Travel Agent of the Day Friday November 16th, 2007 - Jennifer Byrne
11/16/2007 12:11 p.m.
Jennifer Byrne
Destination Specialist (DS), Lifestyle Specialist (LS), Recommend Destination Specialist
Jennifer joined the Tripology network back in March of 2007 and has already planned some great vacations for travelers she found through Tripology.com.
How long have you been in the business?
"14 years."
What inspired you to become a travel agent?
"My love for travel and working with people."
Do you have a passion for travel?
"I am extremely passionate about travel. It's my life."
Did you do anything else before becoming a travel agent?
"No"
Are there any great perks that come with working in this business?
"There are a few. Some discounts here and there."
What about upgrades?
"Not really."
Do you take a lot of vacations?
"Three to four per year."
Do you go alone or do your friends and family tag along?
"Sometimes with friends, sometimes with family, and other times 'travel agent only' trips."
Favorite getaways to head off to on your own?
"Caribbean Islands and Mexico."
Do you inadvertently work a lot when you are on vacation? - scouting hotels, activities, tours and sites?
"Yes, always. It doesn't matter if it is a work trip or a personal vacation, I always take several days to scout hotels."
How else do you review hotels that you may not have been to?
"I always ask clients for reviews of hotels I send them to. I also check STAR for reviews and Tripadvisor."
How many clients do you have right now?
"Well, my database has about 5,000."
Do you work with a partner?
"No"
Office or home?
"Home"
Do you limit how many clients you can work with at one time?
"No"
How has our service been working for you?
"It is my whole business. It's my calling card and brings in most of my leads."
Websites such as, Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity have given the opportunity to travelers to book trips without a travel agent. Have you found this to be a problem for you?
"Yes, Yes, Yes! It wouldn't be such a problem if they didn't undercut agents so much. But they tend to make people think we are overcharging when they see the site's prices, often forgetting that we are offering an actual service where the website is not."
What are you doing to convince travelers that a travel agent is a better option?
"I remind them that I have firsthand knowledge of the destinations they want to travel to, and I am available to them 24 hours a day for questions or problems they may have."
Have any travelers given you any horror stories of experiences they had trying to book a trip on their own?
"Many"
Do you have any tips for the listening travel community?
"Find a good travel consultant who specializes in your destination. One of which you have a good relationship with and feel comfortable asking questions to."
What's the most exciting trip to book right now for you?
"Honeymoons and Destination Weddings."
What would you say is your most popular destination request right now?
"St. Lucia cottage resorts."
Why do you think that is?
"My clients are looking for romantic, unique vacation experiences."
There's a lot of buzz about specialization these days, and how destination expertise is still a great value proposition for travelers. Why do you think agent specialization is important to have when travelers are trying to book the trip?
"The public is much more knowledgeable about the destinations they want to travel to since the start of the Internet. You need to know more than your clients and have the information that they cannot find online."
Is it focusing on only 1 thing and traveling there every year?
"No, you can specialize in a number of different destinations or a variety of different types of travels. But, you need to stay current on the trends of those locations too."
Do travelers ask a lot if you have been to where they are trying to book their trip?
"Yes."
Does specialization actually mean focusing on a handful of things?
"It can."
How specialized is too specialized? Is this possible?
"I don't think it's possible. If you specialize in Jamaica that means you know all kinds of great facts about the country and can really help Clients zero in on their perfect vacation."
If someone were to call you and ask for a once in a lifetime vacation idea, what would you suggest?
"For me, that is too broad of a question. I have a full questionnaire that I have my clients fill out so I can get a better idea of who they are, what their lifestyle is like, and what they see their perfect trip being like in their minds."
Funniest thing you have ever been asked?
"Can I take a cruise to Las Vegas?"
Tags: travel agents of the day
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