How to Thank my TA?

[BroncosFan2010]

My TA is amazing. She goes above and beyond to help me answer questions, and even made sure I got my price drop, even though it was her day off. We have used her for every cruise, and will continue to do so. Anyone have any ideas as to how I can show my appreciation other than a simple "Thank You" card? I don't want to do the cheesy "bring something back from the cruise" idea, unless it is really good. HELP!

[cb at sea]

If you think something more than her commission is needed, how about a gift card to a favorite restaurant?

[hollon]

I got my ta a gift card from panaer bread (sp?) and dropped by a bakery and got a cute box w/ brownies, cookies inside and she just loved it. Everybody needs a snack to get thru the day :)

[negc]

In much the same way that little gifts are probably not the best way to reward your dining room staff and room steward on your cruise, little gifts are less appealing to many travel agents than continuing to give her your business and referring your friends and acquaintances to her when they want to travel. That is really the very best way to show your appreciation and will be valued much more highly by your TA than any gift card or token gift would be.:)

[patseacruiser]

Just continue to use her services and referrals to her.

[BroncosFan2010]

I got my ta a gift card from panaer bread (sp?) and dropped by a bakery and got a cute box w/ brownies, cookies inside and she just loved it. Everybody needs a snack to get thru the day :)

 

I like this idea, as it will benefit everyone in the office as well as my TA. Also, she works near a Panera Bread.

[janice4559]

My TA is amazing. She goes above and beyond to help me answer questions, and even made sure I got my price drop, even though it was her day off. We have used her for every cruise, and will continue to do so. Anyone have any ideas as to how I can show my appreciation other than a simple "Thank You" card? I don't want to do the cheesy "bring something back from the cruise" idea, unless it is really good. HELP!

 

You found the price drop and she did her job. If she was unreachable on her day off and you missed the drop, she would have been a lousy TA. Since she was reachable and she got you the drop, she is simply an average TA. What was your expectation when you hired her?

[negc]

You found the price drop and she did her job. If she was unreachable on her day off and you missed the drop, she would have been a lousy TA. Since she was reachable and she got you the drop, she is simply an average TA. What was your expectation when you hired her?

I believe the OP might be a better judge of the quality of her TA than anyone reading or responding to her post and she deserves an answer to her question rather than having her judgment questioned.

[TBSCruiser]

You found the price drop and she did her job. If she was unreachable on her day off and you missed the drop, she would have been a lousy TA. Since she was reachable and she got you the drop, she is simply an average TA. What was your expectation when you hired her?

 

No offense but are you willing to give clients or colleagues whom you deal with your contact info on your day off ....and do work??? Are you ready to give back part of your salary on that day off? Broncho, the Panera bread idea sounds great, the whole office will love you!

[bmarchal]

We started collecting a casino chip from each of the different ships we have been on for our TA. She seems to really get a kick out of getting them and they don't take up a lot of space. We bought a book with plastic sleeves that she just slips them into and you can see the decoration on both sides. It's not much but she's trying to get us booked on all the different ships that RCCL has so she can have a complete set. See...everyone wins.

[janice4559]

No offense but are you willing to give clients or colleagues whom you deal with your contact info on your day off ....and do work??? Are you ready to give back part of your salary on that day off? Broncho, the Panera bread idea sounds great, the whole office will love you!

 

Like I posed to the OP, what expectations do you have of your TA? I would expect that for the commissions they get paid, they or someone else in their office should be reachable as close to 24/7 as possible so that price drops can be applied when I find them. If I asked a TA if they could accomodate that and they told me "no, I don't want to have to do any work on my day off", I wouldn't hire them. Would you? Let's pose that question to the several TA's that jumped all over this post - do you tell your clients that they can get service 24/7 either by them or someone else in their office?

 

As for the giving back part of your salary - I'm sure all the TA's would glady upgrade a client on their day off for a little bit more commission so I say it goes both ways. That's their chosen profession and they should be professional about it.

