Travel Agent of the Day Wednesday November 14th, 2007 - Larry Martino
11/14/2007 12:11 p.m.
Larry Martino
Destination Specialist (DS)
Larry joined the Tripology network back in March of 2007 and has already planned some great vacations for travelers he found through Tripology.com.
How long have you been in the business?
"About three and a half years."
What inspired you to become a travel agent?
"I've always loved to travel. I started when I was in the Armed Forces and went to many places around the world and now I plan to travel more as I am able."
Do you have a passion for travel?
"I absolutely do. Sometimes my passion is way ahead of my funds."
Did you do anything else before becoming a travel agent?
"Yes, I did. I worked for the state of Texas as a safety consultant for over 10 years and I also was in a type of sales many years before that."
Are there any great perks that come with working in this business?
"Yes there are, but not to the extent that some customers may think."
What are some of the perks? Any great discounts?
"These are probably the most common and I try to take advantage of them when I travel."
What about upgrades?
"I always try. All they can say is 'no' right?"
Are there a lot of great contests that you can enter?
"There are always incentive type contests, but I try not to let them rule what I sell. I sell to asist the client and if that happens to help me with a contest, that's fine."
Do you take a lot of vacations?
"I try to take about three a year, but that always depends on what is going on each year."
Do you go alone or do your friends and family tag along?
"Well, my kids are grown up and out of the house, but I do always travel with my wife. If the kids are available, I love for them to join us too."
Favorite getaways to head off to on your own?
"I don't really go on my own because I like to share my time with my wife."
Do you inadvertently work a lot when you are on vacation? - scouting hotels, activities, tours and sites?
"I do a lot of this - checking out of hotels, restaurants, and other attractions so that I can make recommendations to clients."
How else do you review hotels that you may not have been to?
"I will take a look at many resources such as websites and travel guides. The best I think are the "social" websites. The consumers really tell it like it is. I never go with only one review, but as many as I can so that I can get a better assessment of the hotels, etc."
How many clients do you have right now?
"I have about 45. I am not trying to get "bunches of numbers" but a quality and quantity that I am comfortable with."
Do you work with a partner?
"I work alone at present. But that isn't to say I won't work with someone in the future."
Office or home?
"Home-based. I am a disabled vet and cannot drive."
Do you limit how many clients you can work with at one time?
"I do. Depending on the complexity of the trips, I will only work with three or four at a time. My job is to assure that I give the best customer service that I can to each of my clients. I won't sacrifice quality for quantity."
How has our site been working for you?
"Good. I have had my share of non-responsive consumers and I have also had my share of good leads which many times end up being very good clients and even friends."
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 as much a problem for me as it is for consumers. If they try to book fairly detailed itineraries, they may have some unintended results. Plus, they do not get the personal service that I can give them 24/7."
If a traveler asks you, "Why should I use a travel agent," how do you respond?
"I give them a lot of reasons. First and foremost, I promise to assist my customer personally and to work in their best interest. We have knowledge and experience where we can really make that trip great instead of just good. If I don't have the answer to a question, I will work hard to find it for them."
Have any travelers given you any horror stories of experiences they had trying to book a trip on their own?
"Yes, I hear about them all the time. Let's face it some trips can be a headache to book."
What's the most exciting trip to book right now for you?
"I love Southeast Asia, Hawaii, and Jamaica! There are some really good values at these places and plenty to do and see. I also love Europe. Hawaii and Tahiti have tons of great honeymoon trip opportunities to plan too."
What would you say is your most popular destination request right now?
"Hawaii and Jamaica."
Why do you think that is?
"With Jamaica, there are plenty of choices for all-inclusive resorts. Hawaii, what can I say other than - It still is paradise."
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 you have the ability to give recommendations from your own experiences. I also think you can specialize in certain areas and have knowledge of different areas based on courses offered through vendors, and associations. I do think that continuing one's education is important."
What does it mean to be specialized to you? Is it focusing on only 1 thing and traveling there every year?
"Not necessarily. You can specialize in Hawaii, for example, and also take the courses for another area and visit the other area every 2-3 years to keep up on that location as well."
Do travelers ask a lot if you have been to where they are trying to book their trip?
