selling travel may 2015
TRANSCRIPT
05/2015
Chapter two – THE 1980S
4 EDITORIAL
The DESIRE to travel starts early and continues throughout one’s
life – are you marketing to Generation Z?
Share your money making ideas
in SELLING TRAVEL.
CONTACT
Steve Crowhurst [email protected]
250-738-0064 www.sellingtravel.net
Publisher:
SMP Training Co. www.sellingtravel.net
Contributors
Steve Crowhurst SELLING TRAVEL is owned and published by Steve Crowhurst, SMP Training Co. All Rights Reserved. Protected by International Copyright Law. SELLING TRAVEL can be shared, forwarded, cut and pasted but not sold, resold or in any way monetized. Using any images or content from SELLING TRAVEL must be sourced as follows: “Copyright SMP Training Co. www.sellingtravel.net” SMP Training Co. 568 Country Club Drive, Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada, V9K-1G1 Note: Steve Crowhurst is not responsible for outcomes based on how you interpret or use the ideas in SELLING TRAVEL. T: 250-738-0064.
5 AMERICAN TRAVEL AGENTS – shop here for know-how
6 SNAIL MAIL STILL WORKS
10 SELLING TRAVEL LIKE THEY SELL WINE
13 THE TRAVEL AGENCY - CHAPTER TWO: THE 1980s
40 ABOUT THE TRAVEL AGENCY NOVEL
41 THE TRAVEL INSTITUTE – EARN YOUR CTA
42 GADGETS
43 READ MORE ME HERE
45 ARE YOU ON THE LIST?
46 WOMEN ONLY TRAVEL – ON THE STORE SHELVES NOW
47 CLASSIFIEDS
THE HOW-TO MAGAZINE FOR TRAVEL TRADE PROFESSIONALS
Please note that Selling Travel, owned and published by SMP Training Co, is not connected in any way to Selling Travel magazine published by BMI Publishing Ltd., and based in the UK. The latter publication focuses entirely on destination and travel/tourism product training and is circulated solely to the UK and Ireland travel industries. To benefit from this resource visit www.sellingtravel.co.uk and be sure to subscribe.
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10131503-Nexion_Ad.indd 1 10/29/13 2:18 PM
The
WILL
to
The Travel Agency moves into the 1980s… Well first of all, thanks to everyone who emailed to say “MORE!” – and
here it is. That said, there was an undercurrent of, “when is the book
going to be finished?” and the answer to that is, I’m going to focus on
it now. It will take a few months and I’ll keep you apprised of my
progress so this chapter will be the last to appear in Selling Travel. Stay
tuned.
In this issue of Selling Travel, John Junior and his team head into the
1980s, a time when the consumer went nuts. Literally. Buying on credit
was the thing to do. Many figured that a world war was going to
happen so they might as well spend money - and they did. The 1980s
was a time when the travel agency count increased in the thousands.
Also in this issue: using Snail Mail and why it still works, and how to sell travel like “they” sell
wine. Steve Gillick is off travelling to Japan & China – and you can bet he’ll return with stories to
tell. Anthony Dalton is contributing his Rambling With Dalton articles and as always, there’s
something to help you sell more travel.
Here’s to your continued success in SELLING TRAVEL.
Best regards.
Steve Crowhurst, CTC, CTM Hon. [email protected]
www.sellingtravel.net
SALES & MARKETING TIPS, TOOLS & TECHNIQUES FOR ALL TRAVEL TRADE PROFESSIONALS
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Steve Crowhurst, Publisher
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Survey says that we, that’s “us” in general, are no longer using the pen to write
letters or send holiday postcards as we used to. A bit of a no-brainer really when
you realize that the majority of young adults have been raised on a keyboard. So
it’s the Baby Boomer generation who actually write and like to receive letters in
return. Mind you there are some Gen Xers and young adults who also favour
using a pen and paper and scribing from the heart. Not a lot of them, but some.
What goes around comes around just as it has with vinyl and it’s only when you
receive a letter, addressed to YOU, that the post has more meaning. Let’s explore
how you can ride the postal wave and boost more sales in your area.
Snail mail must be under the microscope as I see a number of surveys being conducted and one
most recently by Thomas Cook UK, on the UK’s National Hand Writing Day (April 23rd 2015).
