Ask an Advisor: Why Would a Client Pay My Fee Instead of Going Somewhere Else?
byDaniel McCarthy/这是TMR新的Ask Advisor系列中的第一个,这是一个常规专栏,其中一组旅行顾问团队可以解决该行业中其他人的问题。该系列的所有问题均由TMR读者提交,并由TMR编辑团队审查。第一个问题来自一位匿名读者,他仍在围栏上收取服务费。问题和面板的答案如下:
亲爱的问顾问,
我从事业务已有二十年了。我很幸运地建立了一个强大的忠实客户群,这使我不仅可以在行业中最艰难的时期成功,而且可以蓬勃发展。我真的很喜欢我所做的事情,并为能够转移自己的业务方式以保持业务的最新状态而感到自豪。但是,我并不总是成功。
过去三年左右的行业变化之一是采用旅行社费用。我从未收取过费用 - 自从我开始以来,我一直在供应商委员会的收入中幸存下来。但是,随着越来越多的代理商收取费用,我感到自己开始这样做的压力是要与行业的同事保持最新。
My question is, why would someone pay my fee when they can go to 20 other agents in my area who are not charging a fee? And should I feel bad for not charging fees when so many others in the industry are doing so and encouraging the practice so heavily?
- Anonymous
Richard “Rick" Carlson, Cruise Planners
您的问题并不是什么新鲜事物,因为代理商在我22年的经验中记得的是,代理商已经讨论了这个话题。您依靠赔偿您为创建度假提案所做的工作的补偿,没有什么比在工作数小时后提出建议的建议更糟糕的了他们与其他人预订,甚至更糟的是,他们采取了您的计划并预订了自己。
Now, this does not happen often to me, especially with repeat customers, but when it does, it stings! I think that with COVID and the number of cancellations that occurred, only to lose commission, it makes us look at the topic again. (Thank you to the major cruise lines that protected commission for cruises that were canceled during COVID).
选择收费计划是一个individual choice, and you should not be pressured to charge fees because others do. In fact, not charging fees sets you apart from others. Our business model, from the day we started with Cruise Planners, is that we do not charge fees. We never will. Yes, there are times that we are disappointed that a booking did not occur after hours of work, but I also look at the number of referrals we get because we provide excellent service and do not charge fees. These far outweigh the reservations we have lost.
I understand that large groups or destination weddings can be a different situation, so you may want to include information on cancellation in your group contract.
在思考费用时,您需要考虑几点,并且可以向新客户和回头客表达出来。想到的一些问题是:您只会为新客户收取费用吗?这是计划服务的费用吗?当他们预订拟议假期时,费用将退还?您是在一开始就收取咨询的费用,还是免费进行一小时的咨询开始?
It appears that you have built a solid business without charging fees in the past. We are in a relationship business, and it is hard to say if charging a fee would make people go to an agent that does not charge fees. But if you have a strong relationship, you would anticipate that clients would still come to you and be less likely to cancel or not accept your vacation proposal.
Aproud agent of Cruise Planners now for 23 years. Member of the Millionaires Club and recipient of numerous awards for sales achievement, Richard "Rick“卡尔森总是havehas believed in helping others and offering insight and suggestions for improvement so others can build their business.
Kyle Stewart, Director, Scott & Thomas Travel Personalized
Your long history in this industry is laudable, and I am sure that's why your clients have chosen to stay with you through the good times and the bad. The way we approach service fees is really in two different fashions: 1) mandatory for all business bookings, and 2) works as a mini-deposit toward a future trip if they book.
对于商业预订,发生了太多的变化,企业不想成为镍和昏迷。当Covid击中时,我们正在与航空公司似乎每次旅行进行更改时在电话上花费数小时,我们计算出我们的代理商在某些预订中的价格少于2美元。我们提出了一个复杂的费用结构,我们认为这对客户有帮助,那里的一些变化比其他变化便宜 - 他们绝大多数不喜欢复杂的模型。他们很高兴能与我们一起以每次预订的50美元的简化陪同,因为我们知道我们将绝对照顾这次旅行需要处理的任何事情。
对于周围购物的休闲客户,我们希望他们像我们一样投资。我们不想成为他们购物的3-4个代理商之一;我们希望成为他们的旅行社,并向我们展示3-4个选择。
Part of your question really roots in two things: Do you want to compete with everybody, and do you add value to your client's experience? We have chosen we do not want to compete with everyone.
We don't chase that business, and you shouldn't either. If you're competing on cost, you have a customer who sees your product as a commodity. You're Burger King, another agency is McDonald's, someone else is Wendy's, and while there may be some preference, it's whoever is closest to you. Customers pay more for Five Guys because it's better, and customers who don't need better don't visit Five Guys.
The reality of charging a Planning Fee is that it's almost never really charged because the client either walks (they are looking for price and don't value our time, experience, or service) or it's applied to a selected booking. Either way, the Planning Fee is a net positive for us because it moves clients who aren't serious to waste someone else's time, and for those who stay, we can impress and win them for life because they are invested.
凯尔·斯图尔特(Kyle Stewart)在旅行,里程和点世界中担任多个角色。他是Boardingarea.com(和Freddie Awards)的合作伙伴经理,Liveandletsfly.com的作家,也是几本出版物的自由作家。他还是Scott & Thomas Travel Personalized.
Annie Jones, Owner & Luxury Travel Advisor, Telos Travel
我认为我们这个行业最令人兴奋的是那t everyone runs their business a little differently and can be successful in so many different ways. If you are finding success running your business without charging service fees and finding joy in what you do each day, then that's great! Don't feel guilty about having a successful business, especially when you've found a model that works well for you. But there are big reasons why so many advisors are charging fees, and as we saw with the pandemic, commission alone won't always be a reliable source of income.
作为顾问,您正在提供专业服务的时间和专业知识。向客户收取费用表明您致力于为他们提供个性化服务以满足他们的需求,即使这意味着要预订较少或根本没有佣金的体验或酒店。如果您为收取费用的决定而苦苦挣扎,我鼓励您写下为客户带来价值的所有不同方式。当您删除使您成为佣金的物品时,我认为您仍然会有一个漂亮的清单。您应该在您带来的所有时间,努力和价值上得到补偿!
You mentioned that you've been in the business for over two decades and have a strong, loyal client base. If your clients value the service you provide and their relationship with you, they won't want to go find someone else to work with. That's a lot of effort for them! If presented appropriately, most will be glad to compensate and transition with you. There are so many different ways to build fees into your business. You don't need to start charging them a planning fee outright on new trips if that's something you're not comfortable with. Maybe give returning clients a discounted rate, or only charge for more time-consuming concierge-type services and booking air. If you don't want to charge returning clients at all, maybe start with fees for new incoming clients only! There is no wrong answer, and don't be afraid to change things around if you find it's not working (even if that means removing fees altogether!). The most important thing is that you are communicating your value to your clients in a way that works best for you.
Annie Jones created Telos Travel in 2021 to share her deep passion for sustainable luxury adventure travel with clients. Telos is an affiliate of Avenue Two Travel, is based in the Greater Philadelphia Area and works with clients and partners all over the world.