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!

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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear All,

We are ending the year of 2021 with many blessings!

We can count our falls as a way to learn and grow, and for all our victories, we should think how blessed we are.

We’ve had a whole year to get together and celebrate birthdays, even without blowing out the candles on the birthday cake. A whole entire year of going back to some kind of life, where you could go out to eat, travel, get together with people, exercise, do as many things as you did pre-COVID, and feel sort of normal.

Now, for a moment, let’s stop and think what has made us more resilient, what we have learned about ourselves and how much we’ve grown this year.

Can’t we all say that since COVID, the minutiae that used to bother us are now just little annoyances? Can’t we all say that life has much more meaning, so we want to spend more time with people who make us feel good and not waste our time trying to please everyone?

Can’t we all agree that money comes and goes, but kindness is the real deal?

2022 is at our door and we need even more understanding, more kindness, and to care more for each other. Let’s try to judge less and help more. Let’s try to give more and take less. Let’s try to agree to disagree instead of show “who is ‘mas macho.’”  Let’s try to forgive more for our own sakes.

I wish you all a beautiful 2022, where you can feel blessed, happy and safely hugged!

Cheers!

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Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear TA’s,

I am writing this blog from a beautiful beach in Florida where the temperature has reached 80F and the breeze is making the day even nicer. Yes, the sand is warm and looking at the water makes me feel all my stress go away. I ask myself if I could live like this. Why not?

When we arrived from the airport and rented a car to come to this beautiful hotel on the beach, we saw many cruises parked at the port. It has been a little over 2 years since I’ve been on a cruise, and I could feel my body going through bad withdrawals! For the first time, my body and brain both reacted to my cruise lover addiction – and I feel I desperately need to go to one.

We are already booking cruises for 2022. Unfortunately, I have more time than my husband to travel. I love company when I travel, so I will soon post my cruises and invite my FRIENDS (from Facebook and from other places) to join me and party. Let’s celebrate life! Since I haven’t booked all my trips yet, I am welcoming suggestions. I am not soooo picky, but it must be a nice cruise, preferably on the Caribbean side. I am not available April 10, 24; Memorial Day, and June 1-15, and the end of August (all weddings I have already RSVPed for!) Go ahead and use your CLIA knowledge and invite more girls to make it even more fun.

I can’t wait to meet you, especially some of you who I feel I already know so well through Facebook where we’ve already built a friendship. Life is what we build, and it is happier and more enjoyable the more we travel and the more we get together to celebrate it. Life is most beautiful on the Caribbean side!

Cheers to life, travel and friendship!

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Facebook @travelwithrosana

Instagram @travelwithrosana

Blogs @ http://www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear TA’s,

For the last 4 months I have had problems with my left foot. It first started with both feet having serious plantar fasciitis. I went to a podiatrist and he suggested orthotics, special tennis shoes, and physical therapy. The right foot got much better but unfortunately the left one got a tear on the fascia and put me in a boot for over 2 months.

I promise that I will never take walking for granted again. Before, I used to power walk between 8-10 miles a day. Now I have just started again with baby steps.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I started to think more about seniors traveling. How to travel when you slow down? Who specializes in senior travel? How much has senior travel increased, and how safe is travel for seniors?

We are now in Fort Lauderdale where many cruises depart. I have always seen many seniors taking cruises during this time of the year to the Caribbean, a very popular destination for November through January.

I have gotten some requests to speak to groups of seniors about traveling. Honestly, I don’t think I am an expert in senior travel. I believe cruises are still the safest, and booking groups is the most profitable. If you have experience in senior travel or want to learn more about group travel for seniors, I highly recommend this as a profitable area for travel advisors. Talk to me about places and groups where you can show your expertise and get more business from there.

As always, I am cheering for you!

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

 

Dear TAs,

In my opinion, your “Welcome Back” email is the best tool you have towards client retention and self-promotion. A well written and precisely timed “Welcome Back” email from you is the key.

Let’s review the precise time to send it first:

If you send your email too early, when most folks are still opening a bunch of emails received while they were away, your email could be mistaken as junk mail or something they got from you during their trip, so it is not important anymore.

But, if you take too long to send it, it loses the main goal of client retention and becomes one more piece of junk to deal with in their everyday life.

