Travel Agent of the Day Friday Novmeber 9th, 2007 - Caroline Ward
11/09/2007 12:11 p.m.
Caroline Ward
Certified Travel Associate (CTA), Certified Travel Consultant (CTC), Recommend Destination Specialist
Caroline joined the Tripology network back in April of 2007 and has already planned some great vacations for travelers she found through Tripology.com.
How long have you been in the business?
"16 years"
What inspired you to become a travel agent?
"Well, 16 years ago my children were at the age to take care of themselves. So, I thought it was time to change from being a stay at home mom running a daycare program. I had to really think of a job that I would be able to pick up and move about every two years, and also one that would allow me to share my travel experiences with others as well. I found the ad in the paper, went and took the test and have been working hard ever since."
Do you have a passion for travel?
"I love to travel and mix with the local people and learn how their culture is both similar and different from our own."
Did you do anything else before becoming a travel agent?
"Yes, I ran a home day care!"
Are there any great perks that come with working in this business?
"There use to be more but I really am not in the business to earn the perks. I am in it to share my love of travel with others."
What are some of the perks? Any great discounts? What about upgrades?
"I have used some discounts before. I also used to be able to upgrade my airline seat at the gate if their were seats available, but the airlines have stopped doing that. I have also had my hotel room upgraded because I was a Certified Travel Agent."
Are there any great contests that you can enter?
"A few months ago, I did win a tour of Ireland with Brian Moore, but I have not yet had the chance to take it."
Do you take a lot of vacations?
"I use to but in recent years I have had health issues that prevent me from flying anywhere but in the U.S."
Do you go alone or do your friends and family tag along?
"I travel with all of them."
Do you inadvertently work a lot when you are on vacation? - scouting hotels, activities, tours and sites?
"Not too much, but I do work. I always travel with a laptop and have my business phone forwarded to my cell phone. I try to scout hotels, tours, activities as much as possible. I feel you really need to see and experience what you are selling to others."
How else do you review hotels that you may not have been to?
"Research on the internet. I look for places that give you the real scoop on them, not just what you read on the vendor's site."
How many clients do you have right now?
"50"
Do you work with a partner?
"No"
Office or home?
"Home"
Do you limit how many clients you can work with at one time?
"Not really. They seem to have trips spread out enough that I don't have to make that call. Plus, since I can work from home, I can work as many hours as I feel I need to in order to get the job done."
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?
"Not really...I just tell them all to remember that as a Certified Travel Counselor I can do the homework and research for them. So, it saves them time to just tell me what they really want for the budget they have."
What are you doing to convince travelers that a travel agent is a better option?
"I just spell it out for them. When booking on your own there is always a chance of ending up in a nasty hotel. Just because the internet says it's wonderful place doesn't mean the hotel's site is up to date."
If a traveler asks you, "Why should I use a travel agent," how do you respond?
"I tell them that I am a Certified Travel Consultant with over 16 years of experience. I have traveled the world and who better to talk to than a live person compared to a non-informative online site."
Do you have any tips for the listening travel community?
"If you insist on trying to book on your own, really do your homework. Research and research again. Do not just go to the hotel or cruise line website and think that you are getting the best rate and remember that you do not necessarily have to pay more to use a travel agent. I had a client book their family cruise vacation on the cruise lines website instead of coming to me. He said, 'Oh, I happened to be looking there and figured it was only a short cruise to see if the family would like it or not, so I just booked there.' Well, when they got their confirmation in the email, he found out he booked two of them on a deck 2 inside cabin and 2 of them on deck 5 outside room with a balcony...When he called we both had a laugh and agreed in future to let him stick to his job and to let me do mine."
What's the most exciting trip to book right now for you?
"Hopefully, I will soon be planning a romantic trip for my husband and I to the Greek Island of Santorini..."
What would you say is your most popular destination request right now?
"Cancun, Hawaii, or a Alaskan cruise."
Why do you think that is?
"I think that people tend to want to go somewhere nice while the children are on break from school..."
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?
"Because if you are knowledgeable in the area the client wants to go to you can better personalize the trip for them. For example, you can recommend a good restaurant because the food is wonderful and the staff has good customer service, or let the client know they may want to stay at one hotel instead of another..."
What does it mean to be specialized to you? Is it focusing on only 1 thing and traveling there every year?
"No, I think you can be specialized in many different things as long as you do your homework, go yourself and check it out, and listen to you clients that have been there for great information."
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 depends on the person and the time they have to put into it. If they have a handful of things and can't really get into all the details, or visit the places then they need to stick to one or two things and do them well..."
How specialized is too specialized? Is this possible?
"No, the more you learn about a place or thing the better you are at selling your clients the trip."
If someone were to call you and ask for a once in a lifetime vacation idea, what would you suggest?
"I would suggest Greece and the Greek Islands."
Funniest thing you have ever been asked?
"The unrealistic quotes people are looking for come to mind. I am sure others can relate when you get a call or email from a potential client that wants to do a 7 day cruise for 6 people, with only 2 cabins, and the total including air should be no more than $300 per person...I just had a funny one. A woman wanted to get away by herself and see the ruins in Mexico, in the River Maya area. She did not need an Ocean view or even a beach but just something nice and cozy. I was thinking, 'OK, this is doable.' I then asked her if she had a budget in mind. She said yes, and that she wants to include her flight from NY, meals, ect. and pay no more than $100 a night...Ha. I did the research and found one place that came to $800 for a 5 night trip. And, she was like, 'Well, I guess I just won't go and then maybe the airlines and tour companies will start lowering their prices...I was thinking right lady, I am sure that is what they are going to do...Ha!!!"
Tags: travel agents of the day
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