Travel Agent Professional Feb 2012

Travel Agent Professional February 2012 Issue 16

4 14

How much is too much?

By Rusty Pickett, ECC Shellback Cruises

Birmingham England — The Ultimate Shopper’s Paradise

By Paull Tickner Creator of Special Interest Britain

Worldwide Car Rental Services • Over 8,000 locations in 130 countries • Chauffeur and transfer services • Prestige and sports car rentals • Motorhome rentals

Scheduled Airfare to Europe • First, business and coach class • One ways and open jaws • Group rates • Package savings with land

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Auto Europe is a One-Stop Shop for All Your Travel Needs!

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February 2012

1

F

ebruary

64 66

How much is too much?

Shellback Cruises

What Kind of Fool Am I?

By Scott Koepf Vice President of Sales Avoya Travel/American Express http://issuu.com/action/page?page=8

68

Managing the Customer Relationship

By Mitchell J. Schlesinger Vice President, Sales & Marketing Voyages to Antiquity

http://issuu.com/action/page?page=14

14

Birmingham England — The Ultimate Shopper’s Paradise

By Paull Tickner Creator of Special Interest Britain http://issuu.com/action/page?page=20

20

Damage Control, Surveys & Insurance

By Les-Lee Roland Owner of The Package Deal

Showcase

Ad Index

Avoya Travel™/American Express® ..............17 OASIS............................................................11 TRAVELSAVERS ............................................15

Auto Europe................................IFC http://www.AutoEurope.com

Sabre ...........................................19 www.sabretravelinetwork.com/tmu

Avoya Travel/American Express....19 http://www.joinavoya.com/default.cfm?ref=115

Travel Planners Int’l......................13 http://www.myhosttravelagency.com

Leisure Pops ...................................9 http://www.leisurepops.com/

Voyages to Antiquity ......................3 http://us.voyagestoantiquity.com/

Royal Caribbean Line ...................BC http://www.royalcaribbean.com/

Travel Agent Professional

2012

http://issuu.com/action/page?page=6

By Rusty Pickett, ECC

Travel Agent Professional February 2012 Issue 16

Travel Agent Professional P.O. Box 120202 Staten Island, NY 10312 E-mail: info@travelagentprofessional.com Phone: 718.227.7541

Joel M. Abels

Legend In the Travel Industry April 1927 to January 2007

Ann M. Hoek Publisher/Creative Design ann@travelagentprofessional.com Bonnie Walling Editor Bonnie@travelagentprofessional.com

Meet Our Editorial Board Mitchell J. Schlesinger Vice President, Sales & Marketing Voyages to Antiquity www.voyagestoantiquity.com Mary Brutscher Former Host Agency Owner & Travel Educational Instructor cruisefacecruises@yahoo.com Rusty Pickett, ECC Shellback Cruises www.shellbackcruises.com Les-Lee Roland Owner of The Package Deal Scott Koepf Vice President of Sales Avoya Travel/ America’s Vacation Center www.joinavoya.com/default.cfm?ref=11583 Sherry Laskin, ACC Travel Writer/NACTA Webinar Moderator www.cruisemaven.com Sue Shapiro, President Shapiro Travel Resources sue.shapiro@gmail.com www.shapirotravelresources.com Paull Tickner, Creator of Special Interest Britain pjtickner@yahoo.co.uk www.greatdays.co.uk

Contributions Lee Rosen, CEO Leisure Pops www.leisurepops.com

Travel Agent Professional has its roots in Home Based Trade, the first magazine of its kind, started by Joel Abels in 2004. Joel and Lenore Abels ran Travel Trade for nearly half a century – it was started by her grandfather, John S. Lewis, and her father, Sidney Lewis, in 1929, and they took the publication over after her grandfather’s passing.

Under Joel’s direction, the company grew to be one of the travel agent industry’s leading publications, reaching more than 45,000 agents throughout North America. It spawned a famous series of trade shows and three monthly magazines – Cruise Trade, Tour Trade and Home Based Trade.

