Travel Agents - Small Commission Increase

[AnnieC]

For all bookings from 9 December: http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?c=setreg&region=2&m_id=s~bd_rvd&w_id=9520&news_id=2009334

[kevinyork]

They cut it from 10% down to 5%, now back up to 7.5%. The early comments from agents at the bottom of the article suggest its not enough to push P&O products again.

 

I see it also mentions in the article that they have appointed a Banker as Head of Sales!

[Sea Lavender]

7.5 % is low.... Agents spend days working on customers enquiries, normally a few phone calls to cruise companies in the UK and abroad, follow up calls to customers and on a booking of a couple of grand or more, you would think it would be a healthy commission but the reality is anything but that. The reason being as above low commission rates but slightly off topic but relevant, discount culture. I feel for the smaller agent, difficult times for them.

[kevinyork]

7.5 % is low.... Agents spend days working on customers enquiries, normally a few phone calls to cruise companies in the UK and abroad, follow up calls to customers and on a booking of a couple of grand or more, you would think it would be a healthy commission but the reality is anything but that. The reason being as above low commission rates but slightly off topic but relevant, discount culture. I feel for the smaller agent, difficult times for them.

 

If I was an agent and someone called and said ' we are looking for a cruise from Southampton' then I would try and lead them towards RCI or Celebrity. Why would you go to the same effort and earn a lower commission?

[daiB]

If I was an agent and someone called and said ' we are looking for a cruise from Southampton' then I would try and lead them towards RCI or Celebrity. Why would you go to the same effort and earn a lower commission?

 

Those would be the agents that did not give the 10% discount which was available from all decent agents when they go 15%. The good ones gave you 10% off the bad ones kept it for themselves.

 

No doubt if RCI and the others give 15% commission then these 'bad' agents are keeping it all and not giving any to the passenger. If they are not getting that much why are they moaning about Cunard/P&O.

[kevinyork]

Those would be the agents that did not give the 10% discount which was available from all decent agents when they go 15%. The good ones gave you 10% off the bad ones kept it for themselves.

 

No doubt if RCI and the others give 15% commission then these 'bad' agents are keeping it all and not giving any to the passenger. If they are not getting that much why are they moaning about Cunard/P&O.

 

Lost on me Dai sorry.

 

If you were a travel agent and one cruise line gives you 10% commission for selling a cruise and another gives you 5%. It makes sense you would promote to your customers the company that pays you most.

[daiB]

Lost on me Dai sorry.

 

If you were a travel agent and one cruise line gives you 10% commission for selling a cruise and another gives you 5%. It makes sense you would promote to your customers the company that pays you most.

 

They all got 15% before. The good TA's gave 10% back to the customer and had 5% for themselves and worked quite happily. The 'bad' ones kept the 15% and the customer, you and me had to pay more for their cruises.

 

So if the better agents can work with 5% why can the rest not?

 

In other words the ones who promote P&O are the better agents.

 

I have to say in all the cruise material I get I have not noticed any TA not covering all the cruise companies including P&O and Cunard.

[kevinyork]

They all got 15% before. The good TA's gave 10% back to the customer and had 5% for themselves and worked quite happily. The 'bad' ones kept the 15% and the customer, you and me had to pay more for their cruises.

 

So if the better agents can work with 5% why can the rest not?

 

In other words the ones who promote P&O are the better agents.

 

I have to say in all the cruise material I get I have not noticed any TA not covering all the cruise companies including P&O and Cunard.

 

Sure. There are good and bad TA's. But if you were a good one. Wouldnt you feel miffed selling a P&O cruise, that takes the same effort as selling an RCI cruise, but offers you less in commission. I know who I would push.

[daiB]

Sure. There are good and bad TA's. But if you were a good one. Wouldnt you feel miffed selling a P&O cruise, that takes the same effort as selling an RCI cruise, but offers you less in commission. I know who I would push.

 

And do you know what commission RCI give? I have never seen it written.

[majortom10]

If I was a TA I certainly wouldnt push P&O ahead of others for less commission but end of the day whatever you say daiB will argue with you because daiB will not have a bad word said against P&O and will always stick up for them. Perhaps he should cruise with another cruise line then he will perhaps realise they are not as good as he thinks.

Edited December 5, 2013 by shilly3191

[daiB]

If I was a TA I certainly wouldnt push P&O ahead of others for less commission but end of the day whatever you say daiB will argue with you because daiB will not have a bad word said against P&O and will always stick up for them. Perhaps he should cruise with another cruise line then he will perhaps realise they are not as good as he thinks.

 

What has that got to do with the commission paid and my cruising is my business not yours.

 

BTW if you can read you will see that I am not taking the side of any cruise line but he good TA's who give the customer a good deal. Clearly you only read what you think I write.

Edited December 5, 2013 by daiB

[kersh]

How many people who book cruises still use a cruise agent to do the research for them?

 

We look at the web site, decide which cruises suit our needs, check out a few TA web sites, decide on a type of cabin then phone our TA tell them our requirements and ask them to get back to us with available cabin numbers.

 

I presume they then contact PO phone us back with available cabins, we choose one, give them our credit card number for the deposit and they book it.

 

They send us e mail confirmations, itineraries etc and we don't hear from them again until final payment is due.

 

Seems like easy money to me.

 

Sue

[kevinyork]

And do you know what commission RCI give? I have never seen it written.

 

Its 10% in the UK.

[kevinyork]

How many people who book cruises still use a cruise agent to do the research for them?

 

We look at the web site, decide which cruises suit our needs, check out a few TA web sites, decide on a type of cabin then phone our TA tell them our requirements and ask them to get back to us with available cabin numbers.

 

I presume they then contact PO phone us back with available cabins, we choose one, give them our credit card number for the deposit and they book it.

 

They send us e mail confirmations, itineraries etc and we don't hear from them again until final payment is due.

 

Seems like easy money to me.

 

Sue

 

Yes Im pretty much like you and contact an agent once Ive decided. However I do know someone who works in a High St travel agency and people still walk in the door and say 'we would like a holiday, what have you got?'