How to pick a travel agent
There will always be people who enjoy booking travel themselves. There are several do-it your self ways to do it, but when you come to a travel agent seeking advice be sure and ask the right questions. Just as there are good and bad cruise experiences, there are good and bad travel agents. We hope this column will give you some ideas on how to pick a travel agent.
So you’ve decided to take a cruise and like the majority of those who have cruised before you, you first head to the all knowing and powerful internet for research. In your search, you find big ships and small ships and many sizes of ships in between. You must consider destinations as well as what to do when you get there. How about what is right for your family? What kind of night-life do you prefer? Do you know who will be your fellow passengers?
Of course I realize that in writing the above it may sound like the beginning of an article on how to pick the right cruise. However, these are questions a good travel agent is going to ask you during your appointment whether by phone or in person. Our own questionnaire is two pages, and there are some agents who have five page questionnaires. A good travel agent wants to make sure that you get the most value for your money. I can almost promise most people that the cheapest cruise will NOT be the right cruise for them.
For us, our best clients come as referrals from others as well repeat clients. So start asking your friends and neighbors who they have used to help plan their last cruise vacation. What was their experience like? Probably the most important question to ask is how their agent responded to their concerns. How much contact did your friends receive after they made their payment? A professional travel agent is by your side from beginning your cruise plans to long after you have returned. While technology is fantastic, remember that nothing can replace the human experience. When it comes to something as personal as travel, and you are not experienced in that type of travel; do you self a favor and save yourself the heartache experienced by so many trying to save money doing it themselves.
A professional travel agent has either been to the places you want to go or has a network of contacts that have been and can share real world experiences that you cannot Google, see on a television program, or read in a book. A professional travel agent is one who continues to learn about the different offerings from a variety of suppliers. A professional travel agent has taken the time and spent the money to get face time with hotel general managers, insiders and higher-ups at cruise lines, even private guides at the destinations in which they specialize.
When you are ready to pick a travel agent for a cruise, we hope you think of The Flagg Agency. If not, we perfectly understand as we are not the right fit for every client. What we do encourage you to do is get yourself on a cruise and do it soon. It remains one of the best ways to vacation and one of the biggest values for your money.
Happy Sailing!
Chuck and Laura Flagg own The Flagg Agency in Canton, GA and our number is 770-355- 9569
We are fee-based cruise consultants and our specialty is the selecting,
planning, marketing and administering cruises for groups of all sizes.
We help people find a cruise experience that matches both their wants AND their needs.
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