Dear Travel Agents and Advisors,

Today, I began my blog by being inclusive and making sure to call you, my travel agents, also advisors.

Paraphrasing my friend Doug Cooke, I am glad ASTA didn’t have to change their name since “agent” and “advisor” both begin with “A.”

Some people prefer to be called Travel Advisors while others happily continue to consider themselves Travel Agents. If you want my opinion, and since I am ready to give it anyway, it doesn’t matter what we call ourselves. First of all, what matters most is that they do call. Then, they need to treat our jobs with respect, consider the amount of work that we do, and finally, show appreciation by booking.

This also reminds me the other side of the coin. I have heard the comment over and over again that if someone can book his/her own travel, that person is already a travel agent. With all due respect, even if I can cut my own hair, that doesn’t make me a hairdresser. Even if I think I can do a good job on myself; to be a considered a real hairdresser, I need proper training.

So, Travel Agents or Travel Advisors – have your name and preferred title on your business card, social media and everywhere else you want to promote yourself, but don’t forget that ASTA and other associations and even myself as a coach, are cheering and proud of you. Specialize, give 100%, and all prospective clients will come back and also refer you to friends, family and acquaintances. Maybe they will say my Travel Agent was awesome, or my Travel Advisor was incredible – but whichever they call you – take it as a compliment. Don’t correct them, after all the client is always right!

Wishing you all the best,

Follow me at:

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Blogs @www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear Travel Agents,

In my last blog we talked about respecting the partnership between travel agents and tour operators.

It was then brought to my attention that cruise lines are approaching clients directly with discounts, trying to take the travel agent out of the equation.

I want to offer my 2 cents (hopefully worth more than that) about this matter: I don’t have a CLIA membership, nor do I sell cruises – but I love to go on them. I use my own travel agent to book cruises. And, I personally take advantage of discounts for future cruises offered during the cruise that I am on. I can tell for sure:

• The cruise expert on the cruise does not get commission because I asked, and she/he told me I could go back with my bunch of paper offers, analyze which ones make the most sense for me, and come back to ANY ONE of his/her colleagues and put a down payment on the cruise of my choice.
• The first thing they confirmed was the name of my travel agent, and they asked me if I wanted to keep the same agent. I asked if I went directly though the cruise line if I would get any discount or perk. The answer was NO.
• They told me that I have 90 days to change the name of my travel agent, or the commission on the future cruise will go to the original travel agent on the file.

After I got my booking, I called my travel agent and I got an extra discount on the cruise.  Honestly, I was so excited to follow up with her, I didn’t give her a chance to get the booking first and call me.

My suggestion is to keep following up with your clients and let them know that on top of all the perks and discounts they can get directly from the cruise line, you can get them extra discounts.

Promote your name, and remind your clients of your agency’s name, there are lots of little gifts and promotions the cruise line can send on your behalf.

If the gifts are costly, and you’d rather give them in the form of discounts to your clients, send your clients an email telling them that.

I haven’t tried all cruise lines, but I’ve tried many of them. I am not going to say which one is my favorite because that is not the point of this blog post.  But, if you have had a different experience and a cruise line took your client, I would like to hear about that.

Meanwhile, keep cruising and selling cruises!

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Blogs @www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear Travel Agents,

I want to discuss an important issue that comes up from time to time, for different reasons. The issue is what to do when you or your clients are approached by the tour guide at the end of the trip with a comment that suggests that the next time you’re booking travel, you should book directly with the tour guide or the company they work for, in order to save lots of money.

Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?

Let me give you my opinion on this matter, and don’t worry, I will not be judging the morals in this case, but simply analyzing the facts:

• Most of these companies and people in these foreign countries have no representation in the US or Canada, so payments and money need to be wired to a foreign country.
• These companies don’t pay commission, so you will need to add your profit, create a contract directly with your client, and you’ll then be 100% responsible for the tour package.
• If any change needs to be made to the itinerary, you’ll need to contact them (good luck with that!)
• In the event that your client has any problems during the trip, you’ll need to contact the foreign number, or even take a flight over there.
• If the person or company disappears after you’ve paid or given a deposit, you’ll have a claim against you that hopefully, your insurance will pay.

