Travel Agent - October 29, 2007 - (Page 12)

FROM THE EDITOR Never Take Luxury Clientele for Granted I MET A VERY INTERESTING COUPLE RECENTLY ON THE NORTH FORK OF LONG ISLAND. We were at a winery tasting the local vintages and we all decided to sit down together to chat over a glass of the newest cabernet. It was one of those sunny September days when you wonder why you don’t take advantage of the amazing attractions that surround you more frequently. The North Fork is only about 50 miles from my house and it’s filled with one beautiful vineyard after another offering great wines, a festive atmosphere and even bands on weekends during the harvest season. Yet, on most Saturday mornings when I contemplate the drive, I decide I’ll go the following week instead. When I finally do venture out, I realize that the experience is so great and so enriching that I would actually get on a plane and fly somewhere to enjoy exactly the same thing. But I digress. This couple we were sitting with was extremely well traveled and obviously affluent. They told us they were free to travel for the entire month of January. The only problem was that they’d been to so many places already, that nothing really wowed them anymore. Yet, they were dying to be impressed by some new place, by some new experience. I tried my best to assist them. I asked them about their interests; they like to cook, and so I suggested a culinary experience in Europe. We went back and forth on what the weather would be like in January in Italy, and finally it dawned on me. “Do you have a travel agent?” I asked them. (Goodness knows I needed someone’s assistance at this point.) The woman shrugged and grimaced. “We did, but she really screwed up our last trip,” she said. It turns out it was nothing horrific; the couple just felt that the agent simply didn’t know the hotels that she had placed them in. They felt everything was a bit off from the time they landed. “Did you tell her?” I asked. “No, we didn’t really want to get into it,” the woman replied. What went wrong? How did this travel agent lose these top-notch travelers as clients? I would argue it wasn’t when she placed them in the wrong hotel (which was not a good thing). However, I would suggest that it was probably when she failed to call them upon check-in to see if everything was all right, when a switch of some sort could probably have been made. The other huge error she made was not calling the couple when they returned from the trip to see how it went, pressing them to let her know exactly what went right and what went wrong. Aside from all that, hadn’t she noticed that these two hadn’t taken a trip for a while? Where was the follow up? It showed me just how easy it is to lose a fabulous client, and how lost these clients feel when they decide to go it alone. Look at this couple: They were stuck sitting around a picnic table with me, a stranger, in the middle of Long Island as I peppered them with questions about their likes and dislikes, trying to guess where they should go next. My guess is that the travel agent involved was assuming that they’d call when they wanted to go on their next trip. She was taking for granted (just as I take for granted that the North Fork will always be waiting for me with glorious blue skies and a bluegrass band) that a good source of revenue was always going to be there waiting for her when she needed it. I suggest that you take a look at your client list now to ensure that you’re not on the cusp of losing a good client. Check in with them to see what they’re thinking, what their wants are. They may be happy to hear from you. Editorial Director Ruthanne Terrero on location at Palmer Vineyard, Abequogue, Long Island, NY RUTHANNE TERRERO, CTC EDITORIAL DIRECTOR 12 | TravelAgent October 29, 2007 CONNECTING YOU For more from Ruthanne Terrero, visit www.travelagent central.com/edletter http://www.travelagentcentral.com/edletter http://www.travelagentcentral.com/edletter

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Travel Agent - October 29, 2007 Online Now Contents From the Editor From the Publisher Contributors Europe European Tour Packages Mexico Mexico Deals Pacific/Asia Australia Deals Las Vegas Vegas News, Packages and Deals Caribbean Caribbean Deals Hotels Tours Hawaii Cruise River Cruising Takes on a New Life Cover Story: Tanzania Agent Profile Technology: Using Videos Trabsportation: Riding the Rails The Industry: Agenda Holland America and Trump Hotels Bahamas Luxury Booms, BVI Gets First Resort in 15 Years Expanded Family Travel Tours Korean Air Exclusive Report From Results! Travel Conference Travel Week In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertsing Index Classified Marketplace Trendwatch

Travel Agent - October 29, 2007

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