Finding the best deal

I've had a few disappointed clients the past couple of weeks because I couldn't find them the fabulous deal their friends found. Upon further investigation, I usually find there are many reasons we're not getting the same price. The biggest reason is that they're looking at totally different dates. The dates their friends picked were off-season for the area and they wanted to go during peak season. This really is comparing apples to oranges.

The other reason that I find is their friends may not be giving them the big picture. This is not done intentionally but, people love to brag about the great deal they found. However, lots of times they are just giving the base rate and leaving out additional charges. It's like finding a cruise for $299 and then finding out that there's $200 for port charges and $50 for taxes and fees. So that $299 cruise is now almost double. In one case, the client went back to the friend and sure enough they were just quoting the base fare.

The other problem that I uncovered is that people just want the price quickly so they can go off to the next agency to compare. They don't want to answer a lot of questions or will even give incorrect information, I think for fear of getting the pushy sales pitch. I always get to know my clients so that I can find them the best deal. There are lots of times that special pricing may be available, especially with cruising. There may be past passenger rates; senior rates; resident rates; union and military rates. Some cruise lines will give special rates for sister cruise lines’ past passengers.

Another obstacle that I'm faced with are the clients who want the great deal but come up with so many restrictions that it's nearly impossible. The more specific the demands, such as: exact dates; only a certain product; a particular destination; direct or non-stop flights, etc. will usually increase the price tag. Those that are more flexible have a better chance of the best deal. I may be able to meet 3 out of 5 of the demands for a specific week but find that I can meet all of them if they're willing to travel the week before or the week after.

The more I get to know about my clients the better I can serve them. So, the next time you're shopping for a great deal, don't be afraid to give out information that will help your travel specialist do what they do best and that's finding the best deal to fit your lifestyle! Remember, the more flexible you are the better chance of getting that great deal. There’s nothing wrong with shopping around but be sure that you’re comparing apples to apples when getting the bottom line price.