The Abels also garnered enormous respect – Joel received the Neal Award, called “the Pulitzer Prize of the business press,” for his hard-hitting editorials.

On a personal note, after working with Joel for over a decade and staying with him until the end, I grew to truly care for and respect the man.

He was like a second father to me. Joel was old school, he stood by his word and believed in his work. There will never be another.

While nobody can replace this industry legend, we’re hoping that this new publication, which reunites the original Home Based Trade editorial board, will be able to carry on his passion for travel and those who sell it.

Ann M. Hoek This online magazine is dedicated to the memory of Joel Abels, Travel Trade's editor and publisher. Joel and his life's work may be gone, but with your help it can live on.

September 2011

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4

How much is too much?

By Rusty Pickett, ECC

Rusty Pickett, ECC Shellback Cruises www.shellbackcruises.com

The bottom line seems to be keep it simple. List all the media/actions that you want to have a presence in: Web site, Facebook, E-mail, Twitter, newsletter, professional education, client service etc.

We

were recently on a NACTA seminar at sea, and as is typical these days, the subject of social and electronic media came up with respect to its use in our business. A very professional and aggressive agent, also relatively new, was describing how much time it takes to do her electronic newsletter, keep up with her Facebook account and also stay active with Twitter.

Although she didn’t say it directly, it was clearly evident that the amount of time she spent on these media was cutting in to the time she had available for actually processing client bookings and professional education, which she stated was important to her.

The buzz at the moment seems to be that you can’t be a successful travel company unless you have a robust Facebook and Twitter presence, and are always in contact

February 2012

5 with your client base through the use of a topnotch newsletter. We never discuss how much is too much.

Just like you have to qualify your clients, you also have to qualify your client base! The base question is that really needs to be asked is how does your client base really grow? For the vast majority of home based agents it’s pure and simple — word of mouth networking based on service provided rather than a huge social networking presence.

I have both a business Facebook account and Twitter account. There are only a few people who have ‘liked’ my Facebook account and I don’t use my Twitter account at all — one lifetime tweet! My national client base just isn’t on Facebook, and using that as a reference, they won’t be on Twitter.

It just would not be a good use of my time to spend hours per week chatting on those media. The value added compared to the time taken away from professional education and client processing just isn’t justified.

To some extent, the same can be said about an agency newsletter. I definitely think there is value added, but you have to decide which is more cost-effective — spending many hours on the newsletter or growing your professional knowledge and service ethic.

Travel Agent Professional

There is certainly a balance, but given the vast amount of information pushed by our travel supplier partners, there is only so much new information that can be put out in a newsletter.

I think you really need to understand that what you are trying to accomplish with the newsletter. “Touching” your client base is critical.

However, too much may be overwhelming, given the number of E-mails – spam and otherwise — that are generated daily.

Additionally, you need to ensure you are using the best E-mail broadcast method – using a product like Constant Contact – instead of processing the information using your E-mail program, which can be tedious at best.

The bottom line seems to be keep it simple.

List all the media/actions that you want to have a presence in: Web site, Facebook, E-mail, Twitter, newsletter, professional education, client service etc. Which of these platforms give the most return on investment on your most valuable commodity — your time? Objectively figure out which ‘time consumer’ adds the most value and potential for growth and focus your attention on that. Forget about the others in spite of what the talking heads say!

6

What Kind of Fool

By

Am I?

Scott Koepf

There may be a few of you who are already composing your E-mail to answer this question for me. While I will be happy to receive those replies, this quesScott Koepf Vice President of Sales Avoya Travel/American Express www.JoinAvoya.com

If you are honest with yourself, you will determine what you may not have done well so you can improve for the next time.

tion is actually designed to ask of yourself, not others.

It

is the title of a song that became more famous than the show it came from, Stop the World — I Want to Get Off. Through singing the beautiful melody and piercing lyrics, the character tries to find the answer to the question in the title of the song, “What Kind of Fool Am I?” Through this self-analysis, he realizes he may be incapable of love, which is sad indeed. As compared to most of my musical theatre references, this song is really somewhat depressing.

