Do you have what it takes to be a Travel Professional?

Well, first let’s answer a few questions. How you answer these will give a pretty good indication of if this is the career for you.

Are you looking to be available for your traveling clients 24/7? 
Are you looking for something that you work hard at?  
Do you enjoy helping people?
Do you think that being a travel agent is super hard work?
Do you enjoy being on hold?
Do you enjoy working for free?
Do you believe in real customer service?
Do you look at this as a way to help people?
Are you looking for a rewarding career?
Are you willing to learn about various destinations?
Are you prepared to answer the question “why use a travel agent?” numerous times a day?
Are you willing to work long hours?
Have you used a Travel Agent for your own trips?

Do you look at being a travel agent as a way to get ‘free’ travel?
Are you looking for something that is a hobby?
Do you think being a travel agent is easy?
Do you look at this in terms of what can I get from it?
Are you looking for a part time job?

If you can answer the first section of questions with a resounding “YES”, then you might be the right candidate for the position.  However, if you answer the second set of questions with “Yes” then this is not the career for you.

Being a Travel Agent, Travel Professional, Travel Advisor, or what ever the current ‘in’ title is, is both a teaching and a customer service position.  And with those two jobs comes a lot of learning on your part.  It is not as simple as telling people what to pack, it is explaining different cultural views on some articles of clothing.  It is explaining the why’s of needing a passport book vs passport card; why’s of using a Travel Professional; why’s of getting to your cruise port a day early, and doing it multiple times (sometimes to the same client). It is knowing when you don’t have the answers to be able to advise a client on a particular destination, and when to hand it off to a more experienced agent.

It’s about researching a destination until it seems the information is coming out your ears, only to discover that your client has a simple question that you don’t know the answer to, and TELLING them that you will find the answer and get back to them!

It’s about customer service from the first call until after they are home.  It’s about making the client feel like they are your only concern for the day, even if you have multiple clients that you are talking to today.  It’s about letting your clients know that their trip ( wether it is an expensive bucket list trip, or a quick weekend trip) is more important to you than it is to them!

It’s also about knowing your worth.  No one wants to work for free, but sometimes it happens.  Setting those expectations to your prospective client prior to giving away free information is crucial.  

And yes, a good deal of geography knowledge is needed!  As well as a good sense of humor and tact.  (Explaining to a client why they cannot do a trip from Atlanta to Honolulu with 15 stops and layovers and still feel like seeing two islands in one day.  Or why they can’t drive from one island to another!)

If you think I was joking about those questions, then this would not be a career path for you!  If you think you have what it takes, then contact me and we can set up an interview.  Serious inquiries only!