I’ve been out of the office a bit this week, working from the Apple Store while my daughter attends Apple Camp. Sitting at a workstation in the store both Monday and Wednesday for the bulk of the day I was amazed at how many people come in for assistance. Many of them have questions about how to operate their device while others have come in because they have encountered a problem with their device. These Apple employees are passionate about their products and also in helping their users get the most out of the devices that they operate. While our offices certainly don’t have hundreds of people milling around all day, or 60-70 employees working on a Wednesday morning, our philosophies are the same. Just as the geniuses, as Apple refers to their employees, are passionate about the experiences their customers have, travel professionals are equally as passionate when designing vacation experiences for our clients.
How many of us can relate to having a device that we know has much more capability than we utilize? Did you know that the Apple store offers free workshops that will help you learn more about your device? They even offer photo walks to help you take better photographs with your iPhone. How great would that knowledge be on your next vacation?
I’ve even listened to these Apple employees get on the phone to wireless providers and become advocates for the iPhone users, this is not unlike what we are able to do with suppliers when you run into difficulty on a vacation.
This week we’ll dive into why even people who like to DIY their vacations can benefit from the services of a travel professional.
I am often asked whether or not someone who does their own vacation research and likes the hands on aspect of planning their own vacation even needs to use a professional. Here are the top three reasons even the most seasoned DIY planner will turn to a travel professional.
#1 – Validation
There are times when we assist travelers who are simply looking for validation that their chosen destination, resort or itinerary is one that fits their needs. They like the reassurance from a professional that they have not overlooked any aspect of the planning process.
At the other end of the spectrum are the clients who have no idea what their vacation will look like or which destination to choose.
The common denominator in both clients is their desire to have a “real person” assisting them when necessary.
#2 – Peace of Mind
In some cases we assist travelers simply to provide their piece of mind incase the unexpected should occur. They like the idea of being able to pick up the phone and know who is going to be answering on the other end.
They like the idea that someone is watching out for them, and has a vested interest in their well being.
A travel professional has a wealth of contacts within their chosen specialty. In addition to having been well travelled themselves, they have a vast network to reach out to when necessary. It’s reassuring to many clients to know that I can pick up the phone and reach out to the general manager of a hotel or resort to take care of something if need be. That’s not the kind of service or response that you would get when booking a vacation on the internet.
#3 – Buying local
Still others like supporting a small local business instead of using a website with no human interaction. By supporting businesses in your community you put money back into that community rather than into the pockets of the faceless corporations behind the online booking engines.
When you rely on the services of a travel professional you are enlisting their expertise to better your travel experience, it’s truly a win-win situation for everyone involved. If any of these resonated with you and you’re ready to start planning, we would love to be of service to you, click here and let’s get started today.
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