TA's & perks

[chrismch]

We've now booked 6-7 cruises with our current TA. He is very helpful with any questions I might have about ships and destinations. I usually check out deals on the web including his site and ask him to match the deal when I book thru him. So I do alot of the research ahead of time. However, to date I have never received any type of thank you. I have just received post-its on our invoices saying 'please pay by x date, thanks!' No other personal acknowledgements of thanks for the business. About half of these cruises were birthdays or anniversaries of which he was aware. His office is 15 miles away. Are the perks for TA's so low these days that they feel there should be no thanks to clients? I'm not asking for fine wine or free spa treatments. However, as we have been repeat customers I would like some sort of thanks? Is this the standard for TA's or am I missing something? Would love feedback from some TA's!:p

[zachnlucy]

We received a bottle of wine and $25/pp shipboard credit from our online TA for our cruise this Monday, and the best price ;) I could find!

[stellalimelight]

If you feel that your TA is not appreciative of your business, then you should select another TA. TA commissions are not as good as they used to be, however, I don't believe that has anything to do with this. He's probably just not the thank you for the business type of person. If he is the owner, then atleast a thank you for your business is in order. If he is an employee then he is just doing what he needs to do to get the job done, nothing more or nothing less.

 

I will probably take a bashing for what I am about to say. I use a TA to book my airline tickets, cruise, etc, if it cannot been done by myself. Since things change so often in the travel business it is very hard for TA's to keep up with everything. As long as the TA is polite and books everything properly, I don't expect anything else. I am sure they appreciate my business and don't expect them to write me a thank you or anything. I would rather have them do it right, then to thank me for my business, send me a small gift and get it wrong. If they do something for a special occasion I am happily surprised, but it doesn't bother me if they don't. But that's just me.

 

Shelley

[imsulin]

Hope I don't get "poofed" for saying this, but: I'm also a TA, and my repeat clients will definitely receive something from me! There are times when I ask them if they would prefer shipboard credit or a "surprise" in their cabin. There are also many times I will just go ahead and do it...as a surprise, and as thanks for booking with me. I do NOT work for an on-line agency (I'm brick and mortar), and do NOT have a large volume of business, because I don't depend on it to make a living. Yes...I pay for these things out-of-pocket. There was a time when I did depend on the TA business to "make a living", and we were always told to book..book..book! I did that, and made some pretty good commissions. However, I always tried to make sure that I threw in a little something "extra", like shipboard credit, gifts from our Travel Store, or just plain cash slipped inside travel documents. Most TAs cannot do this sort of thing, and I don't blame them. It would be like buying a plane ticket and having the airline order "airline credit" for a few drinks. Personalized service cannot always be what you would like it to be. Travel agencies are a business, and are designed to make a profit. I feel fortunate that I can continue to provide personalized service and "perks" for my clients - but it's because I can afford to do this. chrismch - I understand exactly what you are saying! One of the things I did - and still do - is meet with clients to go over their travel documents, and make a follow-up phone call or visit after they have cruised/travelled. Yes - it takes time from my personal life and other job, but I still do it. Please don't think I am trying to "tout" myself or my style of booking cruises and trips. I'm just saying that the travel agency profession is in the business of making money, and that TAs like myself generally have to pay our-of-pocket for the "perks". Thanks for letting me say this!

[spongerob]

I always assume that if I'm getting something for "free", I'm probably paying for it one way or another. Good fares, and competent service, are all that I need to continue doing business with my TA. Besides, how many crappy tote bags does one really need?

[GottoCruise]

JMHO - for what its worth - I'd rather have a "rock bottom" price than a "present" from the TA.

 

Princess has drastically reduced the "points" supplied to the TA for volume and this leaves the TA w/little or no room for extra "presents" and has cut down shipboard credits.

 

I am a frequent cruiser, familiar with the cruiselines and do my own research on itineraries and sailings, I usually book Mini-Suites and I do not receive any "presents" from my TA -

 

I am satisfied with her (group) rates and the (usual) shipboard credit.

 

I have not found anyone with lower rates and I appreciate her good service.

 

She is making a small commision on each booking, and that she is certainly entitled to.

 

If you are getting presents from your TA - either he/she is not making

ANY commssion or you are paying for it in your rate I think.