So how is this introspective song related to selling travel? After recently reading a number of community forums and Facebook posts, I was struck with the idea that maybe we need to take the approach of this song and apply it to our businesses. As I noted above, this song is about self-analysis, so let’s take a look at ourselves.

February 2012

7 As travel agents, we are in a very competitive and dynamic business — if you do not agree with that you might as well stop reading this! While I understand the frustrations of losing business to competitors or direct sales, I guess I am tired of the blame game. It seems that just about every post says something like “They (insert competitor or supplier name here) are doing this bad thing or that bad thing and I am losing business because of it....”

Of course, it is easy for others to jump in and toss a couple “Halleluiahs” and “Amens” and add to the tale of woe. Soon, you have an unending string of “They did this...” and “They did that...”

I may not make friends with this next comment, but maybe it is time to sing the song, “What Kind of Fool Am I”? (Now you really want to send me your answers!) Before you get too upset, please don’t imply that I am calling you a fool. But I do think we all should start by looking at what our actions have been instead of moaning and groaning about what others are doing.

Everything we do comes out of the choices we make, and no matter how upset we might get, the fact is that others are winning sales and growing their businesses in the same environment we are in.

The irony here is the very fact that we travel agents exist is the whole proof that I am right.

Remember that due to commission cuts, the Internet, the economy or direct sales, we are not supposed to be here! Yet here we are. However, I think the most successful agents are not the ones loudly worrying about what “they” are doing but instead have made choices to change and adapt which allow them to succeed.

Travel Agent Professional

So, the next time you lose a sale take a deep breath and think about this song’s self analysis and focus on “What did I do?” instead of what “they” did. Complaining about what “they” did will simply not improve your business prospects for the future. However, true self analysis will.

I always recommend that agents review what did and more importantly, didn’t work on a daily if not weekly basis. So if you lost business to a competitor, step into your panic room and scream primordially, then come back and ask yourself why that happened. If your answer is that “they” have a better price or that their marketing is too pervasive, then I suggest you did not ask the right question.

Once again, it is self-analysis, not blame analysis.

What can be learned from this to make sure it does not happen again? Did you follow up to the degree you should have? Did you do enough research to quote a compelling offer in the first place? Did you spend enough time with the customer and ask enough questions to build a relationship? Did you clearly articulate the benefits of booking with you?

If you are honest with yourself, you will determine what you may not have done well so you can improve for the next time. If you sing the song below just a few times (with some liberty taken with the lyrics) you may realize the only foolish thing would be to not sing this song!

What kind of fool am I? Who didn’t make the sale?

What can I do next time so I will not fail?

I need to learn and grow Or clients will never know What kind of Jewel I really am!

8

Clients For Life

By Mitchell

Managing the Customer

J.

Relationship

Schlesinger

Think

about your own motivations when you buy anything. For clothes, it is how stylish you feel you look or appear to others, or those of you in Green Bay, warmth. For insurance, it is security and peace of mind; for toys, the pleasure in the eyes of children; for a computer, a way to connect to the rest of the world and, importantly, conduct business.

The use of the word “commodity” to convey a non-brand distinct thing is not accurate. We don’t buy “things,” we buy ideas, personal feelings, happiness, self satisfaction, respect and soluMitchell J. Schlesinger tions to challenges.

Vice President, Sales & Marketing Voyages to Antiquity m.schlesinger@voyagestoantiquity.com

Capturing “Clients for Life” starts with understanding the basics of consumer behavior, which provides a fuller understanding of each of your clients’ individual motivations. So let’s focus on how this works:

1.

2.

3.

Clients come to you with their own motivation for travel and the expected result. The key is that they purchase based on emotions and then justify with logic. To be successful, you must listen very closely to what they want and then match the right product to fulfill their expectation.