[steponboard]

My TA is amazing. She goes above and beyond to help me answer questions, and even made sure I got my price drop, even though it was her day off. We have used her for every cruise, and will continue to do so. Anyone have any ideas as to how I can show my appreciation other than a simple "Thank You" card? I don't want to do the cheesy "bring something back from the cruise" idea, unless it is really good. HELP!

You said thank you with your business and probably your repeat business. She should be rewarding you the CUSTOMER.

[madforcruising]

Like I posed to the OP, what expectations do you have of your TA? I would expect that for the commissions they get paid, they or someone else in their office should be reachable as close to 24/7 as possible so that price drops can be applied when I find them. If I asked a TA if they could accomodate that and they told me "no, I don't want to have to do any work on my day off", I wouldn't hire them. Would you? Let's pose that question to the several TA's that jumped all over this post - do you tell your clients that they can get service 24/7 either by them or someone else in their office?

 

As for the giving back part of your salary - I'm sure all the TA's would glady upgrade a client on their day off for a little bit more commission so I say it goes both ways. That's their chosen profession and they should be professional about it.

 

Wow, I´m not a TA, but I do have a service orientated job and nowhere am I willing to be available 24/7 nor would I ever expect that from anybody.

Honestly, this might sound rude, but is not meant as such, but if I were a TA I´d rather lose you as a customer with this sort of expectation than to accomodate you.

As for your question, no my TA is not available 24/7, they have business hours which are quite extended already IMO. I can send them e´s 24/7 but I don´t expect them to answer 24/7. I´m happy with them and to do business with them, knowing their times.

 

I agree on the TA being professional about their job, but a customer should be as "professional" and realize no human being can be available 24/7 and expecting such a service is not professional either.

 

 

To the OP:

I don´t see anything wrong with giving your TA a little something.

[swcruise]

On one of our cruises my mum was really pleased with our TA and even though I didn't think it was necessary she brought her a bottle of wine from Italy. The following year her service was ok but not as stellar so she got no extra recognition and we transferred our business direct to RCI.

 

Go with your gut instinct and if you feel the TA deserves a litttle extra then the cookie idea in the office sounds like a nice idea.

[BroncosFan2010]

Thanks for all the replies. I do think my TA deserves extra special treatment in this case. I had called the office and someone else was willing to work with me in my TA's place. However, my TA ended up being contacted by someone at the office, and she personally came into handle my concerns.

 

I am a therapist/psychologist, and we have an emergency crisis line at my office. However, unless I am the one scheduled for on-call, there is absolutely NO WAY I am going in on my off time. First of all, that fosters dependence, and 2nd of all, if I did that, I would do nothing but work 24/7. I value my personal time, and I imagine my TA does as well. In my opinion, it is no necessary to be able to reach my TA, but her office does have long hours in which someone can be reached (except on holiday weekends!!).

 

I will stick with the Panera Bread idea, as I think it recognizes her with a gift card, and the whole office by being able to enjoy the treats.

[TBSCruiser]

Like I posed to the OP, what expectations do you have of your TA? I would expect that for the commissions they get paid, they or someone else in their office should be reachable as close to 24/7 as possible so that price drops can be applied when I find them. If I asked a TA if they could accomodate that and they told me "no, I don't want to have to do any work on my day off", I wouldn't hire them. Would you? Let's pose that question to the several TA's that jumped all over this post - do you tell your clients that they can get service 24/7 either by them or someone else in their office?

 

As for the giving back part of your salary - I'm sure all the TA's would glady upgrade a client on their day off for a little bit more commission so I say it goes both ways. That's their chosen profession and they should be professional about it.

 

 

First of all RCL is not open 24 hours to apply any price drops so why should a TA be available? Do you work 24/7? Why would you expect anyone else to? My TA is available by email all the time, but would I expect her to answer me at 2am, absolutely not. You have a very distorted view of what a TA does, they are not your slave to be at your beck and call.

