Jason and I have been at this now for about six months. It's been going well. I think we are surprised. Maybe a little impatient for it to go "faster", but at the same time constantly amazed when we hear about the great time people have had on the trips we've planned and booked for them.
Recently we were talking about exactly who our clients have been since we started this adventure. Surprisingly it has been very few friends and almost no family. We've worked really hard following up on leads and gaining the trust of valuable clients we've met along the way. Most of them being people we've never met in person, but have built up a great rapport with over the phone and via email. And surprisingly, none of them are "local" to us. The internet makes it all possible, we can touch base anytime, day or night, at the client's convenience. Once we know what someone needs from us, it's just a matter of pulling it all together and providing them with the details!
So many exciting trips have been booked for these people! Jason planned a touching trip for two families to Ireland, in memory of lost loved ones. Then there is the large group that is going to Mexico for Halloween to celebrate "Day of the Dead!!". A honeymoon trip to Hawaii is currently being quoted. Plus all of the smaller trips that were just as important to those people going on them!
It can be difficult to explain to prospective clients why they would want to work with a travel agent or wedding planner. Recently even my best friend booked her own cruise because she was convinced she would pay more if she worked with me. It made me sad on a personal level, because I know that I could have gotten her a better deal - not to mention that I'd never, ever ask anyone to pay more for something if I knew they could pay less somewhere else. Especially not my best friend. So lately that has been my mission, helping people to understand how travel agent fees are paid, how that affects the cost of your trip, and why you are better off using a travel agent!
Did you know that as the client, you don't pay the travel agent a dime? There is no fee paid by you for our services! Hotels, cruise lines, resorts and other travel based services love travel agents because we bring them business. We also take the burden off of their staff by dealing with you, answering your questions, coordinating payment and a myriad of other details so they don't have to. In exchange for doing all of that, they pay us a commission.
That commission is NOT added into the price of your trip on the back end. The price you are quoted by a travel agent will sometimes be the same price you could find on your own via a travel website. Often it will be less. Less!! How is that possible? Because travel agents have access to wholesale pricing, special rates, and other non-public deals that regular sites and the general public will not.
OK, so besides the possibility of saving a few bucks - why is it better to use a travel agent? Maybe you don't need to save money. Or maybe the price is exactly the same. So why do it? A travel agent will spend time researching your trip to your exact specifications, working hard to find you not only a great deal - but also the exact type of hotel and flight schedule you are looking for. Sure, you could do that yourself, but why wouldn't you want someone else to do it for you? Especially for free?
Later, when you are on your trip, your travel agent will be available to you should you need anything at all. If an emergency arises and you need to get home immediately, your travel agent can pull that off easily. If something goes wrong at your hotel or resort, your travel agent has contacts you wouldn't believe - it will get fixed faster than you'd imagine! And if you happen to be getting married while you are on your vacation... well if your travel agent is also a wedding planner, you can be playing on the beach, enjoying your resort, while everything is flowing smoothly behind the scenes.
There are many reasons why a travel agent is the way to go when it comes to traveling, whether it's a short trip for business or a lengthy vacation with many stops. Next time you travel, give us a call (248-560-7001), we'll give you a quote and you can compare for yourself! Jason (jason@candycaintravelglr.com) or I (anita@candycaintravelglr.com) would love to hear from you!
