Travel Agent Chatter | Friday 15 – Details, episodes & analysis

In episode 178 Steph is co-hosting with Jennifer Dugan of Dugan’s Travels! Here are the questions for this week! 

1. I loved the HAR CRM and Itinerary article. My head is spinning: I've looked at so many, Planiteasy, Travefy, Traveljoy, Unmapped, Axus, Tess, Tern. Which one can I either forward the email confirmation from hotels/air/car and it will input all the details not just the confirmation, dates... like prices, room type and cancel policies, or do they all make you enter this again to create the client itinerary once finished booking the reservation? Which let you import confirmations directly from suppliers and help create itineraries?

So yes I want a unicorn, a central repository for all my client's profiles and their bookings, plus the ability to create and send itineraries...that are of course beautiful.   Haha.

-Janette 

2. Does anyone have a place that they can recommend to track expenses?  I'm using an excel spreadsheet and honestly I'm not a fan of it. -Dina

3. Hi there! I have a client wanting to go on a fall foliage tour back east this year. I already quoted her a land tour, but now she’s asking about a train tour. Walking a lot would be a problem for my client. How should I balance all of these requests and find the right suppliers? Thank you for all your feedback. -Anonymous

RESOURCES:

Find itinerary builders, read over 90 advisor reviews + more in HAR’s new travel agency software list! (https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-agency-software)

Freshbooks. https://www.freshbooks.com/

Xero. https://www.xero.com/

Quickbooks. https://quickbooks.intuit.com/

Expensify. https://www.expensify.com/

What travel expenses can you (and can’t you) write off? https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-expenses

Travel agents, here’s how to qualify clients. (Tutorials + real-life examples) https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/how-to-qualify-clients-travel-agent

Host Week EduSpot: Shifting Identities - Making Travel More Accessible. https://www.youtube.com/live/tT7cHbr_y-g?feature=shared&t=19139

 Host Week EduSpot: Growing Your Business Through Accessible Travel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0cSwYJxyOU&t=15922s

Dugan's Travels’ profile with reviews and info (https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/dugans-travels)

https://www.facebook.com/duganstravels/

In episode 177 Steph is co-hosting with Stephanie Pickles of Pickles Travel! They’ve got a ton to discuss, including the following: 

1. I hope to be a beginner agent one day soon and as I am sorting out how to break into this industry I have settled on going through a host agency, in large part thanks to your wonderful website and podcasts which I have been absorbing rapidly. 

2. I guess you can now call me an 'older newbie', but I think I am losing some clients when they ask, "Do you do flights." As I know most TAs don't do airfare I have been giving them the same response. 

However, I have lost some clients by saying that. I have learned recently that Centrav is now offering training on how to purchase airfare for clients. What's the best way to handle such a question or should I go ahead and make their flights if asked given the problems that could arise?  —Marc C.

3. Recently I had a client ask me to help him book a trip to Sicily.  I found two packaged deals that would fit his interests. The problem is that he asked me to send him the links I was looking at so that he could see the suppliers I am working with plus the hotels so he can make a choice. Not knowing how to handle such a response, I sent him the links. So far in two days, I haven't heard from him. What's the best way to handle such a situation from a client?  —Marc C.

RESOURCES:

Options for booking air without the GDS system + what the heck the GDS is. (https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/what-is-gds)

https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/travel-advisor-research-reports/ (Travel agent survey data on fee charging practices: what they charge for, how much, fee structures and more.)

Find itinerary builders + more in HAR’s new travel agency software list! (https://hostagencyreviews.com/travel-agency-software)

Pickles Travel Network’s profile with reviews and info (https://hostagencyreviews.com/hosts/pickles-travel-network)

In episode 168 Steph cohosts with Kendra from Travel Edge. They’ve got some excellent questions to cover this week, everything from CRMs to autism to non-profits. Tune in! 

1. Can you provide any insight about ClientBase? My agency uses it as the CRM and the record for commission, and I hate it. IMO, it is antiquated and clunky and is the worst part of my job. Dramatic, I know. But the web-based version I have wastes my time and it's very unhelpful to me. It's all about getting paid by the host agency.  Do all host agencies work off of this ClientBase system? I like my agency, but I would consider a change if there are agencies out there that connect directly to the vendors so I'm not doing so much data entry. Or, even if they don't connect directly, maybe their CRM systems are more useful. Thank you, Thank you for all you do!  –-K

2. Do you have any resources for adults with autism who want to travel? The biggest issue I have is low stamina when things are too overwhelming. 

My concern is, what if I run into a place that feels too busy, stay too long for some reason, and then the subway or some form of public transit is in-between me and my hotel.

Sorry, it's so hard to find travel tips and resources for adults with disabilities sometimes!   –Anonymous

3. I volunteer for a non-profit that sends missionaries overseas and they want me to book airline tickets. Are there special fares for missionaries? Will joining a host agency mean I can book airline tickets? –Anonymous

RESOURCES:

COMING (very) SOON at HAR! Travel Agency Software profiles

What is a travel agency debit memo?

Yates Travel Design: Travel Edge agency specializing in autism travel

Austism Checked: Site with autism friendly travel companies + training for travel agents.

Travel is for Everyone: Why I specialize in travel with autism: Hear tips on traveling with autism from Dina Farmer, an advisor specializing in it.

International Board of Creditionally and Continuing Education: Autism certification for travel advisors.

In-depth information on what the global distribution system (GDS) is and which travel advisors use it.

In-depth information on what the global distribution system (GDS) is and which travel advisors use it.

Submit your very own Friday 15 questions here! F15?