Poor TA service

[MicCanberra]

Pros and cons both ways. Being accredited gives you more knowledge of a cruise line than just having sailed a single ship.

 

Best is to have both.

 

Exactly my thoughts, only having one is not good enough.:D

[Lanwood]

Pros and cons both ways. Being accredited gives you more knowledge of a cruise line than just having sailed a single ship.

 

Best is to have both.

 

Ahh, but what if you have certification and experience....?

[Guest012]

You can have all the accreditation and certification in the world stamped on your shop and make sure that all your salespeople are fully up to scratch with all the cruise lines training programs but at the end of the day it all comes down to the salespersons 'ATTITUDE' and boy some sure have that :eek::eek::eek:

[antipodean99]

this article will explain why you get less and less (including service) from TAs

 

http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Selling-Cruises-Does-It-Still-Pay

 

 

coz it's hardly worth it.

Edited May 31, 2014 by antipodean99

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Thats fair enough. Who would want to work and not get any, or very little reward for doing so. We all know we can book on line , or direct , at the same price that a TA charges...so whats in it for them?

Rather than winging about lousy service just go ahead and do your own thing...or if you want someone to arrange it all for you then be prepared to pay.

Reminds me of the Airline bookings when many airlines stopped paying commissions and went to on line bookings. Most agents threw up their hands and said thats the end of my business. Others said if clients want me , then they can pay......and guess what ...they do......and they are very pleased to do so.

To each his own.

I was watching a travel program on TV about a TA in the States who is not on the net and can only be accessed by referral. He and his team do everything for his luxury clients , and they pay. He charges US$100,000.00 to join , and then US$20,000.00 per year membership fee. He is turning people away as he is so busy.

 

 

 

[The_Big_M]

Ahh, but what if you have certification and experience....?

 

Like I wrote: "Best is to have both."

[The_Big_M]

I was watching a travel program on TV about a TA in the States who is not on the net and can only be accessed by referral. He and his team do everything for his luxury clients , and they pay. He charges US$100,000.00 to join , and then US$20,000.00 per year membership fee. He is turning people away as he is so busy.

 

When you're paying that much, you expect a lot too.

 

He'd be doing a lot more than any regular travel agent.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

When you're paying that much, you expect a lot too.

 

He'd be doing a lot more than any regular travel agent.

 

He is not a regular travel agent. He also told the story of a couple who wanted a fishing safari and the wife wanted her husband to be guaranteed to catch a fish....so he hired a frogman and they put a fish on the line. The client paid for it all.

I do concede that we are talking about a world that is way , way above our expectations , but I have used the story to illustrate my point that if you want service , then you must pay for it.

 

Another thought to ponder.....if it is the same price to book direct with the cruise line as it is with a TA , (who gets commission for the booking)...Why don't the cruise line deduct the commission from private bookings?

It could be argued that if you book direct you are paying too much as a commission is included in the fare which the cruise line do not have to pay out.

No wonder the cruise lines want you to book direct.:)

 

 

[antipodean99]

I have always felt that they really got a commission for doing nothing that I could not have done myself.

Barry

 

 

I would like to know why did you bother with a TA in the first place if as you say "you can do it all yourself".

[MicCanberra]

He is not a regular travel agent. He also told the story of a couple who wanted a fishing safari and the wife wanted her husband to be guaranteed to catch a fish....so he hired a frogman and they put a fish on the line. The client paid for it all.

I do concede that we are talking about a world that is way , way above our expectations , but I have used the story to illustrate my point that if you want service , then you must pay for it.

 

Another thought to ponder.....if it is the same price to book direct with the cruise line as it is with a TA , (who gets commission for the booking)...Why don't the cruise line deduct the commission from private bookings?

It could be argued that if you book direct you are paying too much as a commission is included in the fare which the cruise line do not have to pay out.

No wonder the cruise lines want you to book direct.:)

 

 

You may well be correct. I suspect that some TAs do not make much at all.

