Why Use a Travel Agent?
Here's our
view on the benefits of using a Travel Consultant over using a "free"
online do-it-yourself service. Please read carefully!
Everybody
wants a low fare when traveling, and that is perfectly OK! However, when
quoting you the lowest fare, there are many components a Travel Agent has
to consider.
Fares change
nearly every hour and every day, so therefore researching the lowest fare is
very time consuming. Unlike a customer using the Internet, spending their own
time on research and not necessarily getting the required lowest fare, a travel
agent has these advantages:
Travel
Agents can provide multiple options and make changes while doing-it-yourself
with free Internet quotes can not. Computers cannot think in a multi-faceted
way.
And most of all, if you commit to a booking through an Internet do-it-yourself service, you are stuck when something changes! Travel Agents such as ourselves will be there for you if you have to make changes in your itinerary. A Travel Agent will "go to bat" on behalf of a client if things go wrong
Travel
agents also get high marks for their ability to locate the lowest price, but
only seven out of 10 clients think price-shopping is the most valuable attribute
of their agency. Only a handful of leisure clients use 800 reservation numbers
or the Internet when they need problems solved or want to research travel
alternatives, according to the survey results. When it comes to price shopping,
the Internet gets greater use.
This
latest Travel Weekly study is the third in a series analyzing consumer attitudes
toward travel agents.
Specifically,
researchers talked to "loyal" agency clients, defined as leisure
travelers who tend to use one agent for at least some of their leisure trips.
Overall,
customers expressed substantial satisfaction with their agents. The majority of
clients have been using the same agent for more than five years, primarily for
buying air tickets (61%) and for booking domestic (32%) or international
packages (23%). In the past two years, one in five have used travel agents to
make hotel reservations, one in six to book rental cars and one in eight to buy
cruises.
In
open-ended questioning, consumers said they are loyal to their travel agents
because of:
Their
agent's ability to get the best price (34%)
Their
agent's convenient location (31%)
Their
agent's personal relationship with the client (28%)
Their
agent's general good service (24%)
Consumers
also believe that their travel agents know them well. On a scale of one to ten,
where 10 is complete understanding of clients' travel needs and 1 is complete
ignorance, the majority (57%) scored their agencies at eight or better and one
in four gave them a perfect 10.
The
consumers surveyed said they take about four trips a year and use agents for
more than one-third of those involving an overnight stay. Trips booked without
the aid of an agent tend to be automobile trips or trips that are simple to
arrange or do not require advance bookings.
10 Reasons why smart consumers use a travel agent
1. The best value for your travel dollar - We inform you about all your choices, let you know about special promotions, and can advise on the quality of a particular product.
2. Convenient one-stop shopping - We'll save you time and money by handling every aspect of your trip, from air tickets, van transportation, and lodging, to your car rental and activities.
3. Expert Guidance - We're experts in understanding and deciphering the intricacies of the system and in helping you take full advantage of them.
4. Professional Advice - Our job is to make sure you get where you need to go, at the best price, and in the most pleasant way possible.
5. Trust - We're not some anonymous Web site or long distance number. We're a local business. You know how to reach us when you need us.
6. Maximum Choice - We give you a wide variety of travel options and quotes from competing travel suppliers.
7. Customer Advocate - Experience problems during your trip? We can assist you in resolving concerns.
8. Personalized Service - We're not some impersonal voice thousands of miles away. We're your neighbor. We know you and what you value in your travel experience.
9. Time Savings - We have all the information at our fingertips and can pull up all your travel options within seconds.
10. Unbiased Information - We work for you, not the travel supplier. Our only objective is to get you the best value and satisfy your completely. That way you'll come back and see us again.
______________________________________________________________________________
Carlson Wagonlit Travel / North Wisconsin Travel
15954 Rivers Edge Drive Suite 310
Hayward, WI 54843
800-262-8974 / 715-634-8974