10/29/2024
A fellow travel agent posted about her experience and I chose to borrow a portion of her post to share here because this has happened to me countless times and it means so much to me when a client, friend, or family member can see the value of my travel services and takes the time to contact me. It truly is a blessing when you help the small business owners. Aside from sharing pictures of my clients amazing vacations, I never post publicly about the behind the scenes of my job, the day to day things or anything that goes on privately with my clients, but something happened today that I wanted to share (this happens often, but today it struck a chord for some reason!)
A client who has booked a previous trip contacted me about booking a March vacation for her family.
She knew the exact dates and exact resort she wanted to go to, as well as the price. ***She said that she would rather book through me than online.*** ❤️❤️❤️
To her, it's a matter of a quick phone call or an email exchange or two in order to book, but to me, it's the difference between a good week and a bad week, and to many of us, it can be the difference between being able to pay rent/mortgage, or not...being able to afford gas and groceries, or not.
My client is not always getting a better rate by booking with me- it is often the same rate that she could find on her own- but she is supporting a small business (me!) and is able to ask me as many questions as she wants (which she did, quite a few as the resort is so new it is not even open yet), and has my support before, during and after her trip if anything goes wrong. It is truly a win-win for both of us.
In some cases I am able to get better rates, or added value amenities (by being a part of Travel Leaders) but in ALL cases my clients are not just a number to me, and I am always available for anything they need, always by text, phone, Messenger, & WhatsApp when you are far away. Unlike booking online where you ARE just a number to a 1-800 call center, my clients all have my cell number and in ALL cases I truly do care. And yes, I am one of the few Travel Advisors nationwide who do not yet charge for my services although you are still receiving the benefits of my well traveled (and lived) history, my education (which continues daily) and many years of travel knowledge that ultimately benefits you. I have worked in the travel wholesale arena with Travel Impressions where the travel agent came to me to put the package together. I have worked for one of the largest producing AAA branches in the southeast while I lived in Georgia where I was the agent working directly with the clients. And, now I own my own agency which allows me to choose the consortiums I work with to best help my clients. Believe me when I say travel agents are beyond thankful when you give us the opportunity to price your trip and work with you to find you that dream vacation!
Thank you to everyone who supports me, I appreciate each and every one of you!
Lori Piekanski
Lori's Leisure Travel
770-880-8036