Why Supplier Hold Times Are So Long

It’s true. Supplier hold times are longer than usual right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hold times for travel suppliers are currently taking three to four times as long due to COVID-19. Many agents are even spending hours on the phone just to make a simple reservation change. The more agents don’t know about a travel product or a place where they’re sending their client, the longer they can expect to spend on the phone with a supplier. This in turn transpires into a backlog of hold time. I know so many tour operators that have been on a hiring frenzy and still cannot keep up with the hold times!

The good news is that we’re so busy right now that we’re surely going to flourish with business for the next few years. Clients are once again starting to spend more time, and more money, planning out their future travels. Staying updated on the latest COVID-19 information is key to planning future travels.

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More than ever travel agents must learn about all of their clients’ wants and needs. Travel bookings no longer alleviate the tour operator. For example, calling and asking suppliers questions like ‘what do you suggest?’ and ‘can you hold that booking for me without names?’ are now commonplace.

So don't rely on your suppliers to give you all the answers. Just think for a moment. You're on hold and know what you want, but the tour operator agent is on the phone with someone else who doesn’t know anything. You're going to pay the consequence for that person's time. Since we haven’t hired everyone back yet, that will also make a difference. So to help the current situation, just be sure to do your part.

This is why the bad news is that not all agents are fully prepared when calling a supplier. Agents need to have their information on point, including client names, where they want to travel to, their budget, where they’re coming from, airfare, etc. if they want to become a travel agent that knows how to best help their clients. Being prepared also helps prevent any refund challenges.

One suggestion I have is when you finally do get ahold of someone, make sure you get their information, including their name and email address. This way you can ask them if you can email them directly instead of calling when you need their help in the future. Being prepared is key to being a successful travel agent!

The pandemic changed the travel industry over the past 18 months, from furloughed employees to BAM the world is open to travel once again. Even though agents are still adjusting to the new and many challenges brought by COVID-19, 2021 is seeing more travelers, and 2022 is likely to see a traveling world that’s returning to a level of normalcy.