Why Use a Travel Agent? Why not do it yourself?

You are an independent person. You may home school your children, no one can do it better than you. Agreed. You may have landscaped your own yard. You may have built an addition to your home, own your own business, and planned many a vacation yourself already. Great job! Let me challenge you to a new way of thinking, one that doesn't start with you. Gasp?!? Not thinking of you first?!? I know. Stay with me.

We live in a big, big world. We have choices with choices and more choices. You vote, you support, and you grow your community with your dollar. When you choose to spend money you impact the world around you, your economy and your local community as well as the world in general. Someone benefits from every purchase you make. You are providing employment and tax revenue somewhere to someone.

What if you knew of a way to support those in your local community without paying one cent more for your purchases?  Have you considered the idea of shopping locally?  It takes some retraining of your methods to fully engage in this but it can be very rewarding. 

Time and time again I hear and see that people, for example, go online or pick up the phone to order or book their vacation. They may say something like, "well, I knew what I wanted so I just called them and booked it." What?!!? You didn't book with a local travel agent because you knew what you wanted?!? Does this mean that you would not bless an agent with an easy sale but would rather call the company directly, taking money from your local community, friend, church member, neighbor, you name it?  

Think about this for a moment. You would contact your friend if YOU needed help. You may contact them for assistance deciding on a resort, when to travel, which is the best cruise line, best time to go, what rooms are available, asking hours upon hours of questions. After the travel agent does this work you bless them back by booking your vacation, the same vacation you could call and book yourself, for the same price, directly with the company you are choosing to travel through. Take scenario 2. You went online and quickly checked out some travel options. You see a deal, the right dates, the room, the cruise, the hotel, the package, you name it, that is the perfect one for you and you're ready to buy now.  Is there any reason you would not call that same travel agent and book that package with them?  Why, in this case, do we see time and time again that someone will pick up the phone and call Disney, call Carnival, call Disney Cruise Line, and book what they want because they already know what they want? You know your friend, church member, co-worker, roommate, neighbor, you name it, sells travel. You know they don't mark it up. You know they would benefit from you booking with them. But, since they didn't do hours of work quoting different options or answering hours of questions regarding this vacation or because they aren't providing you with anything "extra" that you can't get doing it yourself, and you know what you want, you just call and book it directly with the big, faceless company who sells the package? Do you see the problem here?

My challenge to you - the consumer - is to use your heart and your head before you make a purchase. Before making a purchase think, "Is this something someone in my community offers?" Before you go buy new marketing material, for example, give your friends a shout, post on Facebook, "hey, I need some personalized marketing material. Does anyone offer this service or know someone who does?" Or, next time you buy insurance, "Hey, I need to buy some life insurance/health insurance/car insurance/retirement investment/you name it. Does anyone know someone who offers these products?"  You’re buying a home, “hey, does anyone have a realtor they recommend?” My A/C is broken, “Hey guys, do you have the name of a great A/C repair man?” It's called word of mouth. Even if the person you used didn't save you thousands of dollars, even if you knew what you wanted and they were just the order taker, send business to your friends, keep it in the community, shop local. I challenge you to think about someone besides yourself, the bigger world around you and others and how we work together, encourage, support and grow as a community through local businesses.

Now, back to some details to satisfy the selfish reasons for you to consider these options. Often there is more offered in service from a local agent than you will find booking directly with the travel company offering the package.  You may find an opportunity for relationship with someone in your community from the transaction. You are providing money to someone in your community through your purchase which will, more than likely, be spent back in your local community directly benefiting your local community through sales and tax dollars. If you have a business, you can bet the person you remembered will remember you back. Make sure they know what you do. If you don't tell them, and others don't talk about these things as seems to be the case in some communities, how will they know?!!??! You have to tell people what you do for a living. I know a family who has a roofing business, known them for years, had no idea until recently. It blew my mind! I own a business and always think of shopping locally, shopping with those I know and felt like they were hiding it from me or something. This is no way to grow business. You have to tell everyone what you do so, when they need your service, hopefully they will remember to call on you.

Now, remember, when you contact a travel agent or other local business. What is your intention? My most common call is, 'hey, I heard you have a travel agency. Can you save me money over what I would pay if I do it myself?"  Can i ask if this is the only way you would not do it yourself is if they can discount what you would pay booking directly, why? Why would you not book with a local agent if it were the same price? Why do you start with, "can you save me money?" I hope I am challenging you to think outside of yourself, "what's in it for me?"as being your sole reason for all purchases. Why would you do it yourself if it were the same price to use someone else? I have literally had "friends" email a request for pricing for travel to a destination, turn around and pick up the phone and call Disney, Carnival, you name it, and book what they wanted. Huh? You wanted me to write a lengthy proposal to you, explain the options in writing, which takes a long time, sometimes hours, but since you knew what you wanted you just picked up the phone and ordered it directly from the company? Why must there be jumping through hoops, bending overbackward, hours of time spent or thousands of dollars saved to be worthy of your business vs. the no name, no face person or website you would just call or go online to book yourself?  Why not pick up the phone and call your agent to buy that same package? What is it that makes it less appealing to use a travel agent when you don't "need" additional hand holding or assistance? Why are they only worthy of your business if they are jumping through hoops to help you?

I am giving you permission - from this day forward - it is OK to call a travel agent and book a vacation if you already know what you want. In fact, you will make someone's day! 

Remember this - The Internet is for LOOKING but your Travel Agent is for BOOKING.

Thank you! God bless!