Well, as I said, I won’t be judging the morals of this situation, but IF after you’ve read all these reasons and still believe it is a good idea, in order to make more money from your client or “save” money on your next trip by booking directly with someone who doesn’t respect his/her partnerships; think of how you would you feel if the tour company or cruise line approached your clients and tried to take you, the travel agent, out of the deal!

Honestly, I think that people should treat each other with more respect. The world – even the beautiful travel world – would be a better place.

With respect and gratitude,

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

Dear Travel Agents,

Many of you have approached me to ask which social media channels are more effective, how to promote your businesses better and whether or not you should pay for advertising on them.

I also have been approached by many who “sell” followers, or those who have a special way to teach me/us to promote on social media.

This is how I feel about social media:

• People behave in life the same way as they do on social media: integrity, caring, honesty, positivity, focus, etc.
• What you give is what you get: don’t just post your “stuff” and expect others to “like,” “love,” and comment on your posts. You need to give back, show your “friends” and “followers” that you care about their posts as well.
• Facebook and Instagram: I follow back all who follow me, but only those that have to do with travel agents or tour operators. I am not looking for anything else, such as hair extensions or fitness programs. It is about consistency, and not the number of followers. It makes it easier to like and comment on their posts!
• I personally use the app “Mass Delete” for Instagram. I don’t know if this is the best, but I am pretty happy with it. I find many “smart” people following me on Instagram, and once I follow them back, they “dump” me. This way, their number of followers go up. With this app I know who is not following me anymore, so I can unfollow back. By the way, that is a way (not a nice one) to increase followers.
• You can definitely promote yourself and your company with social media by giving more of yourself. Many people think that they can fool others and make-believe on social media but truly, like in real life, that is short lived.
• The more you give, the more you get, and like with real friends, be honest, caring, trustworthy and respectful to all. Forget the negativity, and those who just need you to be one more follower.

Cheering for you!

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

Dear Friends and Travel Agents,

Now, it is my turn to ask each and every one of you how you feel when you help someone. How much satisfaction does it bring you, especially when people recognize and appreciate it?

I’d like to share my feelings about this with you. To those who know me and to those who don’t even have a clue; I love to help anyone, anytime. No, I am not a people pleaser, and I have a strong self-esteem thanks to years of therapy, but a smile of appreciation, the words “thank you,” and the action of sharing my blogs and posts are the biggest rewards I get.

I honestly do not believe that good people go to heaven or bad people go to hell, but I do believe in karma and I think that this life is a mixture of heaven and hell, depending on the way we choose to look at it.

Why am I writing all of this and including friends, and not only travel agents? I think that every time we share a little bit of ourselves, we expose who we really are. We take a step forward by speaking up and showing our true selves and explaining what our needs are. The people who really care about us will understand, and the ones who don’t will continue to act in their own way, but it takes courage and maturity to say how we feel and what we need. We shouldn’t change who we are because certain people can’t show appreciation of good deeds.

Be who you are, continue helping others and have the courage to speak up to avoid getting hurt.  Hopefully, some people will become more careful and more caring.

With love and gratitude!

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

Dear Travel Agents,

Continuing our discussion about Tour Operators and DMCs (Destination Management Companies), I want to explore the concept of dealing with those types of companies that operate in other countries. Many times, travel agents think that they can save money by buying directly through these foreign operators and then adding their profit onto the package. They then sell the package directly to the traveling client and collect the payment.

Let me explain the risks of this procedure:

• The client will be paying the travel agent under contract and law of the US, or Canada, (depending on the agent’s location). If anything goes wrong, they can sue YOU, the travel agent.
• You, the travel agent, buy the tour package from a foreign company that observes the laws of a foreign country. Even the biggest company can go bankrupt, especially in a country where you don’t know anything about the economy.
• If any problems or price changes on a tour package occur, the only recourse for the agent would be going after the foreign company. Hiring a foreign attorney and having to battle a fight in court in another country, based on their laws and rules, would be a nightmare.

