How Travel Agents Stand Out

OTA's. Other travel agents. Probably some weird new technology or service you've never even heard of yet.

They're all coming for your clients.

In today’s world, Laurie Shuss said that travel agents have to do whatever they can to stand out from the rest to keep their valuable customers.

“In my Dream Vacations franchise that means going the extra mile for my clients,” said Shuss, Dream Vacations Franchise Owner and Vacation Specialist with Cruise with Laurie in Fort Myers, Florida.

“In a very digital world, it’s easy to forget that most clients still like to be taken care of and know that all the details have been taken care of for them.”

Shuss prints all of her client’s documents, boarding passes, luggage tags, excursion reservations, airline reservations, transfers, maps of the ship and any other pertinent information.

“I package it all in a beautiful snap folder along with our business card so they can carry it easily on their travels,” she said. “I also include special gifts. The response to receiving their package has been incredible. We also send out thank you-for-booking cards, bon voyage cards, welcome home cards and personalized birthday greetings to make sure that our name and phone number are in front of our clients at all times.”

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Becoming a Travel Fairy

“I have turned myself into the travel fairy I always wish I had,” said Debi Kasen of Romance Globe Travel in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Everyone should feel special in this impersonal world. I try to find the best price and only recommend upgrades if they are truly worth it. I send nice thank you gifts and text my clients their gate information when they are at the airport. I even send them a text about the best restaurant and the location while waiting for a layover.”

Kasen also texts her clients once they arrive on property and want to know if everything is to their satisfaction.

Focus

To stand out from other travel agents, Stacey Hartmann, Travel Planner from Waunakee, Wisconsin, focuses on being an expert, providing details that others do not know or cannot speak to and goes above and beyond for her clients:

“A recent example is a dream trip for a family going to Turks and Caicos for the holidays. There were many ups and downs as we decided if they still had a place to stay post-hurricane, if they still wanted to travel and if it would be safe and fun after the recent disasters. Online agents and those without travel experience cannot help you get the answers you need to make great travel decisions.”

Irene Pasquesi also makes sure she immerses herself in one particular destination.

“To achieve that I have totally immersed myself in the region via culture, language, geography and associations here at home,” said Pasquesi of LagoBlu Travel in Chicago, Illinois. “By traveling only to the same region and working with specific tour operators that have local offices here and abroad, my clients are never alone unless they want to be. My niche is being able to offer one destination from budget to luxury experiences.”

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Greg Antonelle is a Disney expert and makes sure that everyone knows that’s his company’s specialty.

“We only book Disney vacations, therefore, our agents are considered by many as the most knowledgeable Disney travel agents in the nation,” said Antonelle of Mickey Travels LLC in Long Valley, New Jersey.

“We are not trying to be ‘jacks of all trades, master of none.' Rather, we are dedicated to being experts on the specific destinations we sell. We are always up-to-date on promotions, cost-savings, and any news that can potentially impact our clients’ trips. We don’t need to be concerned with what is happening with dozens and dozens of destinations. By dedicating ourselves as true specialists, we provide the best experiences for our clients, allowing them to fully enjoy their vacations without any hassle or stress.”

Nina Fogelman is truly passionate about her country.

“I also do not hide the fact that when we offer a neighboring country as an add-on, we are not the experts but we do have very strong partnerships with the providers we use in those places,” said Fogelman of Ancient Summit. “I usually know them personally and have experienced their services.

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Branching Out

This year, Samarah Meil’s agency made a commitment to do in-depth continuing education: “We have implemented some fun contests too so that it can provide incentives to our agents and reward them for their hard work. I feel if we can keep up with the changes that happen so rapidly in our industry and have resources and relationships with our suppliers and vendors, then that helps us stand out.”

Stefany DiManno Ceccato’s agency gives five percent of their total profit to a local charity called Camp Happy Days, a charity in Charleston, South Carolina that supports kids who have cancer.

“We are also volunteering our time with them to help make this world a better place,” she said.

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