 

The cruise business has really changed with the preponderance of on-line and discount agencies and I feel sorry for the TA's. Unless they are doing a HUGE volume they are hard pressed to make a living..........

[chrismch]

Let me reiterate, I certainly appreciate the rates I am getting with my current TA. And for this next cruise I am getting matching shipboard credits with what I booked from pre-booking on board which I appreciate. If commissions are small, I don't expect a traveling gift. However, a written thank you for the business and a good luck on the cruise would cost maybe $1 including stamp and thank you note card. It would make me feel that I am not just another sale but a person. I'm in sales myself and I want repeat business so I always give thank you notes when I get the commitment and then when I'm paid as well. However, I'm starting to notice more and more that the personal touch is missing in many of the customer oriented services.

[nhcruiser]

I agree with Renee. Based on past posts I think that we have used the same TA for many cruises over the last fifteen years. I too would prefer her 40%+ off of catalog prices and her shipboard credit (gift) that she provides out of her commissions. She is only able to stay in business on the volume of her customers that are savvy and do not require a bunch of hand holding.

 

[CruiseFever]

Maybe we get what we pay for?

 

We want the rock bottom low price at any cost right? Well maybe thats' the price we pay. Maybe our "gift" was the price of our cruise.

 

I know a LOT of cruisers that could care less about the travel agent in any respect, they just want the low price. If you're playing that game and winning be happy with that. Odds are your TA would go in the hole if they bought you a bottle of wine because to get your business they gave you the lowest price they could possibly afford to give you. Don't expect a ton of service and goodies too, that guy/gal has bills to pay too.

 

I'm also a Travel Agent and you dang well better believe my friends (clients) know I appreciate their business. I'd suggest sticking with your Travel Agent but having a heart to heart talk. Surely after all those bookings you should be entitled to it. Why start over with a new agent? You've put in the time with this one and up till now they've been giving you what you want. But the world is an ever changing place and now you want more...or your wants have changed. Talk to your agent and be straight with them. Good clients like you are is what they long to have and odds are they'll want to work with you to help foster and continue a long term relationship with you.

 

The fact is that travel agents get off on knowing what you want and giving it to you, plain and simple. They want to make you happy and want to have you come back for more later. You've done that. Now let the guy make a little money and shower you with gifts. I really bet that's exactly what would happen.

 

If you go to a dozen places to check prices and he is in the top..say...three, maybe four on price, give it to him. Award him your business because he has a proven track record (I assume) with you and takes care of business. Not all of them do.

 

This whole thing is changing rapidly. Soon, as more and more cruise lines get stricter and stricter on what agents can charge (another topic altogether) the one item that will separate the winners from the losers will be service. It already is on Royal Caribbean and it's working better than they had ever imagined.

 

I'd stick with the guy/gal you've got and keep the communication open. If you've got a winner, stick with them...but maybe help them know what they need to do to win with you right now.

[cruiseescape]

I to am a TA and I cetainly always research and get the best rates I can for my clients. I cannot give anyone a 40% discount since we don't make anything even close to that from the cruise lines. However I always send a gift to say Thank you out of my pocket. It is not the travel agents place to discount your cruise it is our job to get you the best rate! TA's don't make good money off of any of you we do the job we do because we like to travel and we enjoy planning peoples trips we are certainly not in this business to get rich! I read these boards everyday but enough is enough I don't know what you have been told or by who but apparently you have no idea how much work it can be to find you that perfect trip for the perfect price and then make sure if the price drops you get the discount and all for peanuts! I am sorry if I have offended anyone but the misconceptions are out of control.

[jeanarch]

I, too, work on a commission basis. I am a Realtor. I have used the same agent for a number of years. However, I always research the cruise, pretty well know what the price is, then call him and tell him to book. He has always looked out for us, answered my stupid questions and given us first rate service. I believe in paying for service and do. I do book my own airline tickets online and some hotel rooms. If it is something I am not familiar with I call him and he takes care of it. It's his time and expertise I am paying for and I really do appreciate it. I know how I would feel if I had worked for a client diligently and then for a few $'s they booked with someone else. Wouldn't do it. The few $'s are not worth it. Just MHO.

[imsulin]

JMHO - I

If you are getting presents from your TA - either he/she is not making

ANY commssion or you are paying for it in your rate I think.