You need to create an emotional connection with each client so that they perceive you understand what it is they are seeking. Remember, they buy for their own reasons, not yours. Selling them a vacation that fulfills their personal emotional desires directly impacts their ability to logically justify that they made the right choice, of both the travel package…and YOU. Customer perceptions of you and your service are crucial. They must feel that there is significant value in your relationship. It starts with their trust that you will be invested enough in the relationship to recommend the travel that best fulfills their expectations, which creates the perception that their purchase had significant value. It continues with your communicating with them on an ongoing basis and the acid test, how you handle “challenges.” And part of this perception must be their sensation that they are your most important client! (continued on page 10)

February 2012

Leisure Pops: Your Ultimate Assistant Leisure Pops sits quietly on your desktop and waits for an opportunity to help you. It can save you time and keystrokes, or remind you of preferred-supplier offers, or notify you when there is an opportunity to sell add on products like show tickets or travel insurance, or automatically log your qualified bookings into contest sites like Win With Amex, or Las Vegas Agent Rewards.

With Leisure Pops you "Pick your Pops": meaning tyou turn on the Pop Campaigns they choose and get only those Pops when pertinent.

With Leisure Pops you will never get a Pop that you have not asked for!

Leisure Pops "electronically taps you on the shoulder" at just the right time for your product offerings. Sell more add on products and have access to your specials at just the right time when they can help you.

Leisure Pops saves you time and makes bookings extremely efficient by moving data for you. One click takes you to the chosen site, automatically logs you in, shops the site, and even moves data (client data into and reservation details back) making the reservation process fast and easy.

Leisure Pops helps you make more money as you will sell more preferred suppliers, more add on products and can easily and automatically participate in reward programs.

Everyone wins with Leisure Pops: Agents better service clients and make more money; Agencies and consortia get more preferred bookings, Suppliers get more sales from preferred agents, and perhaps best of the all the consumer's interests are best served developing long term consumer - agent relationships..

To learn more visit leisurepops.com

10 4.

And speaking of service, how each and every member of your agency team comes across establishes a service benchmark for the agency. This is a reflection that every contact is a judged experience highlighted by:

Physical appearance: Attractiveness counts; Attitude: Accommodation, understanding, responsiveness; Phone etiquette: Attitude can be heard as well as witnessed; Responsiveness: “How important am I?”

5.

Learn from mistakes and criticisms — this is CRUCIAL. You can’t ignore what a client is telling you. It is their perception and their reality. And whatever it is, it provides a platform for you to communicate your appreciation, thank them for their honesty and create the perception that you are addressing their input.

(continued on page 12)

February 2012

Showcase

Outside Agents Sales Integration System (OASIS) Reports Record Growith in 2011 With Total Sales Growth 186% over 2010

Boca Raton, Florida, February 15, 2012 – OASIS, www.OasisAgent.com, a leader in the development of programs for home based independent travel agents, reports another year of record growth.

“We are extremely pleased that total sales in 2011 are 186% more than in 2010 and agent growth has increased by 106%,” states Kelly Bergin, OASIS vice president of business development. “We attribute this growth to our unique business model, which allows agents to join OASIS with no initiation fee and receive 100% commission on all transactions. The only fees are a monthly charge of $29 for the basic plan, and processing fees ranging from $2 to $29, depending upon the supplier commission.”

Contributing to the success

of OASIS is the overall growth of the tourism industry. Statistics released by the US Department of Commerce in January 2012, indicate that the travel industry continues to outpace all other sectors of the economy. Posting its thirteenth consecutive gain during the past 14 months, the travel industry added 7,000 jobs in January 2012. Since March 2010, travel industry employment has expanded by 223,000, marking a 3.1 percent increase — faster than the 2.4 percent rise in employment in other sectors of the economy.

With a significant decline in brick and mortar travel agencies, many tourism professionals are becoming home-based agents. Among the benefits that OASIS provides its agents is access to Signature Travel Network’s Intranet, with a hotel and

cruise booking engine and many value-added features that Signature has negotiated with hotels and cruise lines.

This gives agents tremendous product diversity in both land and cruise offerings and offers them the benefit of volume purchasing power.

OASIS turnkey business model offers participating home-based travel agents business development support and the advantages of volume purchasing power.

