How a Travel Agent Can Save you Time, Money, and Stress on Your Travels
The big question I keep hearing is,
"Nothing against you, but why in the world would I hire a travel agent?"
Truthfully, it feels like a big slap in the face to the future I want to carve for myself. Even more so, it feels like the world is against me and what I am incredibly passionate about doing. Envision that angel or devil on your shoulder scenario; that's how it feels in a nutshell.
The person in me completely understands. Why would I want a foreign person to plan a trip for me? They're trying to make a buck like everyone else, which will cost me money I don't have. Meanwhile, the agent me wants to say, why not? But there's a bunch of stereotypes and misinformation out there about what I do and the career I'm building for myself. The best way I can explain it is that the world of travel agents is much like choosing a grocery store. Some specialize in certain things; some charge an upcharge because their demographic is okay with it, and some are just a mom-and-pop run ordeal. Where you shop depends on where you are and what you seek. I can't speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself.
Hear me out. I would rather have a bevy of clients who fall in love with seeing and experiencing the world firsthand by taking a bunch of tiny little trips than one big trip a year they can barely afford. Why? Why advertise and stand for the underdogs? The Middle class?
Hi, I'm the underdog. I'm from the lower middle class. If you are confident that you can afford this and will come home still having some money in your account, you're more likely to fall in love with travelling. I want you to love experiencing new things, family bonding time, and finding joy in that little boutique on that random avenue. I want to help you feel that feeling of complete zen while having fun. If you are worried about money the whole time, you won't let yourself put that guard down for fear of what will be waiting at home. No, I'm not that person.
Expedia, hotels.com, Booking.com... yea, those are travel agencies.
I'm dropping knowledge immediately, but you need to know. These companies work with hotels to negotiate a specific rate for clients. IE. Travel agencies. The flip side is that if something goes wrong or isn't up to what you expected, it is what it is. My job is to make sure you have a good time. I talk to the hotels, tourism boards, cruise lines, and so much more to try my hardest to ensure that where you are staying and doing is a good fit for you. Purely on price, there is no rate on those websites I cannot get you, often with better perks than they offer. Plus, that tiny fine print no one reads, yeah, that's part of my gig. I get to know it. Imagine the sense of calm you'd have on checkout day when I tell you ahead of time that "There is this little potential charge that is going to pop up." No surprises, I do the homework so you don't have to.
You said a perk; what's a perk?
A perk is an extra hotel amenity, a bonus. It's something you don't pay for that makes your hotel stay or tour just a tad more magical. They change according to location and hotel, but simply put, hotels want you to stay with them. They want people like me to rant, rave, and continue positioning my clients there. It's about building relationships and keeping them as full as possible. This means I can often negotiate with various hotel chains and areas to make your stay as pleasant as possible with a bit of extra on the side. This can be anything from complimentary breakfast to a newer bed to sleep on to free parking to hotel credit; it just depends on the place.
I'm. looking to get you the best deal for what YOU want within YOUR budget.
So here's the deal: sure, I can show you all the beautiful places worldwide, bringing on an epic sense of FOMO, but like I said, that's different from my gig. I want you to love it and be able to afford it. I want you to have the BEST bang for your buck. In that state of honesty, I'd rather you book 15 trips with me for under $500 each but love them than one big $7,500 trip and feel like you spent too much. This is about building a relationship with my clients and having them feel comfortable and happy while instilling the feeling of wanderlust. Sometimes those big trips do it for you, sometimes they don't. Oh, and when something goes on sale, I'll let you know and work to adjust the price. We all want a little extra souvenir money, right?
When I say I don't charge, I mean what I say.
I don't charge you a penny for almost every trip you can book with me. It's as simple as that. If you stay in a hotel and I book said hotel for you, I don't charge you anything. So, how do I make money if I look at this as a career? Well, I get paid by the hotel or destination themselves after you travel. They pay me a small commission; consider it a finders fee. Any restaurants I suggest, or activities I put in your itinerary proposal are up to you to decide whether you want to do them. Nothing is locked in. If there is a reservation you'd like me to make, I'm happy to do it at no extra charge. I want you to have a good time and love experiencing the new and unknown without any extra fluff to worry about. It's my life's mission, my purpose. Traveling and helping others travel is my own particular way to spread joy.
Okay, this makes sense for hotels, but what If I want to camp or RV?
Easy peasy, remember how I said for almost any trip you book, I don't charge? This is the exception to the rule. I have a package for camping or RV trips. When it comes to camping, a campsite obviously isn't going to pay me directly. It's different from how they function, but if you do want some traveling help in a more adventurous way with things to do in the area, trails, booking a campsite, all the things, I'm happy to help. It's a $50 flat rate charge for up to 5 days, then just $10/day after that. If you still need a little help navigating the waters, sort of speak; I'm here for you in a super easy way. After all, we do a bit of camping, hiking, and exploring trips, too, and man, do I have some ideas about it!
Lastly, hiring me means you can choose your adventure; I can do as much or as little planning as you wish.
When you hire me, I can give you all the suggestions, OR I can book what you want and call it a day. It's 100% up to you.
