Transparency – Guidance – Passion.

In my time managing customers, these focus areas always ring true for me. Be transparent at all times, no hidden tricks, just the best option for the customer. Guide and support the client through the process, recommend and provide your honest opinion. Be engaging and invested in the customer and their experience.

Travel doesn’t need to be complex or confusing. Booking someone from point A to B should be a simple task. The complexity is the client. The emotion of the transaction, their varying expectations, their mood and trust are all variables. These are the areas which are dynamic, which makes every single engagement unique, this is where you show your worth, what makes you great, how you stay relevant. You listen you guide and you mean it.

Unfortunately there are travel providers who don’t practice these methods. Instead focusing on pushing a product, pushing for the sale, not disclosing all of the details to avoid questions or hoping they don’t complain.

So why now does the industry need to change? Technology is the enabler, decision making can be self-managed, instant and continual sources of information and feedback can be obtained without a travel agent. So it’s not ok to be lazy, it’s now important to be relevant in other ways, not just out of necessity.

Those travel agents who adapt and stay relevant will always have purpose, they will be engaging, they will inspire and instil trust. If you’re not the best you can be, if you’re not specific in your offering, are you relevant?

With the future of travel across the globe going through drastic change, there will be a rejuvenated need for travel support. Those who have planned and booked travel themselves may find it difficult to do so confidently. Restrictions and paperwork will have a whole new complexity to understand and this is where travel agents can be relevant once more. We are provided an opportunity now to reestablish our value.