Here’s a clipping from the infographic that was posted and it mentioned ‘the postcard’. Now the
postcard has been a mainstay for travellers since the late 1800s. It remains an integral part of the
vacation still today.
Snail mail is delivered and read without fear
of viruses. Usually, when the envelope
carries the mark of ‘their’ travel agency, the
recipient, your client, generally opens the
letter right away. According to a survey by
Avery – the people that supply all things
stationery - a bright coloured envelope is
most likely to be opened first. A white
envelope was the next most popular to open
followed by a scented envelope. In last place
were brown envelopes and dark envelopes.
So that’s good to know.
When asked to describe how receiving
something in the post made the recipient
feel, the most popular word was ‘happy’ -
followed by ‘special’, ‘loved’ and ‘surprised’.
These are your key words with which to seed
your direct mail and even use in the title of
your direct mail.
Here’s another clipping from the Thomas Cook infographic and it suggests a handwritten note
makes a bigger impression. If you have the time to invest then this might be one way to go should
your direct mail campaign be targeted, upscale and to a small number of clients.
Sending postcards from wherever you are on your next trip is one way to employ the handwritten idea. A glorious image on the front of that postcard is always one way to capture someone’s attention and persuade them to view the other side.
Everyone takes note of someone else’s excellent script – so it might be worth while developing your writing style and also learn to use an italic nib.
When writing to your wealthier clientele, be sure to upgrade your paper stock, choose deckle edged paper, and if you wish, you can select a colour of ink that stands out. Mauve is one. Use it consistently and you’ll be known for it. It becomes part of your personal branding.
Having a decent pen also helps. A fountain pen is tough to look after, so perhaps a ball point pen works best for the present day.
The type of stamp you place on your mail can also help close a sale. In the US and Canada the post office offers you the chance to create your own stamp. You do this by uploading an image of your choice and then the post office prints as many sheets of your personalized stamp as you need.
You could use your own logo, your mug shot, a brochure cover, a map or a slogan to add some oomph to your envelope.
The colour of your envelope as you read previously is also something to think on. Why not tune into the colours associated with the product you are marketing? If you are selling a beach vacation then bright sunny colours should do the job.
Although trashed by some, the QR code comes into its own when used on direct mail envelopes and post cards. Your client then, once they receive your mail will be able to instantly scan your QR code with their mobile phone and be instantly linked to your promotion on your website.
So keep that top of mind when using snail mail – QR codes can work. They can be hyperlinked to your social media accounts too. Facebook for instance.
Your postcard can be used as an announcement, a thank-you, an invitation, carry a promo code, direct someone to do something… the uses and reasons for going postal, are wide and varied.
The cost of mailing the envelope could be a challenge for some agencies, however if you target market to less than 50 people with common interests then the costs are not so bad. Of course you must analyze the returns and decipher your cost per booking. If your cost is $50 and you realize one booking then your COB is $50. Should you receive 5 bookings then your COB is $10. It’s important to know and the outcomes will help you decide on your next postal idea.
Mailing Brochures You’ve heard it more than once, about keeping boxes of glorious brochures tucked away in the back room and not mailing them to your clients.
They are heavy and expensive to mail. The thing is, brochures in the hand are worth way more than two digital files in the computer. The brochure is tactile and it’s right there staring at your client no matter where they go in their house.
It is picked up and put down many times. It is shared with a friend and it’s filling your client’s mind with the desire to travel. The digital brochure meanwhile is sitting in the box, which is now turned off.
When you mail a hard copy brochure you should always add to the mailing your business cards, a letter or postcard directing your clients to “see this page” and to then “call you…” re any questions, “attend this function…” and so on.
A brochure on its own is just that. You MUST add to it to build the event for when the client opens the envelope.
You might also consider adding something tangible into that same envelope. When there is something inside the envelope, most people open it to read it. A pen is the most common. However you could add a piece of a puzzle, one chop stick, a piece of a photo and this is done to attract your client to visit your agency and place their piece of the puzzle to find out if they have won anything for instance. So many ways to build a promotion using the mail.
A visit to the direct mail department of your local post office will give you more insight into what you can actually achieve. Let their marketing team help you. All they want for their services is to sell more postage. A win win.
