This year Michelle started as a travel agent working with Mickey’s Dream Vacations. To support her I plan to write a series of posts here with what I know about travel.
Unfortunately for me and you and her that is somewhat limited but I think I can clear up a few things and then leave the rest to my wife who is the expert.
The Money
Well now the real issue is how does this work? How does the travel agent get paid?
At least for Michelle the deal is that she gets paid by the vendor. This means if you book a Disney trip, or Universal package, or cruise she gets a commission.
So this of course must drive up the cost to you. Well it turns out that it doesn’t. The deals are the same if you book them or if an agent books them. And this makes sense because the commission is worth it to the people providing the trips and experiences just to get business. This may be counterintuitive to you but my company has been very successful by enabling the channel. Which is basically what you call aligning the interests between multiple parties so one does a bunch of the selling.
Why Bother
Well okay fine it’s not going to cost you anything but why should you bother?
The best reason is expertise. Some of these trips can be quite complicated. If you’re going to do Walt Disney World there are many options, which lead to further choices and finally deadlines which are difficult to navigate unless you have a lot of experience.
Okay maybe you like the puzzle of figuring out all this stuff and optimizing your experience. Great! An agent can give you the relevant facts and do research to ensure you are getting everything you want out of your vacation.
Finally. You’re already paying for it. So no matter what deal you get you can have someone help you without any additional cost. Basically you’re choosing to leave free help on the table.
Why Michelle
Michelle is the smartest and hardest working person I’ve ever met. She is hungry to earn your business and your referrals.
So go like her Facebook page and look for a deal or reach out and just start figuring out what your next adventure will be.