Additional benefits include continuing professional education through webinars, ondemand training, interactive forums, and mentoring, which help to ensure their success. Customized and branded websites featuring comprehensive content for cruises, hotels, land vacations and destinations are also available to all OASIS agents.

OASIS, the Outside Agents Sales Integration System, is a division of Smart Travel Group of Boca Raton, Florida. For more information about OASIS Agent visit www.OasisAgent.com or contact Kelly Bergin at 800-613-8380 extension 120, or by email at kelly@oasisagent.com Travel Agent Professional

12 An intrinsic part of managing the customer relationship is communication. There is a distinct difference between how this is handled by clients who are becoming customers for the first time and those who have purchased previously.

With new customers, it is the process of establishing the relationship, learning about what they really want and providing a high quality initial level of service and product recommendation. It is important to reinforce how the recommendation reflects the input they provided by pointing out the features of the travel and how each segment fulfills the “wants” they expressed.

For existing clients, this is taken to a completely next level, including what you already know and augmenting it: Communication must be consistent in order for clients to feel engaged by your agency; You must constantly update your profile for each client with demographic and psychographic trends and changes; Clients must be asked repeatedly, how are we doing? How can we provide better service? What new ideas do you have for future travel?; Send information on new travel destinations and products and ask for their reactions; Send communication of a personal nature to show how engaged you are.

• • • • •

Creating and managing client relationships by understanding consumer behavior is crucial for you and your team members. The reaction to the service you provide will be judged and evaluated by your clients based on key factors:

1. 2.

4. 5.

Credibility

Reliability

Communication

3.

6.

Responsiveness

Attractiveness

Empathy

Arranging the first letter of these factors spells the word CARE. Show your clients how much you CARE and increase the number of clients you retain for life.

February 2012

Travel Agent Professional

14 B y P a u l l

Birmingham England — The Ultimate Shopper’s Paradise

T i c k n e r

Airside Kerbside in less than 30 minutes... Fantastic weekend rates at fabulous 4 star hotels... Amazing shopping... Welcome to Birmingham, Britain’s second city and recently named as one of the world’s top 20 places to visit in 2012 alongside the likes of Florence, Tokyo and San Diego.

The influential New York Times newspaper placed the city 19th on its list of must see destinations, highlighting a recent quote that Birmingham is the UK’s ‘foodiest town’.

In its write up the New York Times says: ‘’The chefs are building on an already rich dining scene. Birmingham is famous in Britain for its Balti Triangle, an area of town that is home to a beloved Pakistani-Kashmiri curry dish invented here.’’

With this ease of access and the high quality of its hotels to work with, Birmingham is THE place to go to for Girls Getaway shopping trips. (continued on page 16

Paull Tickner, creator of Special Interest Britain, is affiliated with the Greatdays Travel Group. For over 30 years, he has been developing and operating customized niche travel programs for the United Kingdom and Ireland. For more information, visit his Web site at www.greatdays.co.uk and E-mail him at pjtickner@yahoo.co.uk

February 2012

Showcase TRAVELSAVERS Partner Services & Analog Analytics Team Up to Provide The Ultimate Travel Industry Solution to Group Discount Sites Oyster Bay, N.Y. – (February 2, 2012) – TRAVELSAVERS Partner Services, a new American Marketing Group company, has won the account as the exclusive travel provider for Analog Analytics’ Bigger Better Deal™ solution. The new partnership is the winning answer to one of today’s greatest industry challenges — group discount sites — because all parties benefit.

For every purchase made, the buyer’s local American Marketing Group licensed agency receives a royalty fee and client information for potential future business, preferred suppliers can offer product online to a comprehensive subscriber list without minimizing profits and consumers receive terrific valueadded vacations through the Analog Analytics Syndication Network. Travel deals will launch at the end of February.

“This partnership forms the perfect marriage between the online community and our travel agents because everyone comes out on top,” says Rick Mazza, CEO of TRAVELSAVERS Partner Services. “We have been exploring the question of how to garner mutual online success for suppliers,

travel agents and consumers and I am thrilled that TRAVELSAVERS Partner Services is the first to come up with the answer. We’re very excited about our relationship with Analog Analytics.”

