Why use a Travel Counsellor for my holiday plans ?

I have written this blog as it’s a question I get asked a lot – “Why should we book with you and not the high street/internet?” What do you charge for your service? What do you do that’s different to everyone else? So here goes….

The travel industry and the way we research, and book travel has changed significantly over the past 5 – 10 years. Gone are the days of using guidebooks from the library to research your trip and solely having a travel agency to book your flights and accommodation. There’s a huge amount of resources available from booking websites, travel apps and travel companies which can be mind boggling. Unfortunately, not all are legitimate, and they don’t all take the stress out of booking travel!

So why entrust your travel plans with me, a Travel Counsellor?

1. I’M A PROFESSIONAL

There are lots of things we could probably attempt ourselves, but (from experience) a professional will certainly do the job better. I’ll give you an example – if you wanted your living room wallpapered you have 2 options – 1) Buy the wallpaper and do it yourself 2) Get a professional in to do it. Which option do you think will have the better outcome? You think by getting a professional in it will cost more than doing it yourself but if you put a price on your own time and the fact it will probably take you at least twice as long as a professional I would say it works out less. I have over 20 years travel experience and this combined with my ongoing training with Travel Counsellors has given me a significant amount of industry knowledge as well as key contacts in the business.

2. I ADD THE HUMAN ELEMENT AND AM AVAILABLE OUT OF HOURS

Every client I deal with is unique in their own way – an online search engine can’t identify this and does it even care! I listen, get to know you and suggest some options for your holiday. Together we define what you want from your trip and end up with a holiday that’s perfect for you. I am available evenings and weekends which is when most of my clients are free to chat. I can do home visits if you prefer face to face contact or meet in a coffee shop. I’m your contact from your initial enquiry until the time you get home and I really do care about your experience. Happy customers recommend me to their friends and referrals are what my business is based on.

3. I SAVE YOU TIME AND HAVE THE RESOURCES

Your time is valuable. There was a report that said holiday research takes the average person an equivalent of 4 working days! I’ll do the research for you or build on yours – sometimes it will take me a few days to narrow down the options. I am also using industry leading technology to build your itinerary and where required I reach out to our partners we have in many countries to assist us with more complex itineraries. Did you know that on average I spend around 5-7 hours researching and preparing quotes for the first stage of an enquiry? Would the high street do that?

4. 100% FINANCIAL PROTECTION

Travel Counsellors offer the highest level of protection you could wish for because it’s fully independent. Set up in 2004, it sits alongside our ATOL cover and financially protects every part of every trip, no ifs or buts.

5. ROUND THE CLOCK SUPPORT

Things happen – that’s just the nature of travel! At Travel Counsellors we have a 24/7 Duty office staffed by an incredible team who have a constant eye on what’s going on in the World and at the touch of a button can work out which of our clients may be affected. This generally happens before incidents hit the news. We’ll give you a call and make sure you’re OK and adapt any travel plans if required.

MY FEES

There are no fees! I get paid commission when I make a booking from the suppliers in the same way the industry gets paid. Therefore, getting the customer requirements right at the start is so important to ensure time is not wasted on researching the wrong thing. Don’t be offended if I ask you “Have you already got a price and what is it?”, or “Are you looking to book this experience in the next week?”. This enables me to make a judgement call on whether it’s something I feel investing 5-7 hours researching is likely to result in a booking. I might not be able to beat the internet on price, but the internet certainly will not beat me on service.

By using a Travel Counsellor, you will receive great service from the start of your enquiry with someone who cares. This doesn’t stop when the booking is made. The relationship will continue not only up to departure but also when you return. We want to know you had a great time and capture recommendations for future travellers. We believe by giving this service we will create customers for life.