Selling Travel Like They Sell
Wine
We had friends coming over so I went out to the liquor store to buy a bottle of Rose. My knowledge of wine goes as far as the two main colours: white and red - so I was looking for something in between as I told the chap behind the counter. From the blank stare I guessed he’d been on a winery FAM so I left him to it and like the wine warrior of old, I kept looking.
The more I looked, the more intrigued I became. At one time a different sales assistant came over to check on me as I’d let out a loud laugh coupled with a guffaw and a short and sweet “Cor blimey, I dunno!” He caught me with a bottle of wine with a K-A-R-A-Z-Y name. Anyway, the more I looked in each bin, read the labels, took in the brand names, regions and then how the wordsmiths enticed me to buy it, open it and drink it… well, I thought to myself, we gotta sell travel like they sell wine. I’d just had an epiphany! And a good whine it was too. Recently trod and religious by nature. With a delicate balance of white and wrong. What can I shay. And now hereth the lesson: Here’s How YOU Can Sell Travel Like They SELL Wine. Are You Selling The Same Old Plonk? Well are you? I mean are you selling same ole same ole travel or are you coming up with new and creative destinations, renaming and rebranding tours and giving them exciting and enticing names to attract the been-there-done-that customer? You know what happens when you sell the same old plonk, no one takes notice anymore. Or if they do, after the second swirl they’ll be down the road looking for something more suitable to their taste. What’s Your Label Saying About You? Let’s return to the liquor store for a moment where I had my epiphany. The reason I was chuckling was because of the names on the labels. It’s the same thing as standing at the Hallmark card shop reading those crazy birthday cards. You get caught out and then you let an uncontrolled laugh slip.
Labels… yes, well we had the Big Red Truck, The Little Penguin, Twin Fin and there’s even a label saying “See YA Later”. Then there’s Two Oceans and MADFISH Cabernet, Wild Horse Canyon, 7 Deadly Zins, Nine Stones or how about the Leopard’s Leap Lookout, FAT bastard, Hair of The Dingo or Rude Boy? Whatever happened to Baby Duck in a box? Someone knows a thing or two about pushing wine. This explosion of wild name labels is very clever. The colours are wonderful, the graphics are eye catching and the wordsmithing is pure poetry. I have no idea whether the contents actually meet the hype or not which begs the question: Does your label tell your story? Can your customer get a taste of your service from the message you market? For instance if I borrow from the labels are you:
… “fresh and fruity with a touch of acidity” which means you love to meet people until they ask for a cheap flight around the block!
Could you be “crisp and clean with tropical tones and a definite wallet saver”? You love the Caribbean and you know the hot deals.
Or are you, “a smart Sicilian with a crisp end”? I’ll leave that one alone!
Now this is pure silk. It’s describing the Nine Stones. “This easy-to-drink-with-anything Shiraz is smooth, bright and lively with jazzy plum and blackberry fruit and a slightly tart edge. Shaded, bittersweet chocolate and a hint of vanilla bring you to the soft finish.” Gawd I think I’m in love! It’s almost a knee trembler isn’t it?
It sure beats a screamin’ “CHEAP FLIGHTS TO EUROPE!” banner doesn’t it? The Customer’s Taste One thing that becomes very clear when you compare the selling of wine to the selling of travel is that the wineries understand good taste. They know what they are striving for and they know when they reach it. They either appeal to the customer’s taste demands or they create the taste that creates the demand. Playing this formula in the word of retail travel presents another question: Do you know or have you documented what your customer’s tastes are this year? Do you have their likes and dislikes, preferences and dream trips recorded? Are you going to create a travel flavour that will attract demand? Perhaps a new adventure, a new island to go to, a tour led by YOU! Find out and appeal to the travel tastes of your existing customers. Keep them drunk on your service!
Cork it? Screw It? It’s a wonderful world we live in isn’t it. Changing every minute of the day. What was, now isn’t. What was once the only way to stopper wine has suddenly changed. Screw cap has hit the main stage. What used to be, “Pop some bubbly will you Lumley!” Has now become: “Unscrew the Champs darling.” If the wine industry can go from cork it to screw it, you can go from ITCs to Cruises to Adventure to FIT… to anything that adds something new to your offerings and something new to be sampled by your clients. The Business of Wine Tours If wine is so popular and sold so well, why don’t you jump on that bandwagon? This is where the two industries cross paths. Yes indeed, wine tourism, cuisine tourism… both waiting for you to taste if you haven’t already. Sell travel like wine and the commissions will flow!