 

Not true, GottoCruise. I make the commission that the cruise line and my agency have contracted for. I will guarantee you that I do NOT add in any "perks" in my clients' prices! They pay the price I am quoted and nothing more. Any "presents" come out of my own pocket! Personally, I don't think your statement makes much sense.

[bluehorizonlover123]

I have never received perks from our TA and have booked 8 cruises with her but I know she will always offer me the lowest price out there and that is all I am really looking for anyway.

[GottoCruise]

Sorry Imsulin - I never meant to infer that anything "extra" is added onto the rate - just meant that some TA's will/are able to work on a lower commission than others. I think it's a very nice gesture if the TA is able to do something for their client.

However, I believe my TA "gives back" a good % of her commision thus effectively lowering our cruisefare. I do not expect her to work for nothing and giving out any extra "cruise presents" would leave nothing for her pocket - I do believe she works that close! This will be borne out, I'm sure, by many on this message board that use the same TA.

(We sort of know who we all are anyway :p )

[shecruise]

I love my TA... Best prices and great service... I do not need or expect a gift..

[kruisey]

Sorry Imsulin - I never meant to infer that anything "extra" is added onto the rate - just meant that some TA's will/are able to work on a lower commission than others. I think it's a very nice gesture if the TA is able to do something for their client.

However, I believe my TA "gives back" a good % of her commision thus effectively lowering our cruisefare. I do not expect her to work for nothing and giving out any extra "cruise presents" would leave nothing for her pocket - I do believe she works that close! This will be borne out, I'm sure, by many on this message board that use the same TA.

(We sort of know who we all are anyway :p )

The first time I booked a cruise through a large TA Company I was given a free Princess Robe.......guess who really paid for that robe?.Yes you have the correct answer 'Kruisey'....through the nose :eek:

My latest cruise is booked with that special person that Renee mentioned. I am thrilled with the rate that person has given me....I ask no more :)

[kryos]

Are the perks for TA's so low these days that they feel there should be no thanks to clients? I'm not asking for fine wine or free spa treatments. However, as we have been repeat customers I would like some sort of thanks? Is this the standard for TA's or am I missing something?

I think what you receive depends upon how deeply your cruise is discounted. TA's get a certain commission from the cruiseline based on their agency's productivity with that line. If the TA is getting say $300 in commission on your cruise, but in order to match a discounter's offer and get your business, he winds up giving up half of that commission, that doesn't leave him very much to work with. Don't forget, he has to pay his office rent, staff, etc. That doesn't leave very much left with which to buy bottles of wine for your stateroom, provide other little perks, etc.

 

But ... I will say that there is no excuse for the TA not to say a simple "thank you for the business" or to send you a Welcome Home card at the end of your cruise. Those things cost him nothing. There is also no excuse for him not to inform the cruiseline that you are celebrating a special event to ensure that you are presented with a cake in the dining room. The cruiseline's do that for nothing. There is also no excuse for him not to send a simple card to your home before the cruise ... so as to acknowledge your special event.

 

I've used two different TA's. The one is not a discounter and I met him when I went on my first cruise as part of a group through his agency. I used him on two subsequent cruises. With him, I get little "perks" ... but I'm probably paying too much for the cruise itself. That's why since he left this one agency I used, I began using another agency ... a discounter. No perks whatsoever in my stateroom upon arrival, but I get good prices. I also get a bon voyage and welcome home email from them, and usually a call from the particular TA I deal with at that large discounter agency.

 

So, while I wouldn't necessarily fault your TA for not providing little perks, I do fault him for not practicing good customer service skills. After all, how much can a welcome home card cost? Even better, how much does an email run him?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Coral]

Also - some perks do not cost the TA anything. If the TA (or their agency) has group space and you are booked into group space, the group space often comes with perks (onboard credit, coupon books, wine, etc..).

 

I am in agreement with the others - I would rather have no perks and a low price but if perks come with the low price, that is fine also.

[mafig]

Not to confuse the two. I don't necessarily want or expect a gift from my TA, however, I would like to feel appreciated. How? A thank you for your business is nice.

 

 

One time we had booked a "swim with the stingrays" tour in Grand Cayman. We did the booking online and the cost was something like $35 per person. When we returned we received an email from then thanking us for our business and saying they hoped we enjoyed our stay in Grand Cayman. This was several years ago and I still remember that. That's all a TA has to do for me.

