I'm a Vacation Specialist affiliated with Such a Time as This - a Travel Agency, an Authorized Disne For me, it was 1983. It was magical! Are you like me?
23/05/2024
Hello, everyone! While most of my posts on here skew on the comedic side, every once in a while, I have to make a more serious one. This is one of those.
As a sidenote, you may notice a little edge in my tone, and that’s because there is one. You’ll see why. Here we go…
I LOVE travel. I always have. Even back in the dark ages when I was in college, I dreamed of becoming a travel agent. I love going on trips and experiencing the world, and I want to help others do the same and make their dreams come true.
While the role of a travel agent has changed over the decades, technology has played a major role. It only complicates things. This goes for both the customer and the agent. In the olden days, you went to a brick-and-mortar agency and worked with a particular agent. Not many of those exist anymore, and most of work virtually and are home-based agents. This is for the most part a great change, but you do lose out on the one-on-one, face-to-face interaction of meeting with your clients.
I feel like at this point I need to paint a picture of what a travel agent is:
What we are:
--Your personal guide
--Your one-stop shop for all of your vacation needs
--We plan your vacations, shop around with different vendors for resorts and transportation, and we handle all payments to these vendors
--We know the industry and the ins-and-outs of our destinations and products, and we’re going to make sure that you have everything you need so that you can do nothing but relax on your vacation
What we are NOT:
--A planning service
--A store like Amazon or Best Buy where you can shop around for different prices (because with almost all vendors you’ll pay the exact amount whether you book through them or we book for you)
--Doing this as a hobby
--Doing this for free
I mention all of this because I have had a RIDICULOUS number of “shoppers” post-pandemic. Individuals have contacted me and requested that I research vendors and desintations, so I gather all of the details that I need to make that happen, and on most occasions I’ve even booked their reservations or put them on a temporary hold awaiting payment. I spend HOURS doing this. That’s great. I love what I do. But then they’ve contacted me and let me know that they need to cancel their reservation because they’ve found something better on their own. Or they get impatient because they haven’t heard from me in two hours. Or (insert random excuse here)…And if they cancel before their final payment date, they get a full refund. And guess who gets the shaft by not getting paid any compensation for his hard work? Me. It sucks. It really sucks. Especially after the fifth or more time.
Because of this, I’m implementing a new change that several advisors in my agency use. In fact, my owner uses a modified system. Before I can start planning for you, I’m going to require a deposit as a “Research and Development Fee.” The fee may vary depending on the scope of your needs, but, for the most part, it will be the same for everyone. I won’t get into how the process works, but you’ll pay this fee, and I will set it aside and hold it for you. If you continue with your plans, I’ll then apply that fee on your final bill, so you will be out absolutely zero extra cash in the end. If you end-up cancelling your reservation, either before or after the final payment date, any refunds that you receive from the vendors will be minus that fee. I will keep the fee as compensation for the time spent planning your vacation.
Please know that I’ve not come to this decision without thought. I’ve agonized over this for a long time, but I have simply been the victim of vacation shoppers one too many times. I feel like this is a very fair compromise for both my family and my clients. It’s a win-win! You won’t pay anything extra for my services if you hold-up to your side of the bargain, and I get some kind of (often reduced) compensation for my time if you don’t. And I will have more time to dedicate to those who really are serious about their vacation needs, not just “shopping around.”
I really hope that my heart comes through in this post. I really DO LOVE what I do, and I want to continue doing it, but in order to continue doing it, I have to implement this change.
Please feel free to reach-out to me if you have any questions whatsoever via FB Messenger, e-mail ([email protected]), or phone call or text (615-330-9518).
