
There are many parts that make up ethics. Trust, commitment, truth, responsibility. You can’t have one without the other.

Trust is not a given—it is earned by our actions and words. When we make a mistake do we admit it to our customer, apologize and try to fix it? Or, do we pass the blame on someone else? When a client has a problem we should not be passing blame or making excuses.  Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk when he was in the White House. The simple wooden sign said, “The Buck Stops Here.”  In his farewell address to the nation, Truman said, “”The President–whoever he is–has to decide. He can’t pass the buck to anybody. No one else can do the deciding for him. That’s his job.” 

As travel agents the buck stops with us.  If we say we are going to get back to a customer we need to do exactly that. Call the customer back in a reasonable amount of time. I have had calls from clients that have told me they called XYZ Agency and they never bothered to get back with them. Are we guilty of that? Do we follow through? Do we make promises we don’t keep and hope the client doesn’t figure it out? Do we ask for feedback from our clients after their trip?  If you are not doing that you should be. Do we honor commitments we make to others? Are we on time? Does our behavior and dress reflect our professionalism?

We need to be truthful not only to clients but to everyone.  When I was 16 I learned a very valuable lesson about lying. I was in a hurry to go pick up my friends and backed into our fence that bordered our driveway. I knocked down part of the fence and the light post. Afraid of my punishment, I told my father that someone must have done it in the middle of the night. Upon further inspection my Father saw the tire marks and put 2 and 2 together. Because I lied about the whole incident—my punishment was worse than if I had told the truth. This lesson has stuck with me and is something I pass along to my own children. Always tell the truth no matter what.

Beyond clients—do we treat our vendors with respect? Are we respectful of our BDMs time? Do we ask for things we are not entitled? Do we abuse our agent rates? Which leads me to FAMS. FAMS are not a personal vacation. FAMS are a tool to educate agents on a particular destination or hotel property. Not to lie by the pool and work on your tan.

Our marketing materials, web sites, advertising etc,  should  reflect our commitment to our ethics and professionalism. They should contain original content and not be copied and pasted from someone else’s site. Likewise, we should not be using social media sites such as facebook, twitter or linkedin to bash other agents or agencies.  Befriending a  fellow agents friends on facebook and then trying to solicit them is not only unethical but inexcusable. Likewise, travel agent forums should be used to share information not to attack our peers. If you observe someone bashing another agent or agency—you need to report it to the moderators or speak up.

Ethics are important in both business and in life.  By conducting ourselves in an ethical manner it benefits not only our bottom line but our profession as a whole.
“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” — Alan K. Simpson.

http://www.business-ethics.org/

Mary Stephan is the President of Allons Travel based in Powell, OH. For more information, you can contact Mary at mstephan@allonstravel.com.

My favorite way of communicating is via e-mail. For me it is a time saver. When dealing with specific itineraries and instructions it helps to have a written record. It is not only what the majority of my competitors are doing, but it has the ability to send mixed messages. Because you cannot put inflections into the written word unless you are a texting teen and use the library of smiley faces and abbreviations, you run the risk of alienating a good friend or what could be a valued client.

In one instance, a good friend sent an email offering advice on how to expand on a project I had just completed. I was having a pretty tough day having had to replace a phone at the last minute and I sent off a three or four word pretty terse response. Twice. While one can argue that the friend could have easily picked up the phone and been met with a far different response, I have no excuse for responding the way I did. I may have fractured the relationship permanently. I hope not as I am sure this person has had bad days too.

The second instance occurred this past week. After a series of back and forth emails on an itinerary that was going to take quite a bit of research, I mentioned my consultation fee. It mattered little to this client that I was going to cut my fee in half as he is a fellow chamber member. When I met this client at a networking event, we sat down for a face to face consultation. He said that he had been put off by the idea of the fee in an email and suggested that it would be far better to me to introduce and explain it either in person or at least by phone.

This sale will end up being both an educational experience on a new destination for me and the chance to show why someone would want to not only use my services but pay a fee for it as well.

Take this opportunity to learn from the mistakes I have made. Practice what I preach and remember how important it is to watch your tone. You could end up damaging a relationship slowly built over the years and you could end up costing yourself in terms of income and in reputation.

Chuck Flagg is a regular contributor to TRO and an independent owner/operator of Cruise Holidays in Canton, GA. His website is www.theflaggagency.com He can be found on Twitter @theflaggagency

You know the ones. The time-sucking, headache-inducing, no-win pieces of business that do nothing but bring you down. We all can recognize them AFTER the fact, so why is it so hard to avoid them in the first place?

I’m no expert, but I can tell you the process that I go through.

The first step is recognizing the projects that you should not agree to take on. When that phone rings, or that email arrives, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new piece of business. Before you dive in, take a minute to think about whether this trip falls within your range of expertise and fits your business model. Does the client have realistic expectations and budget?  Will there be sufficient margin (in commission and/or fees) for you to make enough money to justify the time that you’ll spend working on it?

