The Value of a Great Travel Consultant – 8 Real Client Scenarios
We believe there are so many reasons as to why a traveler should use a travel consultant. Now some of you might be thinking, do I really need help planning travel? The answer is “yes”. The value of a great travel consultant goes way beyond finding the “best price for a trip” or just “getting you an upgrade” on travel. A great travel consultant is there for you every step of your journey from pre-travel through post-travel.
At our agency, are in communication with our travelers during every step and that’s been part of our success. We truly care about each one of clients. Most trips go smoothly, but a great travel consultant is there as well when the unexpected happens. The value of a good travel consultant becomes very clear for a client once they have the experience.
Here are a few real scenarios in which our clients appreciated having us help them!
The Value of a Good Travel Consultant – 8 Real Client Scenarios
- Flight Cancellations While Traveling – Our client’s flight was canceled come home from Kenya. We received the immediate alert from the airline and we rebooked the client the same day (before other starting calling in). It’s important to be very proactive in this stage, otherwise the client would have most likely had to take a flight the next day (or even the following). We also saved them time from calling the airlines and dealing with the situation while trying to enjoy their vacation.
- Non-refundable Purchase – We had a traveler fall in a restaurant and hurt her leg in London. The issue was they were scheduled for a non-refundable full day tour the next morning to visit Stonehenge. While the client wasn’t hurt badly, she still wasn’t sure if she could handle a full day tour. As a close partner with the tour company, we were able to get her tour moved to one that required less walking (at no cost). w.
- Providing Guidance on Itinerary – We reviewed an itinerary that a client sent us that they were going to book on their own. They asked us to take a look at it and let them know our thoughts. We had charged a small consulting fee to review. We quickly made some suggestions and told them a few areas to avoid on the itinerary. We ended up booking it for them and they could not have been happier.
- Last Minute Bookings/Too Busy to Research– Our client had booked flights for an Italy trip, but they didn’t have time to look into anything else. They had a young family and demanding work schedules, so we were able to step in to help them. They had contacted us about two weeks out from their trip (Yikes!). We quickly put together a very nice itinerary and had everything reserved for them within 2 days.
- I Need an IDP? – We had a client who was renting a car in Italy. They did not realize hat they were required to have an IDP (International Drivers Permit) to drive. The IDP is pretty much just a translation of your own country’s drivers license and allows you to legally driver in the country that you are visiting. Without having it, you can be denied a car rental.
- Upgrades to Room – We had a client book a standard level room at a very nice resort in Paris. We were able to surprise them with a room upgrade upon arrival based on great relationships with the hotel. The clients were absolutely excited!
- Coordinating Group Travel – We often get large groups (destination weddings, friends getaways, family travel) who need assistant with planning. A great travel consultant will be able to find a great recommendation for a group traveling. Also, the most important thing here is having a key consultant who can handle staying organized and working with multiple requests from different travelers.
- Real-time Communication – We had a client in Paris and they realized the following day was going to have bad weather. They asked us for spa suggestions (while traveling) for the next day. We followed up immediately with a nice recommendation. We can be your “personal concierge” at times while traveling. That’s an important element for the services that a good consultant can provide.
Travel Consultant – Providing Excellent Value & Customer Service
- Ultimately, we feel every travel consultant should not be used for finding the best “discounts” or “deals”. We (at our agency) do not focus on that area. Now we will find the best pricing for you, but we will not recommend certain accommodations or tours just based on pricing. That’s not the area that we are in for our clients.
- The value of a great travel consultant is providing expert guidance pre-travel (advice on where to stay, things to do, restaurant recommendations, first hand knowledge of an area, experiences from other clients etc), being there for you at the time of need during travel and always available post-travel as well. Our customer service is very important to our team and we take great pride there.
Travel with Us!
Hope that this was helpful for you! We would love to help plan your next getaway. Join hundreds of happy travelers and let us help plan your trip today. Contact us via email (info@thetimelytraveler.com) or fill out our form below!
dshorter
thank you for sharing this informative post, i was not very much aware of what a travel consultant does
This is great. You provide such great service to your clients. I love the one about the client who hurt her leg and you were able to schedule a tour for them that required less walking. That is something that will keep clients coming back to you. Thank you for some things to look for in a travel agent, if and when we need to use one. (FB: Addie Cotoure)
It’s really important to find a person that you can work with and trust and one that understands what you like when you travel. I think that’s something that could really make your trip less stressful and more enjoyable!
This is a really informative article indeed. Having a great travel consultant is really important indeed.
Value of a good travel consultant is very important, because the whole scenario of vacation depends on them. Great information 🙂
Being a travel consultant is a very serious and challenging job! Traveling can be so difficult when you are not used to and the very vibes way to start is knowing you have someone who’ll take care of all the issues and possible problems you mentioned
This is wonderful advice! Planning a vacation can be intimidating and overwhelming, so I can easily see the benefits of consulting with a travel consultant.
It’s important to find a good travel consultant as it can mean the difference between a good and bad holiday. It’s great that the flight was rebooked so quickly! I bet he clients were pleased that it was all organised so efficiently.
A really nice post! Having a good and competent travel consultant is really important to avoid any kind of problem or quickly fixing them if some arise. Fortunately I’ve never had any kind of travel, besides a postponed flight, but I guess you never know 😉
I can see why it would be such a good value to have someone help you. And if things go sideways, always good to have someone there on your side to help out. Costs more but more peace of mind I would imagine.
This post was a real eye-opener. I never knew there were so many benefits to using a travel agent.
Sometimes I like having a travel consultant because I don’t stress at work, especially when am too busy. And I like their insights.
I’ve never thought of using a travel consultant but they definitely have value! I love that they work hard to get you upgrades and sort bad situations like cancellations out for you
Travel consultants are really necessary especially if you’re going to a country with a different language. Although it’s more expensive, I prefer it because it’s less hassle. Trips are for relaxation after all.
Great tips for those who love to travel. A travel consultant will indeed be of great help especially since traveling can sometimes be overwhelming.