Dear TA’s,

Or you can call it Limits versus Rules!

In my last blog I said that a New Year is like a new relationship where we should set limits, but I never said we should “set the rules!” Limits have to do with oneself, and rules to all parts.

The same happens in the relationship between travel agents/advisors and their clients/prospective ones. We, the TAs, can and SHOULD set the limits from the beginning, but never dictate the rules.

So, for example, setting a fee to work with clients/prospective ones, hours of operation, what we will do or won’t do for clients, all of these should be settled by the Travel Advisor from the beginning. It’s better if it is done in writing, so both parties clearly understand the relationship.

I have seen too many times Travel Advisors going out of their comfort zone, doing “more than they think they signed up for” and feeling like clients are taking advantage of them.

By the same token, clients feel like once they “hire” a Travel Advisor who is making “big bucks” they should be available to them 24/7 to answer their questions, and even “packing their bags” for them. After all, if they work in tourism, between commissions and perks, TA’s make a great living.

The best way to start a new year is with new resolutions. Review your contracts and make sure that they very clearly spell out your limits: your fees, your hours, what your service includes, and if you need to provide extra services, such as collecting money from the group for extra tours, making lists of names for those who want to have dinner on top of the mountain, etc. There is an extra fee for those services – or you don’t do it at all. But most importantly: SPELL IT OUT on your contract. That way, when your client assumes you will do all of this, you won’t feel like you are being taken advantage of, and your client will understand that all the “billions” of dollars you make on their booking is not enough to cover “packing their luggage.” LOL!

IF your clients/prospective ask why you have so many “rules” on your contract; you can explain that the only rule is that you will help them determine where and when they should go and how much they should spend. The rest are not rules, but limits, and clarify for all parties the scope of your services and expertise, to avoid future misunderstandings and disappointments.

I am sure that the good clients will appreciate this, and the non-appreciative ones will look for a good deal someplace else!

Cheers to good clients!

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Dear TA’s,

Are you ready to move forward despite and in spite of Covid?

I felt like when the year 2020 began, it was going to be a great year. I am not a numerology person, or a person who believes in prophecy, I just liked the sound of 2020 and was betting on it. I have made up a little story about the past few years.

2020 was kind of like meeting a guy and thinking that he was the ONE! After a year of verbal abuse (and thanking God it was not physical!), I renewed my vows with the same guy for 2021 because he promised to be a much better guy.

2021 really tried, but the roses had the taste of vaccine, they became wilted and didn’t have much smell – but, they were roses and we made up. I really thought he was the ONE again with those “roses” and couldn’t wait to “walk down on the aisle” together in business class and have a blast.

Well, towards the end of 2021 he couldn’t keep to himself and the abuse came back. I don’t know if I got used to it or if it wasn’t as bad, but it felt like forever.

And now we are on the first month of 2022 and I have decided to set limits on this relationship.

Are you with me so far?

I have invested too much in this relationship, I can’t quit!

So here we go: In 2022 we will “walk down the aisle” as many times as we want to. And we will cruise together, we will celebrate life, and my tears will be only of happiness! I will not listen to 2022 if it tries to be abusive, it better be kind to me and to everyone else!

We are in charge of our own lives and there are no pity parties allowed! Travel agents/advisors are more important than ever. Clients who still don’t understand that an agent’s time is valuable and that they are worth the investment need to understand that they can’t pick our brains for free! Amen!

There is still time to get ready for a great 2022!

Cheers!

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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

 

Dear TA’s,

I have been thinking about cruises and reading a lot about this, and I agree with CLIA’s statement from last week below:

“The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard — far fewer than on land — and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore.”

We have all seen that since December 30^th, the CDC is screaming that cruises should be avoided: 

On December 30, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention increased the risk level for cruise ship travel to its highest level and said it should be avoided, regardless of vaccination status. The move “reflects increases in cases onboard cruise ships since identification of the Omicron variant.”

My friends have asked me if I will book my cruises and travel anyway, since travel is so important. I tell them that for me travel is like oxygen for my brain, it is therapy for my anxiety, and re-energizes me body and soul. IF I feel anxious or nervous about traveling or unsafe, I would rather stay home.

I would prefer to travel on cruise ships with fewer people, and check that the rules state 100% vaccination rate for passengers and crew. I will wear N95 and KN95 in the places I feel it is necessary. I don’t mind. I don’t believe that cloth or surgical masks offer as much in terms of effectiveness. This is what I BELIEVE based on science.  (For those who think differently, let’s agree to disagree and respect each other’s opinion. 😉)

I think that cruises are still the safest way to travel but it will depend on people’s behavior. Every time I have traveled on a cruise ship prior to COVID (about 3 times a year) I only saw a lot of people when I went for dinner or to a show. At other times I barely saw anyone. Why? We used the stairs to go up and down. We had private tours, so there was no need to leave together with the crowd. We had breakfast in the room and lunch outside or in other places, but never at the buffet. I used the gym very early in the morning or power walked outside on the last floor. I always take a nice nap before dinner.  Almost 95% (or more) of the time the weather was perfect, so I was able to avoid being inside with crowds. Now, I will wear my N95 inside the ship. The good thing is I won’t need to worry about having to reapply my lipstick!

See you on a nice cruise! Cheers!

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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear Travel Agents/Advisors,

Happy 2022!

I would love to start my first blog of the year with only good news, but life is more about how we act with each piece of information we receive, and not about how we sit with our feelings about each fact that comes to us.

As you probably know, the airlines are canceling many flights for the first two weeks of 2022. It is not as much because of the weather, but because of “science.” The question of whether quarantines should be 5 or 10 days for pilots and crew. The unions say it is 10 days, and the airlines and industry say it is 5.  Airlines need crew and pilots to operate the airplanes, so they prefer to cancel the flights ahead of time until this issue is resolved, which gives passengers more time to rebook.

In the corporate world, many companies decided to hold their conventions and meetings virtually instead of in person. The months of January and February used to be slower for leisure travel, but airlines traditionally relied on corporate travel to start the year. The good news for leisure travel is that airlines have lowered their prices. So, use those lower prices, combined with TRAVEL INSURANCE and send your clients on a safe vacation. Corporate travel is still weaker than usual, and its future depends on when companies feel comfortable sending employees back to work and people are comfortable at large conventions.

Yes, you can! Some people may disagree with me (when we talk about guidelines and masks) but following the CDC guidelines, especially by getting the right Travel Insurance, wearing masks inside and outside (in crowded places) people can still have a great vacation by taking advantage of low airfare and awesome destinations.

I enjoy warm weather and can’t wait to go someplace where I can relax on the beach, walk on the sand and rest my eyes looking at the ocean.

To a 2022 where you can make it happen!

Follow me at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com