[crusinmama06]

Before everyone gets upset about "Janice's" response -- check her posting history. When someone has 216 posts and 214 of them are about getting rid of your TA, my spidy sense goes off. ;)

 

I think "Janice" might be a fomer CCer back from banishment.

 

Just a theory. :p

 

Bronchos - to answer your question, the Panaro is a great idea. Very thoughtful. You are very sweet for even asking :)

[testifyoncruises]

Before everyone gets upset about "Janice's" response -- check her posting history. When someone has 216 posts and 214 of them are about getting rid of your TA, my spidy sense goes off. ;)

 

I think "Janice" might be a fomer CCer back from banishment.

My "spidey" sense is of someone named "Peter" because of the anti-TA slant and all of the posts about UPSELL.

 

No TA should ever be available 24/7 for a price drop. Price drops just are not in the same realm as an urgent/emergency situation like fog closing a port or a volcano diverting flights.

 

Many TA's have been through recent training classes and have come away charging fees for their services and for that type of expectation. They are also firing the 20% of their clientele who are the least profitable and are thriving because of it!

 

To the OP, the best thank you you can give your TA is your repeat business and also any time you hear of or know someone considering they take a trip please refer them to your particular TA.

 

Believe it or not, a hand-written thank you note that you mail goes a long way, much further than an email or even a phone call.

[crusinmama06]

My "spidey" sense is of someone named "Peter" because of the anti-TA slant and all of the posts about UPSELL.

 

Ding Ding Ding! Exactly! You have won the prize behind door number 3 ;):D

[debates2]

Ask your TA if they have a favorite liquor you might me able to pick up in port.

[traveling1969]

There are 5 or 6 folks in our TA's office. We sent them a Mrs. Prindable's apple assortment (caramel, chocolate covered with other goodies) and they loved it.

[nycruiser80]

Being a former TA I say the best gift is refferals and additional business when you travel again.

 

A commission travel agent needs to be available almost 24/7 these days. It may sound grueling (and it is) but to survive as a TA in the internet age where people can get advise here on cruise critic and book online a good TA needs to be. You become a TA because you love the work. There is, very rarely, any money in it and long hours to work. In addition, you have to be customer oriented. The OP's TA sound like she is on the ball. Good for her! You are a very nice customer to want to give back. In my 10 years very few clients ever showed me their appreciation, in fact one women wrote me such a lovely letter - from the heart. I still have it and I have to say it was better than a gift! Very heart warming. Anyone who is a TA or in a customer service oriented job knows that when you work with people you see the worst of humanity and best..

[testifyoncruises]

A commission travel agent needs to be available almost 24/7 these days. It may sound grueling (and it is) but to survive as a TA in the internet age where people can get advise here on cruise critic and book online a good TA needs to be.

The difference between online and cruise critic while filled with good information, it is almost overwhelming to the average consumer. There is a huge difference between information and knowledge and a good TA can separate the wheat from the chaff.

 

CC posters certainly are not putting their professional reputations on the line when wrong information is given out. They are not standing behind their cruise reviews or shore excursion recommendations. A professional TA however is a business and not a non-profit. For someone to expect 24/7 service based on what they "think" a TA earns in commission is sorely mistaken. The only reasonable expectation a client should have is that they should be paying for that sort of expectation.

 

You don't get a plumber to show up 24/7 without paying for it. Neither will you a lawyer or doctor for that matter. And yes I put a professional service like a TA in the same category as a lawyer, doctor or financial planner.

[steponboard]

 

And yes I put a professional service like a TA in the same category as a lawyer, doctor or financial planner.

OMG, there is no comparison to medical school and the responsibility of a doctor or law school to a TA!!!!! You lost all credibility.

[Desert Cruizers]

I have always verbally said Thank You to our TA for her assistance. Our continued business with her, is very much appreciated along with everyone else who use her services. I can email her daily and don't expect a call during the weekends, but she is right there to answer my E's promptly during the week.