All people deal with their email differently; some are collectors, they don’t rush to read them, especially during vacation. Others are kind of OCD about email, even the inbox on their phone needs to show zero, so whenever they find Wi-Fi they read and clean out the junk.

So, the big question is when is not too late but also not too early? I have a rule of 10 days.

Let the collector catch up, and the OCD relax –  and if either group of people had any stopover before coming home, or any bad experiences during their flight  such as a flight delay, a person kicking their seat, or nowadays, someone not wanting to wear a mask (anything that could make the trip a little unpleasant), you don’t want to be the target of their frustration since it had nothing to do with your planning!

Now in terms of what to say in the body of your “Welcome Home” email:

Let’s remember that there are people who are givers, and others who are takers. From the givers, you can expect a thank you letter as soon as they come back, saying how wonderful you are and that they will tell their friends and families about you.

From the takers, expect a letter of complaint as soon as they come back, asking for a refund or a compensation for their troubles, or they will tell ALL their friends and families how awful you are.

Now that we have taken care of the givers and takers, let’s concentrate on the other types of clients. These are the ones who will receive your “Welcome Home” email. In my opinion, don’t ask any questions, don’t ask them to give you feedback, if they wanted to, they would belong in one of the other groups. Also don’t push them so hard that they eventually become eventually a complainer. Instead, tell them how much you enjoyed creating their dream vacation and can’t wait to do it again.  If you want, you can give them a gift certificate for their next vacation if they call you by certain date, or choose a vacation of a certain value, etc.

The shortest and sweetest email you can send will be the most successful one. If you are working with a large group, make sure you write an email to every single member, no cc’ing or bcc to anyone. Treat each person as they deserve to be treated, by giving them individual attention. This is very important, just like a thank you note after a nice gift!

Cheering for you as always!

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

Dear TA’s,

I am very supportive of TA’s who prefer to work with groups only. There is a lot of work involved, and each and every group member has a different request to be addressed. Nevertheless, once the group planning starts and everyone has their down payment paid, it is easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Let’s make sure the contract for this group is signed by the leader/s. In the case of a destination wedding: the groom and bride. For a church group: the pastor and/or organizer. The organizer should sign for all types of other groups. Also, each member of the party needs to sign for their room based on the rules of the hotel, and flights when applicable. Don’t make ANY additional verbal agreements once you have a written agreement – the verbal agreement portion will not be enforced. This is a very important issue in case of cancellation, especially on the part of the leaders!

So how to handle the cancellation fees when the leader of a group decides that there will not be a trip anymore? Who will pay for the cancellation fees for each individual party (guests) of the group? Well, it is not fair that each guest pay for his/her own penalty when they are not responsible for the cancellation.

My suggestion is to have a line in the contract specifying exactly this point. If the leaders or organizers decide to cancel the trip, they are responsible for ALL cancellation fees for ALL guests. This should be stated in the written contract. If they need to, they can get travel insurance for that specific situation and not lose money from their pocket or their organization.

Along the same lines, I HIGHLY recommend that all guests get travel insurance within 15 days of booking a trip.

A group trip is only great when EVERYONE – from leaders, to guests and TAs are happy from the beginning to the end. If any party feels taken advantage of, it is not a good deal anymore!

I hope you think seriously about each important point in the contracts for group travel. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

Always cheering for you!

Follow me at:
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Blogs @ www.travelwithrosana.com

 

 

Dear TA’s,

How many travel agents does it take to make the best vacation? A great ONE!

I hope that GREAT ONE is YOU!

So, let’s do some math here. Your client or prospective one calls you because he/she believes you are THE ONE.  YOU and I believe you are the ONE.  Are you adding that up? That’s 3 against NO ONE! So, why should you work for free?

Why are you feeling uncertain about charging a service fee? And my last question for you to consider: what should your service fee be?

I definitely do not believe in increasing service fees for no reason. I actually I think that it sounds better to have a set service fee and offer a discount if a person comes recommended by someone else, if the group is bigger than… (you name it!), or any other reason you can find to justify it – IF, and only IF you wish!

Those who have read my previous blogs will find it easier to understand my reasons for this recommendation. For those who are reading this blog for the first time, in the past I have explained that once you have the experience (that you already have) you can set your fees high enough so there is no reason to increase them just because you’ve gotten “busier” or “better.”  You should charge your fees based on your experience, and the number of clients that you already have.  Believe in yourself and create your own reality – (use the “which came first – the chicken or the egg theory!”)