How The Supplier Benefits

Gone are the days of online deals filled with low profits for suppliers. The new partnership provides suppliers with the opportunity to offer product online without slashing prices, which allows Analog Analytics and for rate integrity to stay in TRAVELSAVERS Partner tact. Instead, Bigger Better Services by the numbers: Deal™ travel offers provide • 850 online newspapers and value-added experiences and broadcast media accessing a business model that allows exclusive travel offers daily for inventory to be carefully • 40-50 million consumers controlled in a limited time reached daily offer structure. Suppliers only • 1 travel provider pay for performance, yet receive exposure similar to How The Agent Benefits that of a comprehensive The partnership’s profit advertising campaign. sharing structure provides financial rewards to How The Consumer Benefits With consumers looking to American Marketing Group stretch their vacation dollars, licensed agencies in the form of a royalty fee, along TRAVELSAVERS Partner with the added perk of a Services’ Bigger Better customer prospect — a Deal™ offers will meet those bonus that is received simply demands head on by providfor being associated with the ing the value-adds today’s company. Through its exclu- aspiring traveler expects. sive territory system based Through the new partneron populations of 50,000, ship, consumers can leverTRAVELSAVERS Partner age the relationships TRAVServices matches each ELSAVERS Partner Services Bigger Better Deal™ travel has with many of the world’s purchaser to the closest top travel suppliers to make licensed agency to ensure a the most of their holiday. fair distribution of royalty For more go to fees and client information. www.travelagentprofessioal.com

To find out more about how to become part of the TWIN global network, independent travel agencies can visit www.twintravelmanagement.com, email twinsales@travelsavers.com, or call 516-624-0500 x5080.

Travel Agent Professional

16

Whether you want designer labels, the latest high street trends, unique one off bargain brands, the city’s got it all. With thousands of shops to choose from, it’s the ultimate shopper’s paradise. No purse is safe from Birmingham’s inspiring retail outlets from the uber-cool Mailbox and the iconic Selfridge building to its selection of quirky independent stores the city is an unparalleled world class shopping destination.

Shopaholics will love browsing around the vast choice of shopping malls. At the heart of this capital of retail lies the award winning Bullring www.bullring.co.uk which is home to a vibrant mix of over 160 shops and 25 restaurants. (continued on page 18)

February 2012

Showcase We are committed to helping independent travel agencies live a lifestyle of success and are looking for p

Norwegian Cruise Line Honors Avoya Travel With Top Travel Award Award Signifies Avoya Travel’s Commitment to Creating a Better Vacation Experience O Sandals honored Avoya Travel™/American Express® with the 2011 Travel Agency Recognition S.T.A.R. Award

MIAMI – January 25, 2012: Avoya Travel™/American Express®, one of the leading travel companies in North America and beyond, today announced that Norwegian Cruise Line has presented the company with its 2011 ‘Home-Based Agency of the Year’ award. Avoya Travel received the cruise line’s highest agency honor for the company’s dedication to customer service, its elite network of Independent Agencies, and outstanding sales performance in 2011.

“Avoya Travel is a valued partner of Norwegian Cruise Line and, as such, we commend them for creating exceptional vacation experiences for customers worldwide,” said Andy Stuart, Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Passenger Services for Norwegian Cruise Line. “Avoya Travel’s support of Norwegian Cruise Line is a core element of our success, and we’re looking forward to working together to deliver amazing vacations to cruisers around the globe for years to come.”

Recently onboard the Norwegian Epic, Avoya Travel held its annual

National Conference for its network of independent travel agencies.

While onboard, Stuart hosted an exclusive event for Avoya Travel to celebrate the successful year. The honor was later announced by Stuart; Camille Olivere, Vice President of Sales; Alex Pinelo, Director, National Accounts; and Shanel Knight, Program Manager, Home Based Accounts for Norwegian Cruise Line.

This is the third agency of the year award Avoya Travel has won from Norwegian Cruise Line, previously receiving the cruise line’s recognition in 2007 and 2006.