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If the honest answer to some of those questions is “no”, what do you do? Many of us have a very hard time turning away business these days, but I firmly believe that it’s better in the long run to be choosier, and to weed out the undesirable projects before they even make it in the door. There are only so many hours in the day, so unless I will enjoy planning a particular vacation, and will be able to make some money on it, I really don’t want to put it on my “to do” list.

That being said, it can be very hard to say “no” – especially to a good client. I like to turn that potentially negative situation into a positive one by always providing an alternative. It’s the “no, but…” response. In other words, “No, I don’t make flight arrangements unless they are part of a vacation package, but I would be happy to give you some quick advice on how to find the best fares and schedules online.”   Or, “

I find that clients respect me when I’m upfront and honest about what kinds of vacations I choose to work on, and they appreciate the fact that I’m willing to point them towards other resources. As an added bonus, I’m developing good relationships with other agents who are happy to take on some of the projects that aren’t a good fit for me.

Have I perfected this process? Absolutely not (or I would not be suffering the stomach pains I described above).  But I am working on refining my “filter” and getting better at spotting the opportunities to say “no”. How about you?

Ann Petronio is a travel consultant and the owner of Annie’s Escapes, Inc. in Cranston, Rhode Island. She creates custom-tailored vacations for busy couples, families and groups. http://www.anniesescapes.com/

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For me sitting in a hospital waiting room is one of the worst things you can go through. You are literally on pins and needles expecting the worst case scenario but hoping for the best. After several hours the surgeon came out and confirmed the worst. Our Mom had Stage 4 cancer and her prognosis was about 1 year. Chemo was an option but at that point our goal was to get her home.  We rallied around my Mom trying to get her over her initial shock and depression. She wanted to go home and she did for about a week.  Unfortunately, she developed a severe infection and had to go back in for more surgery. This time the outcome was devastating.  On top of the infection the cancer had spread.  There was nothing they could do for her except keep her comfortable. Her doctor said a couple days.  She wanted to go home. So, we made the decision to take her home.

While we have control over a lot of things in life – death is not one of them. My Mother’s doctor told us a couple days. The days turned into weeks.  In the beginning, I did manage to stay on top of things and actually do some work.  But, as the days wore on my zest for the business waned. I just couldn’t do it anymore.My Mom passed away on April 2nd-Good Friday, surrounded by her family and the things she loved.  The next day we euthanized our beloved dog Leo. Leo was a gem—he found us after he had been hit by a car.  My daughter told me that Grandma needed a pet in heaven and that’s why Leo died.

The shock and emotion of the last 6 weeks have taken a toll. It’s been difficult to get back into the swing of things. Some days are better than others.  Despite everything I have learned some very valuable lessons. Always tell those around you how much you love them.  Never take anything for granted.  Make peace with those you are estranged with. Take one day at a time. Do what you love to do. Give yourself time to heal.  

As I slowly heal—I realize how much I truly love the travel business and why I got into it. Never  forget why you do what you do even when you are having an “I hate people day.”  Keep the passion and be prepared for the unexpected.   I made a vow to travel more. I will try not to sweat the small stuff and to keep everything in perspective.  And, when life hands you lemons—make lemonade.

But what about travel consultants? For us, I think it probably depends on the situation. If you’re a corporate agent dealing with clients who need to change their plans from moment to moment, you probably need to be very accessible and responsive. A leisure agent, on the other hand, generally has a little more time to respond and react. But how long is too long? 

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I know that I return all phone calls within a couple of hours (and never later than the end of that business day) and I generally respond to emails even faster than that (even if it’s just to shoot off a quick response letting the client know that I got their message and will get back to them tomorrow).  But not everyone runs their business the same way. We all probably have our own standards and practices about how quickly we get back to people, and clients come to expect that level of responsiveness.

So what do we do when a supplier does not share our same beliefs about the timeliness of a request? I can understand the need to take a day or two to put together a quote for a complicated itinerary, but I find it very frustrating when a simple question or a minor revision takes days to get resolved. Or, for that matter, when even a very complicated quote takes more than a week or so. The most egregious example? I spoke with one supplier SIX weeks ago about a custom group tour to Italy. It took two weeks just to connect with the specific person who was supposed to be working on it so that I could answer the questions that were delaying his proposal…..and I still don’t have the quote.

Not that I’m waiting around for it, and that’s my point. I moved on to another supplier, who turned around the quote in a week, and my group is happy. I would imagine that if I had stalled the clients while I chased the original quote, they would have moved on to another (more responsive) travel consultant and I would have lost out on the business.

Since I promise my clients a stress-free vacation planning experience, I choose to work with suppliers who share my belief that waiting around for something (a return phone call, an answer, a proposal) is “stress-full”!  What do you think? How important is response time, and how does that influence how and with whom you do business?

Ann Petronio is a travel consultant and the owner of Annie’s Escapes, Inc. in Cranston, Rhode Island. She creates custom-tailored vacations for busy couples, families and groups. www.AnniesEscapes.com