Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - (Page 8)

FROM THE EDITOR Don’t Betray the Loyal Client “IT’S NOT THAT SHE COULDN’T DO IT, IT’S THAT SHE DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT!” It was an odd comment, I’ll admit, especially since the conversation I was having was really about Obama and McCain, the Wall Street bailout and the price of gasoline. The problem was that I was truly miffed because my dry cleaner hadn’t gotten a spot out of a white dress I’d last worn on the Silver Cloud for Silversea’s top-producers’ cruise—and lately I’d been unable to think about anything else. What made it worse is that I like my dry cleaner. She’s super-pleasant and efficient. She always reminds me to take my newly cleaned clothing with me when I run in, pay her and then turn around to leave emptyhanded, so distracted by my to-do list that I’ve forgotten the purpose of the transaction. I like that I can walk in, give her a heap of bedraggled jackets, shirts and slacks and walk away. Sometimes just getting all of that stuff out of the car is enough to make me smile. I’d been going to her for years and she wasn’t cheap. I always handed over as much cash as she requested, without blinking. Was I the dream client or what? I’d come to her after using a dry cleaner near the supermarket I’d been frequenting. That establishment had a sweet deal—get 10 pieces cleaned for $25, if I prepaid. The only problem was I didn’t want to wear any of the clothing they’d treated because they’d ruined it. Another dry cleaner right near my train station had other issues. She’d yell at me when I asked her why she hadn’t gotten an obvious stain out of something. Afterwards, I would sometimes forget that she’d done that and return to her every few years because her location was so darn convenient. Then she’d yell at me again. I hated her, basically. When I picked up the white dress in question from my current dry cleaner—paying in full, of course—the offending spot was super visible as I walked back to my car. There were new stains, too, that I hadn’t even seen prior to my dropping it off. They looked like something made from a metal wire hanger. I returned to inquire about it and my dry cleaner didn’t even look up. “That’ll never come out,” she said. I’ll spare you the exchange but, essentially, all of these spots were hopelessly imbedded in the dress and it was fairly hilarious to her that I’d ever even dreamed they could be removed. She was cordial when I left, though. “Good-bye! Have a good weekend!” Editorial Director Ruthanne Terrero on location on Mykonos, Greece Tough Love What made this shabby treatment sting all the harder was that I’d just returned from Signature Travel Network’s Annual Owners’ Meeting where keynote speaker Dr. Lalia Rach had delivered a tough-love speech advising that client retention is more important than ever, based on forecasts that the economy isn’t going to get any better for the next 12 to 18 months. “What is a loyal client looking for?” asked Rach, who is the associate dean and HVS International Chair at the Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management at New York University. Here are just a few of her insights: “Quality service based on my needs. Consistency. Recognition of my values. Delivery on a promise, a.k.a. trust. A seamless exchange where promises are met. A knowledgeable professional who answers my questions correctly. Requests that are efficiently implemented…That you’ll fix the problems and never blame the customer.” To think that in one fell swoop, my dry cleaner had betrayed all of these tenets and was taking my business for granted was something that I could not get out of my mind. Later that day, my husband removed the white dress from its plastic wrapping, took out a toothbrush, rubbed it in bleach and got rid of the stains in about 60 seconds. In a down economy, when there’s no true professional around, the temptation to do it yourself is all too strong. CONNECTING YOU For more from Ruthanne Terrero, visit www.travelagent central.com/edletter RUTHANNE TERRERO, CTC EDITORIAL DIRECTOR 8 | TravelAgent Ocotber 13, 2008 http://www.travelagentcentral.com/edletter http://www.travelagentcentral.com/edletter

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - October 13, 2008

Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Editor Central & South America Bermuda Europe Pacific/Asia Las Vegas Florida Middle East Cruises Celebrity Continues to Grow and Adapt to the Changing Travel Climate Oasis on the Horizon Troubled Skies Agent Profile Agenda Princess Summit Unveils New Tools for Selling Cruises Tanzania Aims to Draw More U.S. Travelers Jamaica May Legalize Gambling, and New Resorts are in the Works ASTA Seeks Expanded Support from the Agent Community In the Spotlight Agent Access Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - October 13, 2008

Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 (Page Cover1) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 (Page Cover2) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 (Page 1) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Online Now (Page 2) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Online Now (Page 3) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Contents (Page 4) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Contents (Page 6) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 8) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 9) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 10) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 11) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 12) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 13) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Central & South America (Page 14) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Central & South America (Page 15) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Central & South America (Page 16) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Central & South America (Page 17) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Central & South America (Page 18) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Central & South America (Page 19) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Bermuda (Page 20) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Bermuda (Page 21) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Bermuda (Page 22) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Bermuda (Page 23) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Bermuda (Page 24) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Bermuda (Page 25) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Bermuda (Page 26) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Bermuda (Page 27) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Bermuda (Page 28) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Bermuda (Page 29) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Europe (Page 30) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Europe (Page 31) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Europe (Page 32) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Europe (Page 33) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Europe (Page 34) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Europe (Page 35) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 36) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 37) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 38) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 39) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Florida (Page 40) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Florida (Page 41) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Middle East (Page 42) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Middle East (Page 43) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Cruises (Page 44) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Cruises (Page 45) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Cruises (Page 46) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Cruises (Page 47) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Celebrity Continues to Grow and Adapt to the Changing Travel Climate (Page 48) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Celebrity Continues to Grow and Adapt to the Changing Travel Climate (Page 49) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Celebrity Continues to Grow and Adapt to the Changing Travel Climate (Page 50) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Celebrity Continues to Grow and Adapt to the Changing Travel Climate (Page 51) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Oasis on the Horizon (Page 52) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Oasis on the Horizon (Page 53) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Oasis on the Horizon (Page 54) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Oasis on the Horizon (Page 55) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Oasis on the Horizon (Page 56) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Oasis on the Horizon (Page 57) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Troubled Skies (Page 58) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Troubled Skies (Page 59) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 60) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 61) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 62) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 63) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 64) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 65) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 66) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 67) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 68) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agenda (Page 69) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Princess Summit Unveils New Tools for Selling Cruises (Page 70) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Princess Summit Unveils New Tools for Selling Cruises (Page 71) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Tanzania Aims to Draw More U.S. Travelers (Page 72) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Tanzania Aims to Draw More U.S. Travelers (Page 73) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Jamaica May Legalize Gambling, and New Resorts are in the Works (Page 74) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Jamaica May Legalize Gambling, and New Resorts are in the Works (Page 75) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - ASTA Seeks Expanded Support from the Agent Community (Page 76) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - ASTA Seeks Expanded Support from the Agent Community (Page 77) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - In the Spotlight (Page 78) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - In the Spotlight (Page 79) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 80) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 81) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 82) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 83) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Agent Access (Page 84) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Classified Marketplace (Page 85) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Editorial Index (Page 86) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Advertising Index (Page 87) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Trendwatch (Page 88) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Trendwatch (Page Cover3) Travel Agent - October 13, 2008 - Trendwatch (Page Cover4) 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