Remember that “reputation” is a travel agent’s middle name. To build a solid business takes time, but to destroy it can take only seconds.

My recommendation is to deal only with solid tour operators in the US or Canada that represent DMCs and have a one-million-dollar errors and omissions insurance policy in place. Let your client sign a contract with those tour operators, and pay them directly while you, the travel agent, get your commission from them separately.

Work with tour operators who work only with travel agents, or those that respect the relationship between client/travel agent, like many cruise lines do.

Travel agents build their businesses with knowledge, spending quality time with their clients, and most importantly, by caring for each and every person they deal with.

Believe in yourself and protect your business!

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

Dear Travel Agents,

We’ve talked so much about how to get new clients, keeping your regular clients happy, and promoting your business on social media. Now, I want to make sure that we discuss another important issue: credibility.

A Travel Agent’s credibility depends on finding the right tour companies to work with. Getting your commission on time is very important, but other factors are very important as well:

•  Having a tour operator that is available to take the time to explain the destination to you.
•  Getting back to your with quotes and answering your questions as soon as possible; so clients don’t wait too long.
•  It’s preferable to work with Tour Operators that work with Travel Agents only and don’t sell to the public, avoiding competition and the possibility that they will try to sell directly to YOUR clients.
•  If possible, having a sales person assigned to you so that you can build a rapport.
•  Making sure that pricing, rules and conditions will not change after you purchase the tour package for yourself or for your client.

All of above are very important factors in building a reputable business as a Travel Agent, especially the last one. Some Tour Operators change prices, rules or conditions once the tour package has been purchased. They will say that you didn’t read the fine print, or that you forgot what they told you over the phone regarding taxes and tips, or about necessary permits and domestic flights, and so on. Then, you’re into a situation where you need to go back to the client and change the price, rules or conditions, OR EAT IT, and keep your word. Tough!

Do your homework BEFORE you learn the hard way! Ask the travel experts, or ask others who have been in the business longer. Join travel groups, and most importantly, pay attention to your gut feeling. Your reputation is priceless and paying for mistakes can become overwhelming.

Feel free to ask me about Tour Operators and DMCs, and follow me at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Blogs @www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear Travel Agents,

Don’t be surprised, but I get many requests for mentoring and guiding. Travel Agents care for my opinions and appreciate my guidance. I feel very flattered by that.

One of the questions I ask agents is who are you? What perception do you want people to have about you? If people have a hard time answering this question, I suggest that they always be who they really are – no one can do a better job than they can at being themselves.

Some ask who I am. I truly appreciate this question and with only a few words I can describe myself. I am a cheerleader, a lover of travel, and I love life and to see people succeeding. I don’t have time for hate; that is a foreign feeling that I have never experienced. My life is too beautiful and too full creating my own happiness. I have no time or space within myself to drink the poison and expect another to die.

Surround yourself with good thoughts, good vibes, work on your dreams, be with positive people and continue riding your unicorn. Travel the world, watch sunrises and sunsets, sing your favorite songs out loud, and dream in full color.

You truly deserve it!

I am your cheerleader and others who live their lives like us will all do the same things: support each other and create more unicorns so we all can dream in full color.

Follow your dreams and make them real, be the best self you can be.

Follow me. After all, I am your cheerleader at:
Facebook @travelwithrosana
Instagram @travelwithrosana
Blogs @www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear Travel Agents,

Do you know any people who are successful in the areas you are focused on? Do you wonder how they got to that place?

Well, many of them love to share their success. Some are even willing to mentor others, simply because it is a way to give back to the community and/or because they believe that life is not a competition, but a way to build each other up, so we can all cheer and be happy together. Why?

