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#1
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OT - home based TA's
I've been hearing and reading more lately about home based TA's. Are
there any benefits to home based TA's? Does anyone know of home based TA's that specialize in cruising. I'd like to compare prices. tks |
#2
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OT - home based TA's
Hi:
I've been using George Leppla for years and he is home based. Since he has fewer customers than the large internet/mortar and bricks type, he will stay on top of what you book and go to bat for you if the prices drop. All he does is cruises so he is very knowledgeable when it comes to picking cabings, type of cruise, etc. His prices may be a slight bit higher than the bigger ones but the "hand holding" is well worth it to me. Oh yes, I know where to find him at midnight or weekends if need be (lol). Tucker in Texas Mike wrote: I've been hearing and reading more lately about home based TA's. Are there any benefits to home based TA's? Does anyone know of home based TA's that specialize in cruising. I'd like to compare prices. tks |
#3
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OT - home based TA's
Thus spake Richard Whitlock :
Hi: I've been using George Leppla for years and he is home based. Since he has fewer customers than the large internet/mortar and bricks type, he will stay on top of what you book and go to bat for you if the prices drop. All he does is cruises so he is very knowledgeable when it comes to picking cabings, type of cruise, etc. His prices may be a slight bit higher than the bigger ones but the "hand holding" is well worth it to me. Oh yes, I know where to find him at midnight or weekends if need be (lol). I'm home based. Some suppliers, like Royal Caribbean, have been down right beneficial to the home based TA. I sell mostly complicated travel, cruises, AIs and Europe (well, not much Europe of late). Things where advise is necessary to make the best choice. And, like George, my clients have my mobile number, which I answer during sane hours. And whenever I have someone traveling. I go to my client's homes to make my presentation. Much easier for them to do business after dinner than to try to make time during their busy day to get down to "the agency". Tucker in Texas Mike wrote: I've been hearing and reading more lately about home based TA's. Are there any benefits to home based TA's? Does anyone know of home based TA's that specialize in cruising. I'd like to compare prices. tks -- dillon The pen may be mightier than the sword, but I've never seen a .sig beat a Sig. |
#4
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OT - home based TA's
Sorry, Dillon, did not mean to step on your toes. Did not know you were
a home-based TA also. I'm sure your service is as good as George's. Just trying to point out the difference of business from the itnernet providers that once they have your money, you are toast (lol). Life is too short to try and save a few bucks and then find you don't have anyone to help out when you need it most--like weekends and night time (lol). Haven't needed it yet but, like travel insurance, when you do need it, you need it big time! Tucker in Texas |
#5
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OT - home based TA's
I used to use a little company out of Florida called Cruises Only. I
would say I booked about 6-8 cruises with them. The agent I was using left the company. When I was looking for a new agent (to book a cruise) It took several days to get to a phone call back. When I finally did get a return call I found the agents to be impersonal and just not caring. Basically an hourly employee just doing a routine boring job reading descriptions out of the brochure. This is who I want to trust my vacation and several thousand dollars to? Thanks to some folks on this newsgroup I came across the name George Leppla - a home based Cruismaster. Until then I had no idea what customer service was. A home based agent can give so much more attention to you and your cruise. They can get to know you and your likes and dislikes. Dinner seating preference. Advise you on decisions you might regret later (ie. booking over the disco or under the pool deck). All with first hand personal knowledge of alot of the ships. The big agencies aren't going to do that for you. I think the attention to detail and time that a smaller agency (home based or not) can spend on you is far superior to the huge Cruise Only agencies. A very happy customer of a home based cruise only TA for about 8 years now. Rick |
#6
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OT - home based TA's
On 5/13/2007 4:02 PM RICK DAVIS wrote:
I used to use a little company out of Florida called Cruises Only. I would say I booked about 6-8 cruises with them. The agent I was using left the company. When I was looking for a new agent (to book a cruise) It took several days to get to a phone call back. When I finally did get a return call I found the agents to be impersonal and just not caring. Basically an hourly employee just doing a routine boring job reading descriptions out of the brochure. This is who I want to trust my vacation and several thousand dollars to? Thanks to some folks on this newsgroup I came across the name George Leppla - a home based Cruismaster. Until then I had no idea what customer service was. A home based agent can give so much more attention to you and your cruise. They can get to know you and your likes and dislikes. Dinner seating preference. Advise you on decisions you might regret later (ie. booking over the disco or under the pool deck). All with first hand personal knowledge of alot of the ships. The big agencies aren't going to do that for you. I think the attention to detail and time that a smaller agency (home based or not) can spend on you is far superior to the huge Cruise Only agencies. A very happy customer of a home based cruise only TA for about 8 years now. Rick Home based agents simply don't have the bargaining power that those in a larger agency may have. As far as "hand holding" goes the CEO of any given large agency sets the tone. Since repeat clients is the name of the game, smart money is on providing excellent client support. Another thing to consider is what happens to the home based agent's clients if he or she should become ill requiring hospitalization? Who stays on top of things for the client? At a larger agency there are other staff members who can handle things. The client isn't left in the dark as their phone calls do get returned. While it's true, my agent is my sister... I don't get better treatment because I am family. When Karen was hospitalized with a stroke, Jennifer and Susan were there to provide support for her clients until Karen was well enough to return to work. Her manager saw to it that Karen got commission for any sales closed by the other agents in her absence. Who steps in for the sole TA in a similar situation? Who steps up for the client when they arrive at their destination and the hotel front desk has "lost the reservation."? The sole TA certainly can't they've just had a TIA and are under medical orders to rest. The client certainly won't be happy to be greeted by an answering machine message that their TA is hospitalized and will get back to them as soon as they can. They need someone right then and there to facilitate the hotel front desk "find the reservation." Perhaps of at home sole proprietor TAs formed a network of covering TAs for just such situations I might have a little more confidence in them. For the time being, I think that larger agencies are the way to go. -- ____ Brian M. Kochera "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!" ____ View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951 |
