Add-On Services Sparks Leisure Pops Growth

The importance to travel agents of the sale of ancillary and add on services will grow substantially in the years ahead and make effective ‘merchandising’ of services vital to agency survival and profitability, says Lee Rosen, founder and president of Leisure Pops. ”Agency profitability is increasingly dependent on sales of ancillary services.”

It's also the reason why Leisure Pops, a user controlled, point of sale software application to help agents sell more preferred suppliers and more add-on products, is succeeding. In less than six months since the start up, Rosen reports that 1,000 agents are now using Leisure Pops. This includes agencies that are part of major agency consortia.

“Leisure Pops is proving itself to agency owners who want control and focus on what is sold,” Rosen told Travel Agent. “This means improved client service quality and profitability for agents.”

The key is the control Leisure Pops offers agency owners and managers over what “pops” onscreen— including sales reminders and focused pops on preferred supplier sales— translates into enhanced profitability and productivity gains for agents and agencies. Independent agents are also using Leisure Pops.

“The economic downturn re-focused agency owners and managers on the importance of effective sales of preferred suppliers,” Rosen said. And it become necessary to sell ancillary services such as insurance, special events, reservations, pre and post cruise tours and more. This is in part what Leisure Pops was designed to do.”

Rosen, who founded Trams Inc. sold the company to Sabre, and managed Sabre Leisure for two years, says that content is being added every week. Leisure Pops reads the reservation systems that the agents are using— both GDS and web-based— and, depending on the information requested, Leisure Pops will “pop” an appropriate reminder, or application needed to complete the booking.

Leisure Pops not only includes the ability to be intelligently reminded at the point-of-sale, but also links agents to sites they wish to be moved to, then it shops that site and passes data back and forth with the original booking site. Add-on reservations that were once time consuming can now be completed in as little as four quick clicks, Rosen says.

“This is a key for retailers to sell more preferred suppliers (as well as linking and moving data that is a time saver and productivity gain, Rosen says. “Sales of add on products are one of the keys to agency profitability. This is the gateway to higher commissions, supplier productivity incentives and more product.

“Owner/manger control is a major attraction but so too is the availability of extra options Rosen continued. Agents can make more commission because Leisure Pops gives them quick and easy access to content, alternate selling options, preferred suppliers and more add-on products.”

Leisure Pops costs $10 per month per agent, but several sponsorship programs are available at the agency, consortium, supplier and associations levels, Rosen notes. Online demonstrations of the Leisure Pops system is available online at www.LeisurePops.com. Leisure Pops can also be reached via email at [email protected].