The value of using a travel agent

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I started in this business knowing nothing more than what I had learned by planning a few multi-generational family vacations.  The first, a multi stop trip to Washington DC and New York City.  The logistics were a nightmare and the entire time I felt like I was nothing more than the tour conductor.  To this day, I still feel the need to re-visit both DC and Cooperstown New York since I missed most of the sites while assuring the group stayed on the regimented timeline.

 

Next up, an Alaskan Cruise which lead me to an online travel agent to complete the booking process and making some of the arrangements.  To this day, I am not sure how my search lead me to the online agent but she was helpful in offering advice on the value of taking a train from Anchorage to Seward where we would board the ship.  The remainder of the trip and land excursions where left to me and while the group collectively seemed to enjoy the trip, my "tour guide hat" seldom came.

 

The following year we were slightly less ambitious, taking (what I thought would be) a simple RV trip to Mt. Rushmore.  Hundreds of miles resulting in multiple stops, campsites and local tours.  Again, the group gave the vacation high marks but if you ask me I was never relaxed until the trip was over.

 

It wasn't until my pending retirement approached that I gave consideration to entering the travel industry.  It wasn't that I saw it as a financial boom so much as I enjoy travel and I seemed pretty good at planning things.  Entering the business as a novice, I was overwhelmed by two facets of the career:

1. The amount of vendors in the travel industry
2. How much I didn't know about the travel industry

 

I quickly realized why I never felt like I was on a vacation during my previous trips.  The hours I spent planning, never really ended until the trip was over.  I had pages of notes, phone numbers and itineraries that I would carry with me to assure things went smoothly.  I was confirming flights, rooms, excursions and insurance to assure the investment was protected.  While on the trip I was constantly breaking out the plastic paying for meals, rooms and tours to minimize the impact on the others in the group.  I only had two primary rules while on vacation:

1. Don't worry about what I eat
2. Try not to worry about the money

Arguably, both of are difficult goals.

 

Now that I have entered the world of travel, I clearly see what I missed out on during my previous trips.  While I still excel at planning, I now have the advantage of being able to call directly to the vendor and assure my clients are getting the best service possible.  Why would the vendors care?  Because now, it isn't Gordon Clemmer (trip planner for the family of 8) calling.  It is Gordon Clemmer from Cruise Planners (CP), the most successful travel franchise in the world.  The name carries clout.  Some resort in Cancun may not care if they make Gordon upset over a booking but they sure as heck care if CP is unhappy.

 

So can a travel agent save you money?  More often than not, yes.  But what you are really saving is peace of mind.  The assurance that the utmost attention has been placed on your travel and that I am not satisfied unless you return from what you tell your friends was a "trip of a lifetime."