The cruise lines love people dealing direct so that they are not having TA hassling them for better deals for their customers when there are price drops and sales etc.:D

[MicCanberra]

I would like to know why did you bother with a TA in the first place if as you say "you can do it all yourself".

 

I took it to mean that he doesn't use one.:D

[The_Big_M]

Another thought to ponder.....if it is the same price to book direct with the cruise line as it is with a TA , (who gets commission for the booking)...Why don't the cruise line deduct the commission from private bookings?

 

It's the same with all businesses that have agency arrangements.

 

The agents normally provide the highest volumes of business - so they don't do that as it upsets the agent - and then they lose that business!

 

What happens where there is sufficient volume is that some agents go for volume and then rebate some of the commissions.

[The_Big_M]

The cruise lines love people dealing direct so that they are not having TA hassling them for better deals for their customers when there are price drops and sales etc.:D

 

Actually, the cruise lines love the current arrangement.

 

There's no way they could handle the volume of everyone booking directly.

 

Going online offers some benefits on that side - but the cruise market is not well suited to that as it stands, so isn't a path they are focussed on going down.

 

As you can see by visiting your preferred cruise line website!

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Edited June 1, 2014 by Host Kat >^..^<
typo

[MicCanberra]

Please note the following from the Travel Agent Recommendations section in the Guidelines we all agree to follow when registering for our free Cruise Critic message board membership:

 

There shall be no third-party recommendation (whether positive or negative in content) of travel agencies on any forums within Cruise Critic. General discussions regarding the TYPE of AGENCY to be used to purchase a cruise will be allowed' date=' as long as no recommendations for any source of purchase are posted.[/color']

 

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Thanks kat, I hadn't done any of that so had wondered why my post was deleted. Life shall go on, have a good day.:D

[Gerko]

As someone mentioned, big diff between a good cruise TA and a 19yo at the local Fright Centre. I have been in travel 35+ years, have completed the courses for P & O, Princess, Cunard, Celebrity, HAL, Royal Caribbean, Costa, Azamara, Regent Seven Seas, Crystal and even Captain Cook Cruises. I have done 32 cruises across ten lines, virtually none of then using a TA discount, and inspections on many other ships. I believe I know more about cruising than most passengers because I both do it as a passenger and study it as a TA and I will do my very best to ensure my clients always get the best cabins at the best prices.

 

Bear in mind that whilst you're looking for one cruise, a TA is juggling many cruises for many clients on many lines. He/she copes with the fact that the TA's websites get shut down every afternoon because its middle of the night in the US and they do their maintenance not caring that its the busiest time in Australia. They cope with Royal Caribbeans usual 60 minute telephone queue. And they cope with US agents often getting better dealls than they do. So if they're a little slow sometimes getting back to you its often more the cruise lines fault than the agents. Can't speak for everyone but to me a happy client is a repeat client, and thats what keeps us in business.

[antipodean99]

Well said Gerko.

Hope your post does not get removed due to a certain agency (the one with the captain) being mentioned.

[MicCanberra]

The posts is good in that it will make people think about what a good tA will go through to deliver a great service to their customers.:D

[goodycruising]

I think it is good to know that when you get treated like you are not important, then you know from these topics that this is happening everywhere! Lucky we enjoy the cruise so much :) We wouldn't be going cruising due to anyone's good sales skills ;)

 

Mick, your post might have been deleted as it answered another post that was deleted? No matter, we shall still chatter on about so many other things. :)

[MicCanberra]

I think it is good to know that when you get treated like you are not important, then you know from these topics that this is happening everywhere! Lucky we enjoy the cruise so much :) We wouldn't be going cruising due to anyone's good sales skills ;)

 

Mick, your post might have been deleted as it answered another post that was deleted? No matter, we shall still chatter on about so many other things. :)

 

I deliberately didn't use the 'quote' button or make reference to the several posts above it but you are right, there are lots more topics to post about. :D