"I find it to be about half and half. If they don't ask I will tell them though, so that they are more comfortable working with me."
Does specialization actually mean focusing on a handful of things?
"It can. If you are comfortable with multiple destinations then you can work with all of them."
How specialized is too specialized? Is this possible?
"I don't suppose you can be too specialized. I spoke with an agent who specializes in one destination. He can really help clients going to that destination..."
If someone were to call you and ask for a once in a lifetime vacation idea, what would you suggest?
"First, I would once again ask questions and listen! --Ask them what they consider a once-in-a lifetime vacation. It's not about what I like but what the client likes."
Funniest thing you have ever been asked?
"I had a prospective client call and ask for an all-inclusive vacation for two on a budget of approximately $1,200 total for a week."
Tags: travel agents of the day
Relevant Articles:
Travel Agent of the Day - Friday, November 30th, 2007 - Marina Byrum
Michele H - 11/30/2007
Marina ByrumCertified Travel Consultant (CTC), Destination Specialist (DS) Marina joined the Tripology network in June of 2007 and has already planned some great vacations for travelers she found through Tripology.com. How long have you been in the business? "Forty-two years." What inspired you to become a travel agent? "The urge to ... Read More
Travel Agent of the Day - Thursday, November 29th, 2007 - Stacey Criss
Michele H - 11/29/2007
Stacey CrissCertified Travel Associate (CTA), Certified Travel Consultant (CTC), Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE), Destination Specialist (DS), Master Cruise Counselor (MCC) Stacey joined the Tripology network in August of 2007 and has already planned some great vacations for travelers she found through Tripology.com. How long have you been in the business? ... Read More
Travel Agent of the Day - Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - Kristen Hernandez
Michele H - 11/27/2007
Kristen HernandezHoneymoon Specialist Kristen joined the Tripology network in August of 2007 and has already planned some great vacations for travelers she found through Tripology.com. How long have you been in the business? "13 years." What inspired you to become a travel agent? "When I was growing up ... Read More
Travel Agent of the Day - Monday, November 26th, 2007 - Vicky Spencer
Michele H - 11/26/2007
Vicky SpencerDestination Specialist (DS) Vicky joined the Tripology network 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? "One and a half years." What inspired you to become a travel agent? "Realizing the value of ... Read More
Travel Agent of the Day Friday November 23rd, 2007 - Patricia Baker
Michele H - 11/23/2007
Patricia BakerDestination Specialist (DS), Recommend Destination Specialist Patricia joined the Tripology network in June of 2007 and has already planned some great vacations for travelers she found through Tripology.com. How long have you been in the business?"20 years" What inspired you to become a travel agent?"I wanted to help people ... Read More
Travel Agent of the Day Wednesday November 21, 2007 - Linda Spyres
Michele H - 11/21/2007
Linda SpyresAccredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), Destination Specialist (DS), Recommend Destination Specialist Linda joined the Tripology network 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? "Eight years." What inspired you to become a travel ... Read More
Travel Agent of the Day Tuesday November 20th, 2007 - Lisa Williams
Michele H - 11/19/2007
Lisa WilliamsCertified Travel Consultant (CTC), Destination Specialist (DS), Lifestyle Specialist (LS), Recommend Destination Specialist Lisa joined the Tripology network in October of 2007 and has already planned some great vacations for travelers she found through Tripology.com. How long have you been in the business? "Almost 20 years." What inspired you to ... Read More
Travel Agent of the Day Friday November 16th, 2007 - Jennifer Byrne
Michele H - 11/16/2007
Jennifer ByrneDestination 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 ... Read More
Travel Agent of the Day Monday November 19th, 2007 - Loretta Lamberth
Michele H - 11/15/2007
Loretta LamberthEuropean Travel Specialist Loretta 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? "Over two years." What inspired you to become a travel agent? "It sounds so cliché, ... Read More
Travel Agent of the Day Tuesday November 13th, 2007 - Philippa Andrea Bollman
Michele H - 11/13/2007
Philippa Andrea Bollman Philippa joined the Tripology network back in September of 2007 and has already planned some great vacations for travelers she found through Tripology.com. How long have you been in the business? "Officially, for one year. Unofficially, I have been booking travel and helping with vacation plans for ... Read More