“Earning the Home-Based Agency of the Year award is a testament to Avoya Travel’s commitment to the customer experience and the expertise of our Independent Agencies,” said Brad Anderson, Co-President of Avoya Travel. “We are pleased to win one of the most elite awards from Norwegian Cruise Line and will continue to provide travelers worldwide with the best value, customer service, and overall vacation experience.”

For more information visit www.travelagentprofessional.com

‘Best of the Best, Western’ for the company’s dedication to outstanding customer service and creating exceptional vacation experiences for Sandals Resorts’ guests.

Avoya® was recognized for being the ‘Best of the Best’ by Sandals Resorts at the Tenth Annual S.T.A.R Awards event held recently at Sandals Grand Riviera Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

“Sandals Resorts is pleased to recognize Avoya and their elite network of Independent Agencies for their commitment to excellent customer service and a great vacation experience for our Luxury Included resort guests,” said Gary Sadler, Senior Vice President of Sales for Sandals Resorts.

Travel agency owners and professionals interested in growing their business should contact Avoya Travel / American Express at 800-521-2597 or visit www.JoinAvoya.com. Travelers interested in booking their next vacation should call 800-753-1463 or visit www.AvoyaTravel.com.

Travel Agent Professional

18 The Mailbox www.mailboxlife.com houses some of the top designer names such as Harvey Nichols, Hugo Boss and Emporio Armani alongside contemporary arts and fine furnishing shops, exclusive eateries, top salons and spas.

Birmingham’s wealth of shopping centres continues with the Pavilions, City Plaza, the House of Fraser, the Pallasades, the Great Western Arcade and Martineau Place.

If you’re looking for something that dazzles, head for the world famous 250 year old Jewellery Quarter www.jewelleryquarter.net/shopping. It’s where an estimated 40% of all the UK jewellery originates and it’s the place to go for something that sparkles especially if you’re looking for hand crafted jewellery, clock and watches, at unbelievable prices.

Finally, Birmingham is famous for its outdoor markets that are jam packed with bargains, character and bumper choice.

A typical Girls Getaway day can include:

•• • • •

A behind the scenes tour of the Jewellery Quarter.

Some insider tips at Harvey Nichols.

English Afternoon Tea in the Edwardian Tea Rooms at the City Museum and Art Gallery (home to a wonderful collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings) A pampering session from a top expert at Selfridges before kicking back with a glass of champagne at the Moet Bar and Gallery Restaurant.

Cocktails and dinner at Gingers, an exquisite bar and restaurant.

The New York Times isn’t wrong about many things and if you take a closer look, you’ll find that their judgement about Birmingham is spot on. As travel planners, if we look beyond the obvious eg London, we’ll discover that Birmingham is a place to be taken very seriously indeed.

If you think otherwise, I’m afraid your information is very much out of date. Check their website and you’ll see exactly what I mean at www.visitbirmingham.com

February 2012

20 Damage Control, B y L e s - L e e R o l a n d

What a Month This Has Been Les-Lee Roland Owner of The Package Deal

First

, I found myself running damage control with my clients after Costa’s tragedy. Then, Princess had an outbreak of the norovirus on two ships. The calls from clients asking the same questions, making the same comments, became very tedious. I was feeling like a robot defending the cruise industry, giving clients answers designed to reassure them so they would still make bookings.

February 2012

21 Sur veys & Insurance Yes, the demise of the Concordia is so unthinkable, but the media did not emphasize enough that over 4,000 people were rescued with the help of the crew. (And that didn’t come from a press release from Carnival).

I don’t know if the people that didn’t make it out were the ones who had just boarded and their muster drill was set for the following morning, which was their policy. I do know that on a large ship, must people don’t find themselves oriented until the second or third day. And the darkness was a big factor.

Remember the captain’s words when ordered to go back to the ship - “It’s dark out there.”

Then the TV reports of the virus onboard the ships. I tell my clients that the virus has nothing to do with the ship — there’s a 99.9% chance it was spread by a passenger who came on board with it — perhaps knowingly.

