Dear Travel Agent,

When your clients ask for recommendations for restaurants or specialty stores in different countries, where do you go for that information?

Because I have traveled so often, I have created a list of my favorite restaurants by cuisine, and where in each county I can purchase the best things at the most affordable prices.

When I had my Tour Operator business, I loved sharing this information with the travel agents I did business with. I knew I was providing them with great information to give/share with their clients.

Neither search engines nor websites can give this type of personal service to clients. It was a big bonus to be able to relate to each individual client and understand their needs. To hear their wish lists, and then give them some kind of information, as a friend would recommend a good restaurant or what they should look to shop for. Obviously, taste is personal and what I like is not necessarily what you like. I always made sure to tell them that. In terms of goods, I always said that if something seems too good to be true, it is NOT true, DO NOT BUY IT!

A piece of advice I gave to my travel agent clients was for them to ask their clients the names of movies they like. Usually, if people have the same taste in movies and/or books, food tastes would be similar as well.

I believe that a Travel Advisor/Agent can be both an educator and a learner.  By learning, we gather all the best information to share with our clients, and by educating, we make their travel easier:

• Explain about travel insurance
• Get to know your client’s needs
• Let them know what the countries offer in terms of shopping for goods
• Tell them about some nice restaurants

And if you don’t know that information? Ask your vendor/tour operator. Remember, you are a client too!

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Dear Travel Agent,

I don’t watch much TV, but I love watching Judge Judy and The People’s Court. I just love it!

Imagine my surprise when I saw Judge Marilyn Milian ruling on a case between a traveler who was suing a travel agent who organizes travel for women to over 120 countries, where she goes together with the group.

The plaintiff wanted her money back because she fell and hurt herself 10 days before the trip, and OF COURSE she felt it was the defendant’s OBLIGATION to give back the money she had paid.

Judge Milian asked the plaintiff if she had ever heard about Travel Insurance, and if she had purchased any. Sure enough, she had not.

The plaintiff then explained that she tried to put together the same tour package online, and the price she came up with was much lower than the defendant sold her packages for.

Judge Milian was horrified by the plaintiff’s words. She said that for the price of the trip that the plaintiff had put together with help of the internet, one could not even go from New York to the Bronx. LOL!

Judge Milian asked the plaintiff why she expected someone else to pay for her own misfortune, when travel insurance was available and would have taken care of it.

To those who know the show, after the verdict, the parties come out and make a statement. In this case, the plaintiff came out saying she didn’t agree with the Judge. She said an attorney she spoke to before the show said she was entitled to get all her money back.

I could not understand how after all the Judge said and explained to the plaintiff, she CONTINUED to believe she could cancel a trip just because she couldn’t travel. How clueless, selfish, and self-centered can a person be?

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Dear Travel Agent,

I often see the work of a travel agent being compared to other professions. Many of these comparisons are to highlight the value of working with an agent. But, some critics believe that working with an agent is an “ancient” idea. When I hear that, I think about the work of a matchmaker.

A matchmaker makes sure that the right two people fall in love. He or she finds out all important details about each “candidate” and then, finds the right “match” for each one.

Today, there are so many apps for matchmaking, but there are also a lot of frogs out there. Some people are weirdos, some misrepresent themselves, and it seems that very few are true. Try this kind of matchmaking at your own risk! Their disclaimers should read, “We are not responsible for you hurting yourself.”

What a good human matchmaker can offer is making the whole process of finding the right “match” less stressful and more pleasant. It adds a human touch.

This is exactly what a travel agent does. Agents are caring people who make sure travelers fall in love with their vacations. By consulting with clients about their likes and dislikes, they can assist clients in finding the perfect destination for their trip. Travelers then have great experiences, and come back happy and ready to continue living their lives.

Call me a dreamer, call me a person who still believes in the importance of the human touch, especially in love and travel.

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Dear Travel Agents,

Throughout my professional life I have received many inquiries about when it’s best to recommend a cruise, or, why a person should take a cruise.

I always like to explain my answers with a comparison to something people do and feel very comfortable with. I compare traveling to eating. It’s something everyone does and most, I am sure, enjoy it.

The experience of taking a cruise can be compared to having a dinner of a lot of appetizers, instead of one big entree. By tasting a bunch of appetizers, a person has the opportunity to experience and enjoy many flavors, all while having lots of fun. Afterward, the person can decide if the next time they visit that restaurant, she/he wants to enjoy a full entree based on a specific appetizer, or if that sampling of many appetizers was enough, and fulfilling.

Does that make sense? For that reason, I just love a cruise. Now, what kind of cruise?

With food, some people prefer the more popular chain-type restaurants, where you know you will feel comfortable no matter how you go, behave or dress. Some prefer restaurants with table linens, a maître d’ and more formal, with no kids running around, and so on. Others, especially for those where money is not an issue, enjoy 1 or 2 Michelin starred restaurants, and prix fixe menus where a very famous chef decides on the menu.

This is a bit like comparing the different types of cruise ships. There are the more popular, the middle range, and the more expensive ones where everything is included.

Make sure you match your client to the right cruise ship. Question them how they like to eat, and whether they enjoy appetizers or prefer a dinner based on a main entree.

Clients can always take something for seasickness such as Pepto Bismol after  indigestion, but you can’t substitute a cruise experience when people prefer one big and well dreamed about main dish, and all you’ve offered them was many appetizers.

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