Remember the important word I mentioned before: BELIEVE.

You need to believe in yourself, in your experience and your capabilities of delivering the best trip to your clients.

I believe in YOU. Your clients or prospective ones believe in YOU.

Do you believe YOU are the ONE?

Cheering for you! Send a message my way with any questions!

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

What is it like to go on a cruise now? Here is how COVID has changed the experience for cruises.

Cruising is back!  There are more cruises scheduled to depart from the port of Los Angeles in 2022 than in 2019. Carnival has announced that their bookings for the second half of 2022 are already higher than the total for 2019.  Royal Caribbean is seeing the same trend.

Recovering from the huge financial toll placed on the industry from the global pandemic, positive signs of future business growth include orders for new cruise chips that will be in the waters by 2027.

Cruisers just want to cruise.  However, there are some questions about how things have changed, and what passengers can expect.

Vaccination:  The CDC recommends that all passengers be fully vaccinated before boarding a cruise ship. The largest cruise lines require passengers leaving U.S. ports to be fully vaccinated. Proof of vaccination will be required at the terminal before boarding. Some cruise lines will also require all passengers, vaccinated or not, to show proof of a COVID-19 test taken within two days of boarding a vessel.

Masks:   Masks are strongly encouraged in public spaces and are required in such indoor areas such as elevators, stores, casinos and dining halls, except when eating or drinking. Masks are not required around the pool and hot tubs. To maintain social distancing, deck chairs are spaced farther apart.

Shore Excursions:  Each country the ships visit have their own Covid-19 protocols, so it is advised to know before you go.  For example, the Bahamas, requires all cruise visitors to be fully vaccinated, except travelers under age 12 and those with medical exemptions.  On some ships, unvaccinated passengers are not allowed to go onshore except with a pre-booked “bubble tour,” where passengers travel only with friends and family in a controlled environment. On other cruise lines encourage passengers to take only shore excursions managed by the ship.

Capacity: To encourage social distancing, most ships are sailing at less than full capacity. The Majestic Princess left on its maiden voyage from the Port of Los Angeles at about 60% capacity. Most cruise lines will be increasing capacity over the next few months.

Onboard Activities: On many ships, indoor dancing, karaoke and nightclubs are not allowed for now.  The Majestic Princess converted its karaoke area into extra room for spa treatments. Passengers might now be allowed to try on clothing for sale in shops.

Dining:  Most self-serve buffets have been modified so employees are serving passengers which will avoid crowding. Many restaurants onboard recommend reservations and will limit groups at dining tables to eight. Some cruise lines have an app to make reservations.

More Info: Safety drills will now be presented on stateroom televisions or a cruise ship app. Spas and gyms are open, but some lines limit access to only vaccinated guests. Hand sanitizer is widely available.

What are you waiting for? Spread the word and let your clients know cruising is back! 

Always cheering for you!

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

Dear TA’s,

Last week I wrote about how I categorize the different types of prospective clients that call travel agents/advisors seeking help with their vacations.

I got many questions regarding each and every one. Some of the questions had to do with how soon a client can be categorized. There were also questions about prospective clients who come up with lots of questions and promises and then disappear. (As Scott Walters cleverly named them, “The Illusionists.”)

Since this is a Blog and not a “Dear Rosana” column, I will explain most of the questions but again, but feel free to reach out to me to discuss them even further.

First and foremost, to avoid “The Illusionists,” once a prospective client starts asking questions, I recommend answering only a few, and then send them a contract with your service fee. Travel agents/advisors are very busy now. More people are traveling than before, and they want a TA’s help. They are choosing not to venture out by themselves and make a mistake by booking their trips online. TA’s cannot waste time with prospective clients who can’t decide between taking a vacation or a trip to the zoo. Once a prospective client invests in your service fee, both parties are invested in the same purpose, which is to create a nice vacation.

In terms of the “controller,” who asks a lot of questions, some of TA’s prefer not to work with them at all, and others felt like they were dealing with a bully. My recommendation to TA’s is to first recognize that the prospective client is a controller by their tone of voice, their demands, and even their actions. For example, asking the same question by different methods, such as emails, texts and phone calls in a short time. Asking for an explanation of every bit of minutiae. Telling you that “others” in their party feel badly, or something else (hearsay). All of these are the red flags of a controller.