Don’t forget to think about
arranging wine tours, beer tours,
any kind of drink tours – there’s
a destination for each of them.
A giant sand dune – in France? That’s hard to believe. There are big dunes elsewhere, of
course. The Sahara has its share, as does the Namib. Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter is a maze
of gigantic, moving dunes. Even the Mojave Desert has big dunes. But France? Surely not.
Well, the big dune I’m thinking about is in France, even if it does seem to be in the wrong
place.
Straddling a line of latitude exactly halfway between the North Pole and the Equator, the Dune
du Pilat is a monster pile of sand by any reckoning. Standing 120 metres high, up to 500 metres
wide and more than three kilometres in length, Pilat dominates its immediate surroundings and
offers commanding views of France’s Côte d’Argent. From the approach walk through a forest
of fir trees, it looks like a yellow mountain. From the sea, it appears to be a solid wall of sand
Anthony Dalton, FRGS, FRCGS
A giant sand dune – in France? That’s hard to believe. There are big dunes elsewhere, of course.
The Sahara has its share, as does the Namib. Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter is a maze of gigantic,
moving dunes. Even the Mojave Desert has big dunes. But France? Surely not. Well, the big
dune I’m thinking about is in France, even if it does seem to be in the wrong place.
Straddling a line of latitude exactly halfway
between the North Pole and the Equator,
the Dune du Pilat is a monster pile of sand by
any reckoning. Standing 120 metres high, up
to 500 metres wide and more than three
kilometres in length, Pilat dominates its
immediate surroundings and offers
commanding views of France’s Côte
d’Argent. From the approach walk through
a forest of fir trees, it looks like a yellow
mountain. From the sea, it appears to be a
solid wall of sand towering over the
shoreline. From either side this, the largest
sand dune in Europe, is an incredible sight –
and it is still growing.
Huge though it looks from the base, the
dune’s true scope can only be appreciated
by standing at its apex. To do so requires
some effort and good timing. Early morning,
just about sunrise, is an ideal time for an
expedition to the top. The light on the sand
is subtle at dawn and, a bonus for some,
there are fewer people around at that hour.
Two steep stairways climb the near vertical
north end of the dune. One is wooden and
showing its age. The other, a couple of
metres away, is modern: a plastic
convenience without character. Later in the
day, when the sun has warmed the sand,
both stairways will be busy with energetic
sightseers. From the top, the 19th century
lighthouse at the end of the spindly Cap
Ferrat peninsula can be seen. Once, with
danger all around, it beamed its warning to
ships on the often turbulent Bay of Biscay.
Today it is a benign red and white monolith
surrounded by holiday homes.
The great dune, just nine kilometres south of
Arcachon and the Archachon Bassin,
overlooks the Bay of Biscay and the distant
Atlantic Ocean on one side. Offshore a
couple of large huts, known as Les cabanes
tchanquées, stand clear of the sea on stilts
said to be three metres high. Beneath and
around the pair a series of sand bars create
an irregular seabed of miniature submarine
sand dunes. To the east, the landward side,
the Dune du Pilat spreads its base among a
rich forest of pines and firs.
The cabanes, at high tide the ideal getaway
home, are privately owned and,
unfortunately, not for rent. At low tide this
part of the French coast is a maze of creeks,
lagoons, mud flats and sand bars; a natural
haven for thousands of wading birds. The
cabanes would be perfect platforms for
wildlife photographers. At the end of the
day, as the setting sun paints lurid colours on
the sea and sand, the view of the big dune
must be spectacular from the two verandas
over the water.
Nearby Arcachon is a relatively new town, in
French terms. It dates back to only 1852. Just
64 kilometres from Bordeaux, it is in a
perfect position for visitors to sample fine
local wines with the sun, sand and sea close
by. Arcachon is both a sheltered winter
resting place, protected as it is by the
forests, and a vibrant summer resort. Plus, it
has an additional bonus. Arcachon Bay is
home to some 2,500 oyster farmers. Their
vast oyster beds spread over 1,800 hectares
of the 25,000 hectare bay. In consequence,
almost all restaurants in the immediate area
advertise fresh oysters on their daily menus.
