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

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

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.

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

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

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

"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

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.

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.

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??