If you are using a mirror next to your phone or computer, you can see that the controller is affecting your gut and making you feel uncomfortable and pressured. If you are using the phone, tell this client that another call is coming in and you need to call him/her back. In the case that you are reading an email: STOP! Drink some water, take a deep breath and go for a walk if you can. With a controller, you have to turn the tables and use the skills I explained in my past blog. Set limits, tell them when YOU are going to contact them. Limit your time on the phone with them and use more emails. Do not explain every detail of what you do (doctors don’t explain every procedure – they deliver results!)  You will deliver them a great trip. In the case of hearsay, don’t miss a beat – if someone has a problem with you, that person should reach out DIRECTLY to you. By acting this way, you’ll feel like you have control.In 95% of these cases, the client comes back happily and will recommend you to many of their friends.

Keep in mind though, when you follow up with ALL your clients after the vacation (client retention) wait a couple of weeks. For a couple of reasons:

1. Once they come back, they are overloaded by junk emails. You don’t want them to mistake your email as junk.

2. Even if your trip was perfect, sometimes the little kid sitting in the seat behind you on the last flight kept kicking your seat, or the last flight was delayed, or the Uber driver on the way home didn’t speak a word of English. These types of things will be in their minds for few days, until jet lag is gone, and all the great memories of the trip come back. THEN is the perfect time to hear a WELCOME BACK from you!

Always cheering from you!

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

Dear TA’s,

First let me explain that I use the letters TA instead of saying Travel Agents or Travel Advisors. When I started in this business, life was a little less complicated and we were all Travel Agents. Since ASTA has changed the title they use to Travel Advisors, I want to be politically correct and not offend anyone, so using the letters TA (in our industry) makes my life a little easier.

Now that I have explained myself and that we are all hopefully in agreement on that; let me ask you what your perfect kind of client or prospective one is, and if you always get that kind?

For all the years that I have dealt with clients and travel agents in my business as a Tour Operator, I always enjoyed a challenge. I believe that my best clients were the “difficult” ones, the ones that I had already pre-categorized as: “cheap-o,” “controlling,” “dramatic,” “multi-tasker,” or “dreamer.”

I had a formula that I used to deal with each of these category types, and I was very successful.

Let me share with you:

• “Cheap-o” were the clients who wanted me to match prices from another vendor or the internet. I spoke to them in a voice that indicated that I was in a hurry (to get rid of him/her), explained very briefly why the other product (vendor or internet) was not reliable, or would bring them a big headache in the end. Then in a softer voice, I would ask for their name again, and tell them that I had another client to take care of. If they were still interested, I gave them two options of specific times to talk to me (a few days later). Ninety percent of the time, they called back and bought.

• “Controllers” – are people who want to tell you how and what to do. Usually they take too much of your time because they ask you to explain every step of what you are doing. Most of the time you end up exhausted, and sometimes doubting your experience. Remind them that you are the expert and that is why they are dealing with you. Tell them when you can talk to them, on your schedule. Set limits to the hours they can contact you, and the method at which you prefer to be contacted. Use a strong voice and be short.

• “Dramatic” clients are the ones who become your friend and want to vent and tell you all his/her life stories. Then, they need extra time to pay because of something that happens to them. Suddenly you find yourself too involved in their personal life. When you see that this kind of client is coming, the best way to avoid them is to get busy with other clients waiting on the line. You can definitely use a soft voice as if you would love to hear all their stories and show empathy, but unfortunately you are so busy because you are so good!

• The “Multi-tasker” is easy to spot! You can hear pots and pans banging in the background or they call while shopping or with their kids.  There are often many things going on all at the same time. This is the client that will not remember a thing about your conversation. I used to ask that all information be exchanged by emails. Even though these clients promised me that they were the best multi-tasker, I would say that I was sensitive to noise, and to give them the best service and pricing I could only do it by emails.

• “Dreamers” – I’ve worked with two kinds – the beer budget with champagne taste, and the ones who were in another dreamland while talking to me. The first kind I treat like the “Cheap-o” and the second kind like the “Multi-tasker.”

If you have had other categories of clients and want to share, please feel free to! Psychology goes a long way with people. Don’t get upset with them, get even! LOL!

Always cheering for you!

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