不断发展的服务费有利于代理商和客户
经过玛丽亚·伦哈特(Maria Lenhart)/关于旅行机构服务费的系列系列的第二部分。这是第一部分。
虽然当航空公司停止支付佣金时,旅行社服务费是扎根的,但此后,基于费用的模型已经发展到了远远超出收取航空公司票的费用。对于许多机构,服务费不仅可以提高收入,而且还会带来更高的客户满意度。
弗吉尼亚州布里奇沃特的林肯旅行者史蒂夫·林肯说:“费用对我们的业务产生了非常积极的影响,他们将买家与购物者分开。”“在某些方面,我们要感谢三角洲。”
他的代理机构已收取服务费用超过15年,从航空公司票开始,然后不断增长,包括整个旅行计划。合身费用的费用在100美元到400美元不等,具体取决于所涉及的复杂性和时间。
“I tell clients up front that there will be a research fee,” Lincoln said. “Sometimes there is pushback. Someone asked me why they should pay $100 for 20 minutes of work; I told them they were paying for 33 years of experience.”
In the vast majority of cases, clients are receptive to paying a service fee, with many expecting it, he added.
林肯说:“费用确实可以帮助您与客户建立更专业的关系。”“这给了他们更多的信心,您和他们感到您对旅行的关注比您其他可能更多。”
WhirlAway Travel & Cruise
宾夕法尼亚州西切斯特市的Whirlaway Travel&Cruise Consultants也转向收取费用,在委员会削减行业后不久就预订机票。五年前加入母亲拥有的代理机构后,杰米·琼斯(Jamie Jones)将服务费提高到了现在占所有收入30%的水平。
With new or potential clients, WhirlAway first offers a complimentary half-hour consultation that spells out its approach to fees.
“We are very clear that we work for our clients, not suppliers,” Jones said. “Before we do any work or recommend any hotel or cruise line, we require a non-refundable, upfront fee of $250 to compensate us for our time. This goes toward our total fee, which is determined based on the amount of work and complexity of a trip.”
尽管大多数潜在客户都可以接受费用,但有些却没有。
“That’s OK because it tells us that they do not value our time or expertise,” Jones said, adding that older clients are the most likely to push back. “Younger clients are not used to the old system, so they are very accepting of fees.”
琼斯认为,收费系统使该机构能够为客户提供更好的服务和价值,同时仍然对底线产生积极影响。
“We can book things that are non-commissionable because we know we will be compensated for our time,” she said, adding that the agency is also freed up to make supplier recommendations based on value rather than commission.
在最近的一笔交易中,琼斯收取了900美元的费用,安排了迪士尼世界的家庭旅行。
“There was a hotel sale and I was able to save the client $4,000,” she said. “I lost some commission, but that was OK because my time was compensated.”
对于最近到苏格兰和英格兰的适合,琼斯收取600美元,进行一次旅行,其中包括威士忌酒厂旅行,霍格沃茨快车的火车乘车和晚餐预订。
她说:“我能够预订一些不可罚款的东西,并为我的客户提供更好的体验。”
Daydream Excursions
现在庆祝10年旅游业务,Dave Rosenthal, owner of the online agency Daydream Excursions, made the decision to charge fees in 2011 after hearing a presentation by consultant and fees advocate Nolan Burris at an industry conference.
“With fees, I’ve found that you don’t have to worry about all the extra work involved where there’s no compensation,” he said. “It means I can provide better service. I can be your single point of contact, handling things like dining, transportation to the hotel, filing a travel insurance claim. These are all part of the travel experience.”
When clients wish to start the trip-planning process, they are asked to fill out an online survey that asks questions pertaining to their travel needs and the kind of trip they would like to take. After completing the survey, respondents receive an email with information on what it is like to work together to plan their trip; next they receive information on the fee structure and the type of services provided. From there, a consultation telephone call can be arranged.
“When they fill out the survey and click on the fee information, I know they are seriously interested,” Rosenthal said. “After I get their credit-card information, we review the survey in detail and I ask them more questions about what they want. Most important is why they are traveling.”
While service fees vary based on the complexity of the trip, the average fee per transaction is $259, he said. So far this year, fees account for slightly over 30% of total revenue, a major boost from just 10.5% a year ago.
In an era where commissions are shrinking rather than expanding, Rosenthal is finding that fees provide a much needed cushion and he believes they will only grow in importance in the future. He’s also found that most clients don’t mind paying them.
他说:“随着您的发展,您对费用更加自信。”人们确实意识到您的时间有价值。实际上,我什至让一个客户对我大喊大叫,因为他们的收费不够。”