[Gramps25]

Here is a flip-side to the discussion. I have been on six cruises in six years. All of the cruises have been booked through one TA. For each cruise, the TA has ordered something for the cabin. However, we have only received the gift half the time. Both Celebrity and Princess have failed to deliver the gifts ordered and paid for by the TA.

 

The first two cruises we were on, we received something. When we did not receive something on the third, I asked if she had ordered something. She said that she had. I told her it was never received. On two of my last three cruises, the ship failed to deliver the gifts. For my upcoming cruise, I told my TA that though I truly appreciated the thoughtfulness of the gift, I did not want her to waste any more of her money on gifts that were not delivered by the cruise company.

 

So, it is possible that some of your TA's have ordered things for you that you did not receive and might be thinking "They didn't even thank me for the gift". If you did not receive it, how would you know if they ordered it?

 

It's just a thought.

 

Ken

[sashas_mom]

I have a question after reading this thread. I found that when I use Coscto the cruise cost me $300.00 less than my TA for the past two cruises plus I get a shipboard credit automatically. I was wondering if the TA's you are talking about give a better deal than that? I want to plan another cruise for 2006 and am not sure how to get the best price. Now curiosity is getting the best of me and wondering just how low these prices can go and how to find the best price if I want to choose the cabin I'd like. Thanks.

Sasha'smom

[cfk2439]

My sister and I booked a cruise with our local TA last year and received a bottle of wine in our suite. She also called when we returned to make sur we enjoyed our cruise. When we booked another cruise for April 2006, she quoted the catalogue price and said she would check for reductions. After reading several postings on this board, I checked with one of the agencies listed at the top of this page and was quoted $400 less for the two of us. I didn't immediately make the reservation - I called our local TA and told her the price I was quoted and she said, "you must have talked with a discounter. Do you want me to cancel your reservation"? There was no effort to keep our business - if she had come up with half the difference, we would not have changed agencies, but it was obvious she was not able to meet anywhere near the price quoted by the discounter. Let's face it, we were not interested in a "$400 bottle of wine" and went with the discounter. We were able to book the same suite and, for the difference, we were able to hire a car service to drive round trip from West Palm Beach to Ft. Lauderdale and were still $200 ahead.

[nhcruiser]

This is a very interesting discussion! The heart of the matter is; what is really important to each of us?

 

Personalized service and onboard gifts that make you feel special or simple service at a great price that gets you on the ship without frills. Same discussion can be had about where we shop for anything else as well, cloths, homes, cars or for that matter restaurants.

To answer sasha’smom question directly. "Now curiosity is getting the best of me and wondering just how low these prices can go and how to find the best price if I want to choose the cabin I'd like."

 

Just how low prices can go is determined by how the ship is selling. If you really want to get the very lowest "fire sale price" then perhaps you can wait for the very last minute and catch a closeout deal. Chances are that you won’t be able to select the cabin that you want but will need to settle for what is available, but you be on the ship for a cheap price.

 

In MHO I think that the best price for you should be exactly what you are willing to spend for exactly what you want regardless of what some of the other passengers say that they paid. For instance if you are willing to pay $100 per day person for a seven day cruise and you can find a TA that will get you on that cruise for $1400 and cabin selection you want then book it. If you need extra service to book airline tickets and hotels then expect to pay more. It all boils down to how much service you are will to pay for.

 

Some people seem to expect the highest service (perks) but still expect to pay the lowest fare. None of us would be able to keep a business running at this rate.

[bluehorizonlover123]

I stopped using our local TA years ago becuz they are just not willing to discount their commissions at all for cruises. They act like if you use an internet company something bad will happen. It never does and all the internet companies have 800 numbers so you can call there whenever you like too. The wine was not expensive to your travel agent and half the time it doesnt even taste good. So save money by using an internet cruise only travel agent and forget the local TA. I don't even book Apple Vacations anymore with the local TA. There are discount TAs for that to on the web now too.

[WeBeGone]

Our company gives gift certificates to be used toward future cruise bookings or shore excursions to all our previous clients but nothing for first timers except a thank you letter. For groups we spring for wine, flowers, etc. With RCL, NCL, and Celebrity not allowing discounts, it's making the playing field a little muddier and customer service is becoming more important.