#7
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OT - home based TA's
"Brian K" wrote FWIW, Brian makes a lot of good points about home based agents... but there are some misunderstandings. Home based agents simply don't have the bargaining power that those in a larger agency may have. Yes and no. Fewer than 10% of home based agents sell enough travel to make a full time living at it. On this newsgroup, there are less than 5. "Most" home based agents do it part-time, working as an "outside agent" affiliated with a "host" agency who usually is bricks and morter. The few of us wo do this as our sole, full time income may have more clout with the cruise lines than you think. FIrst, we all belong to various consortiums that help to level the field as far as pricing and marketing goes. Second, most full-time agents have enough volume to be in the "top producers" for most of the major cruise lines. Another thing to consider is what happens to the home based agent's clients if he or she should become ill requiring hospitalization? Who stays on top of things for the client? This is a valid concern. For many sole proprietors like me.... we have a few friends in the business who can cover for us if needed. I cover for two agents in their abscence if needed. Thing is, it doesn't happen very often. Even while on a cruise, with internet accesss, etc... I can still maintain business, taking care of immediate problems and deferrring less pressing inquiries until I get home. Recently I was gone for 9 days escorting a group cruise. I was able to answer all emails during that time and a few customers even made new bookings either by telling me to book them when I got back... or they used the booking engine on my website. For part time home-based agents who work with a host agency, the "host" takes over when any individual agent is unavailable. Bottom line is that it really doesn't matter where an agent works as long as he/she are knowledgeable, give good service and provide a good value. When I started in this business, I was in a store-front. As time went on, I found it more profitable and I was able to give better service by moving my business into my home. Year ago, travel companies didn't want to talk with home-based agents. Now, these same companies actively seek us out. The business changes and travel agents have to change with it. Good subject! -- George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com October 14, 2007 MOAGC 3 - http://www.moagc-3.com January 20, 2008 - GGC2008 - http://cruisemaster.com/adventure.htm |
#8
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OT - home based TA's
On Mon, 14 May 2007 08:29:40 -0500, "George Leppla"
wrote: Recently I was gone for 9 days escorting a group cruise. I was able to answer all emails during that time and a few customers even made new bookings either by telling me to book them when I got back... or they used the booking engine on my website. I can attest to this. I noticed a cruise I booked through George took a BIG drop in price. I sent him an Email not knowing he was out of town, He replied that evening telling me he was on a cruise, and took care of it first thing Monday morning. My last cruise I booked through VacationsToGO. I called back 4 times before booking with an agent that sounded like she cared about me as a customer. One guy, after every question, asked for my credit card to book it for me. No way he was gettin' it. Even with this friendly agent. My documents still had not arrived after other people with real agents had theirs for several days. When I called, someone had to go look through a pile of envelopes to find the documents that came in from the cruise line, then ship them to me. While I think VTG does an OK job, there is something to be said for dealing with the same person who takes care of the whole process. |
#9
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OT - home based TA's
Neal, we've almost always booked with George. When there was a drop in
prices, George had handled it and gotten us the lower price even before I'd heard about it. I compare that to a recent group cruise a different travel agent had put together, where one of the group organizers had to go to bat with the agent to get the group the benefit of the reduced fares. Nonny Neal Eckhardt wrote: On Mon, 14 May 2007 08:29:40 -0500, "George Leppla" wrote: Recently I was gone for 9 days escorting a group cruise. I was able to answer all emails during that time and a few customers even made new bookings either by telling me to book them when I got back... or they used the booking engine on my website. I can attest to this. I noticed a cruise I booked through George took a BIG drop in price. I sent him an Email not knowing he was out of town, He replied that evening telling me he was on a cruise, and took care of it first thing Monday morning. My last cruise I booked through VacationsToGO. I called back 4 times before booking with an agent that sounded like she cared about me as a customer. One guy, after every question, asked for my credit card to book it for me. No way he was gettin' it. Even with this friendly agent. My documents still had not arrived after other people with real agents had theirs for several days. When I called, someone had to go look through a pile of envelopes to find the documents that came in from the cruise line, then ship them to me. While I think VTG does an OK job, there is something to be said for dealing with the same person who takes care of the whole process. -- ---Nonnymus--- Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. |
#10
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OT - home based TA's
My Nephew also contacted George while he was on the Escorted Group
Cruise. He ended up booking the same cruise I'm on in Dec. The level of service from George isn't even in the same arena as a huge company with hundreds of hourly employees. A home based agent is more apt to pick up the phone during non- business hours than an agent at a huge company. Especially if your a good customer and have a problem while traveling. I would rather pay a little more for better service than spend less and get less service. So far I haven't had to pay more for my cruise....But don't tell George that. Can I have my upgrade now?? |
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