If that were the case, most likely the person didn’t fill out the form at registration asking if they had any symptoms. Who would? It means you are not allowed to board. In addition, crew members are not allowed to work if they have the virus.

My clients are surprised when I mention that this is normally a 24-hour virus and only cruise ships are mandated to report it — not hotels, not airlines, not resorts. Las Vegas hotels hold more people than the cruise ships. All it takes is one guest with the virus touching elevator buttons, slot machine buttons and everything in sight in com-

mon areas, and within a couple of days, hundreds of people may have symptoms.

The difference here is that Vegas visitors usually don’t stay more than three days, so if they return home, they blame their illness on something they caught on the airplane.

Now, I’d like to move to another topic — surveys.

Cruise lines, some hotels, and tour operators all ask you to fill out forms. Don’t you just love it when the choice of answers doesn’t allow you to state your true feelings?

What a surprise I had when three employees of the cruise line contacted me separately about the survey I filled out on a recent cruise — to ask for more specific info, to offer apologies for any problems and to share the praise for the good remarks.

Two of the three callers did not know I am a travel agent, so I was not picked out for that reason.

Guess there is a cooped up office in Miami where they read thousands of these every week — and more importantly, they act on them! Kudos!

I wish a prominent travel insurance company would have sent out a survey rather than the letter I received. Yes, me, moi, the one and only LesLee Roland got a letter from Access America stating they were deleting me as a travel agent selling their product starting in February. If I did want to process policies from them, I would receive only a $5 marketing fee. (continued on page 22)

Travel Agent Professional

22 I admit, they were not my preferred supplier. But when they offered policies that fit my clients’ needs, like their family plan, I did quote their rates to my clients. And I don’t think I had any claims processed through them. In fact, the day I received the letter, I did process a policy.

This week, I contacted them, and explained the situation that because of family illness, I took a few months off from actively selling travel, attending shows, etc. and asked to be reinstated.

The answer I got from a nice phone reservations agent, Ashley, was that once the decision was made, it cannot be reversed. “What’s the reason?”

I asked. She said it has to do with the state — in my case, Florida.

That was not an acceptable answer to my thinking.

In fact, I did call the State of Florida’s office, and they said they knew of no reason for Access America’s actions.

I asked to speak to a supervisor, and was told that couldn’t be done. I then asked who the head of the company was and how I could reach him. His name is Ricky Horowitz, and he doesn’t take phone calls. The only way to correspond is to send Ashley, the phone agent, an E-mail, which she would then give to him.

With all respect, Mr. or maybe it is Ms. Horowitz, I have called the White House and spoken to many different offices. I can, and have called, the CEOs or presidents of airlines, cruise lines, and tour operators; my state senator, Buckingham Palace, the Vatican, and Donald Trump’s executive secretary to get a quote confirmed. I have the goldembossed stationery signed by Mr. “You’re Fired”

himself, thanking me for the phone call. Guess Ricky Horowitz marches to a different drummer.

I did receive a call from a Daniel Durazo at the insurance company offering me his sympathies for the family illness, but telling me “no” to ever selling their product again unless I wanted a $5 marketing fee, or a referral fee — they don’t use the word commissions.

I asked why, if my sales were practically non-existent, they didn’t have a rep call me in advance and try to pump up some future bookings. Well, he said, my rep had left the company - and they just don’t do that.

Thank goodness there are other very reputable companies we can deal with, as well as the companies affiliated with our suppliers. Five dollars is an insult, when we can make 20%-60% with other companies.

Whether you are an occasional user of Access America, or a constant user with perhaps many claims, you, too, may get a letter. Wonder it they’ll blame it on the State.

I remember a couple of years ago, I got a letter from Access America saying I had to pay them to be registered and update my license in Florida.

When I called Tallahassee to ask about my license, I was told there is no renewal fee, and my license was active. I relayed that info to Access America and they dropped the billing fee. I then wrote about it in a column to warn other agents who may be charged incorrectly.

I would be interested if anyone has had similar problems with ANY travel insurance company.

Contact me at packagedeals@comcast.net

February 2012

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