| In the technology age of find it quick and easy on-line, you may be thinking, why should I use a travel agent? So to help you answer that question here are our favorite reasons:
1. Who Ya Gonna Call?
What would you do if the hotel has lost your reservation? What would you do if the car rental agency has run out of cars? Specifically, who are you going to call? Who’s going to help you? The hotel? The car rental company? They don’t care. You’re just one person. Losing you as a guest or a customer is no big deal. Basically, you’re on your own.
If you book through a travel agent, all you have to do is make one simple phone call. And everything will be taken care of. Will the hotel assist your agent? Will the car rental company assist your agent? Of course they will, because now they’re dealing with someone who has the potential to send either hundreds of guests, or no guests at all. From a purely business perspective, a travel agency can send thousands of dollars (or even tens of thousands of dollars), or no dollars at all…
2. It is not just about price
You look to travel agents to provide the best overall solution to your individual travel needs. By asking tons of questions up front, an agent can provide a relevant needs assessment. This can include dates, quality or location of accommodation or stateroom, cancellation policy, recreational amenities, the ease of doing business, etc. No two customers are alike. What works for one may not work for another.
3. Show me the Money (I saved)
Saving money is not just about price. It is more about value. If the hotel was not the right location, if the cruise line was not the right cruise line, if the golf course was not the right golf course, it does not matter how much you saved. One can save a ton of money and be miserable or spend a little more to be in heaven. A travel agent can recommend relevant offerings and also provide cost saving strategies. Moving a date, changing the location of a room/cabin, being open to flight options, etc., all can save money. Nobody wants to pay more than necessary so an agent will help you find the best value without the sacrifices of a cheap trip.
4. I already have a Job!
If you have an agent that you trust, then you don’t need to spend what little free time you have, scouring the web, trying to piece everything together– flights, cars, rooms, etc. In addition, your agent might be working with transfer and car rental companies that you simply don’t have access to, and in many cases, even hotels and airlines that you don’t have access to. An agent is someone who has taken the time and made the commitment to be the best so you don’t have to make planning your vacation a second job!
Let’s finish with a little story…
No different than most of the rest of us, Jim wanted a fantastic vacation at a fantastically low price. Jim is pretty web savvy, and he had spent hours searching for the vacation he wanted. Our agent went to work and coordinated the entire trip: Airfare, rental car, the resort, and all the excursions. When all was said and done, Jim was presented with an incredible value.
However, Jim was convinced that he could get a better price. So he went back out to the web in search of a better deal. And indeed he found it-airfare that was $20 per seat lower than what our agent had found for him. So he booked it.
Problems:
On the way there…
• Jim’s flight arrived at the airport in the middle of the night (after several delays and connections)
• By the time he landed, the car rental company was closed for the night
• Jim’s bags didn’t make it to his destination
On the way home…
• His flight left very early in the morning
• Due to the distance from the airport, he had to leave the resort at 3:00 am
• The car rental company was not open yet
Physical Results:
• Jim had to spend the first night near the airport
• Jim had to spend the last night near the airport
• Jim had to rent his car from a more expensive company
• The web site that Jim booked his travel through didn’t offer travel insurance to pay for replacing his missing items
• Jim’s 7-night stay at the resort was now a 5-night stay
Monetary Results:
Jim saved $40 on the airfare by booking it himself
Jim spent an additional $300 on:
• The two nights near the airport
• The rental car
• Replacing clothes and other personal items that never made it to his destination
Net Result:
• Jim’s vacation was $260 more than it would have been if he had just booked the package that our agent had coordinated.
Our agents know what it takes to coordinate a great vacation that is the best value for you. We live by the motto “you get what you pay for” so, do you want to spend a little more for a great trip or waste a couple thousand on the cheapest option? |
