What to Say When Clients Ask About the Travel Agent Woman's Day Article

travel agentBy now leaders from across the industry have weighed in on the controversial Woman's Day article "10 Things Travel Agents Won't Tell You." The magazine has retracted a portion of the article due to factual errors, but what to say if clients ask about some of the inaccuracies in the article? We asked our readers and here is a roundup of some of their responses.

Regarding commissions, user Janice Pauls said, "Depending on which franchise your agency is with, that depicts what you are allowed to sell, some agencies (like mine) allow total freedom. I can book whichever you like - yes I can book off of their websites, but I will have to charge you a fee. Do I not deserve the fee?…You'll tip a waitress at a restaurant."

On our Facebook page Cynthia MacDonald Phillips said, "When I was a travel agent I worked hard to get the best rates. Sometimes it was through a tour company, sometimes through the vendor itself…Maybe there's an agent or two like she described, but it definitely is not the norm."

Penny Sheldon said, "I can't think of anything else in life where someone will spend thousands of dollars of their hard-earned money without the use of an educated professional. This is their time and investment in themselves."

On the necessity of travel insurance, Raquel DeRichs said, "I would love to send the writer of this article on a cruise without travel insurance, oh and then have them miss the plane to the embarkation port and have to fly to the next port of call…then lose their luggage, money and from all that stress get sick onboard. Not even your AMEX Centurion Card will cover you for that!"

Have you had any client questions regarding the article? What would you say? Let us know on our Facebook page or in the comments below.