Why does anyone want to help and mentor you for free? What do they have to gain?  I can’t tell you everyone’s reasons, but I can tell you about my own.  I feel very blessed. I built my own success and I believe in helping others. It makes me feel better about myself. I smile every time a travel agent or a tour operator grows and shares with me how well they are doing. How much my words, blogs and even mentoring has helped them move forward.

When I share my ideas with someone, I explain why, and what my ideas are based on – not just, “do as I say.”  I enjoy explaining the reasons for and consequences of each action. That saves people many headaches, and many times, falling flat and losing clients and money.

What intrigues me is when people are told what not to do in business, basic ideas to avoid mistakes, and I see them doing these things anyway.  It’s rather like telling someone to hold onto the handrail of a staircase when it is raining to avoid a fall, and then them falling. That person not only avoided the advice but also decided to go two steps at a time, and then they post on social media how life is unfair because they ended up getting some stitches.

Life is what you make it, and even better when you have people cheering for you. Hold on the handrail, take one step at a time, and think before you jump.

Follow me at:
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Blogs @www.travelwithrosana.com

Dear Travel Agents,

How fun it is to travel with a group of people! Many travel agents love doing this for many different reasons.

Reasons aside, let’s address creating a stress-free time abroad. As I mentioned last week in my previous blog, travel and life are beautiful, fun, but never perfect.

• As soon as you receive the emergency phone number for contact abroad (while still in your own country) call that number to make sure it is correct and that someone, a real person who speaks English or another language you are fluent in, answers it. Tell the person when you will be arriving and ask how many people answer that number, and if all speak fluent English. Ask if that number works 24/7, or if there is another number to call just in case.
• If the bus or transfer is not at the airport when you and your group arrive, call the emergency number that you have already tested before leaving your country. KEEP YOUR COOL AND KEEP SMILING. Once the person arrives, use some humor and ask why she/he was not there when you arrived.
• What to do if the hotel does not have your reservation? The person doing the transfer and/or the tour guide is supposed to do the check in. Do not let that person leave you and your group before they do the check in for all, and give you the information for the next day.
• In case the rooms in the hotel are not adequate for any of your guests in the group, first make sure that expectations were addressed before coming to the country. A 5-star hotel in the US is different than a 5-star hotel in a third-world country. If this is not the case, and the room is really not adequate to standard, SMILE, speak nicely to the front desk AND IF NEEDED, talk to the manager. If this does not work, call the emergency number and ask them to deal with the hotel. CONTINUE SMILING!
• In case the tour guide is late in arriving: SMILE, take the tour guide to the side and with humor, tell him/her how excited the whole group is and that they don’t want to miss a thing, so time is important for all members of the group. KEEP SMILING!
• If some people in the group cause the whole group to be late, here you have choices. You can ask the tour guide to stick to the time table and ask the whole group to be on time. You, the tour organizer, can call the delayers or speak to them on the side. Humor and a smile will go a long way with that!
• In case the driver gets a flat tire – that is too bad. Call the emergency number, but I am sure the driver and the tour guide will have already done that. Be patient. No one is at fault, and the group will look to you for your behavior. SMILE and explain that flat tires happen, and suggest something creative to do with this time instead of complaining.
• If some people are cold and others are hot on the bus, ask all who are cold to raise their hands (or hot). Ask all who are cold to move to the front of the bus and all who are hot to move to the back and have the back of the bus turn the air conditioner on! SMILE!
• If anyone in the group does not eat what is being served or is allergic to that food, talk to the tour guide. If that doesn’t help, ask with a SMILE to speak with the waiter or the chef and see what can be provided for that person. Remember, some countries do not have gluten free bread or lactose free items. Humor will help you with both your traveler, and with the people of the country.
• Sometimes, one of the “highlights” of the trip is closed. That can happen; perhaps a President of a country is there for a visit and an important site must be closed to the pubic. As the organizer, find out what happened and with humor and a smile, tell your group that like in life, things happen that we don’t have any control over. Try to find another “highlight“ and make the best of it.

I am sure you have other situations to share. Please feel free to do so, or ask for more of my ideas.

Follow me at:
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Blogs @www.travelwithrosana.com