Hired a travel advisor for the first time? Here are 5 tips to get you started.
As a travel advisor my number one goal is to help my clients have the vacation they want. Often I’m the first travel advisor that they've hired, and they need to know how the process works, and what to expect. (Sometimes the only experience they have is via a travel agency they or their parents worked with 30 years ago). We always chat about all of this in our initial consult. What we don’t always talk about is how you, as a client, can get the most out of your relationship with your travel advisor. So with that in mind - here are our best tips!
Be honest about your ideal price point
We completely understand not having an idea of what a vacation costs - especially these days. But when push comes to shove - everyone has a budget. Don't tell us you want to spend 10K but keep it a secret that you are really ok with spending 20K - because chances are if you do that - we're not going to present the options you actually want. The best thing to do is to tell us your range, and we'll do our best to get you the best value for your vacation. If there's a property or an excursion that brings you above the number you told us, and it could have made everything perfect, but you never told us there was wiggle room then you're missing out on something amazing you could have had. Having an open and honest conversation with your travel advisor is so important. We may feel like it's impolite to discuss money - but in this case - it's necessary.
Tell us about your individual needs
Do you have a family member who needs stair access to their room? Or someone who needs a resort with few stairs? Does someone in your party smoke? Is there a child who wakes up with the sun and needs a separate sleeping space? These are things we need to know - if you want us to be able to help you with these situations or account for them when booking your travel. We've heard it all by now! So no matter what it is just let us know. We'll keep it confidential - and make sure (to the best of our ability) that you get what you need in order to help you have the best vacation possible.
Know your dates
Work out when you want to/can travel - prior to calling us. If you know that Amy’s birthday is on Saturday the 20th, and you can’t miss the party - tell us that weekend is off limits. If you know that you can only take 4 days off of work - let us know! Sit down with your calendar before our initial consultation and make a few notes about what will and won’t work for you. This will save us time as we’re in the proposal stage. I guarantee you that if you start with “we can go any time” I’m going to come back with the ONE day you can’t travel that month. So look ahead of time - it will save you time in the long run!
Know what you can be flexible on
Everyone has the things you can’t bend on - the deal breakers. Know what those are, and tell us! Also, let us know if there are things you want but CAN bend on. If you’d like two queen beds for the four of you but you can make do with a King and a sofa bed - let us know. OR if you’d rather up your budget by 5K for an additional room than share a bed with your kids - tell us that too. I’ll do my best to get you what you want - but sometimes we have to be flexible - so it’s helpful to know what falls into each category for you.
Communicate!
As a travel advisor and agency owner I’m always walking that line of wanting to help my clients, keep them in the loop, not overwhelm them with communication, but also get the info out to you. How can you help with this? If you recieve a proposal and need some time- tell me! Because if you don't, I may send you emails you're not ready for - or we may lose out on ways to hold inventory because we didn't know you were sold on leg one of the trip but still considering leg two. If you love a proposal, but you have a concern about any aspect - tell me! Everything we do is customizable, and we want to make it all perfect for you. So - be open and honest with us, and you'll have the ideal vacation - like these that we've recently planned!
Ready to book your next trip? Schedule a consultation to get started.
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