With many eateries to choose from the
competition for customers is fierce and that
fact is reflected in the low prices.
On a clear morning, with low tide evident by
the sand bars poking above the surface of
the sea, I watched from high on the dune as
an elderly couple paused for breath at the
top of the wooden stairs. With a nod to each
other, they struggled through ankle-deep
sand to the highest point of the dune. No
words passed between them. They had no
breath to spare. They looked around for a
few moments, their faces registering their
pleasure. They acknowledged me and my
dog with a friendly greeting before taking
photographs of each other. I took their
camera and photographed them together,
bringing delighted smiles.
Then, their mission accomplished, they
started down again. For them, the Dune du
Pilat had lived up to expectations.
With my dog checking out smells all around,
I roamed the length of the dune for a couple
of hours, enjoying the changing patterns of
light playing over the ripples in the sand. To
the west I could see a ship far out on the Bay
of Biscay. To the east I stared almost eye to
eye with a hawk perched on the highest
point of a tree. I noted that I was marginally
above the bird.
By mid-morning the dune was getting busy
with its daily quota of visitors. More than a
million scale its heights each year. That was
far too many people for me to contemplate.
Having enjoyed my quiet time on the sand, I
whistled for my dog and we made our way
back to ground level. The next time I stood
on a sand dune as big as Dune du Pilat was in
the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia a few
years later.
elcome to the second chapter of The Travel Agency a new book being written by one of our industry’s most-respected business minds, Steve Crowhurst. Steve also has a terrific
sense of humour and as an industry veteran at the centre of so much of the industry’s history; I trust that you will find his book to be a combination of history and humour. As someone who has lived through the period that Steve is covering in his book, I look forward to reliving some of the highlights of the past 30 years in the industry, and perhaps even remember some of the suppressed lowlights! No matter what your travel industry experiences may have been so far, one thing that I believe all readers may agree on is that it has been quite a ride, so do take the time each month to join Steve as he takes us back in time. For those readers who are newer in the industry, hopefully Steve will help you to understand how us veterans have turned out the way we have! The Travel Agency will also help us all to reflect on the past with some perspective and I look forward to reading of the past to see how much it matches my own experiences. I am also curious to see how much Steve remembers! Best of success to you Steve! I am so proud for Nexion Canada to have the opportunity to sponsor The Travel Agency. Enjoy this chapter, the 1980s and be sure to look for the finished book this fall as Steve brings us through each decade, from the 1970s to the present day. Mike Foster President Nexion Canada [email protected]
W
Mike Foster, President, Nexion Canada
THE TRAVEL AGENCY
As Witnessed & Told By
The End Wall
Steve Crowhurst
Names and places are fictitious however the events are real, the dates are real, the decades are
real, outcomes, the activities, the customers, the challenges all happened. Some embellishments
have been made to make a point and some licence has been taken to rearrange certain events
to maintain the flow of a moment in the life of The Travel Agency.
The Travel Agency © 2015 Steve Crowhurst, SMP Training Co.
All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. No part of this book may be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise
whatsoever without written permission or authorization through payment of a Permission to Copy fee (except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews) . For information please contact SMP Training Co.
T: 1-250-738-0064. Protected by the Canadian Copyright Act.
The Travel Agency is a tongue-in-cheek look at how one travel agency
has survived over the years, from the mid-1970s to the present. It
discusses daily situations that include external events such as bad
weather, wars, or religious upheaval, plus internal events that include
hiring & firing, instilling team work, sales and marketing, management,
decisions: and it looks at client and supplier interactions. There's
something for everyone in this novella. The newcomer will learn what
makes a travel agency and travel agent successful; the veteran will
chuckle at some of the "that's how we did it..." reminders, and everyone
will get a boost from how the agency team participate in growing the
agency through each decade.
The content, incidents and anecdotes are based on actual industry and
world events and the fictitious characters, agents, suppliers and clients
are pulled from the author’s and travel colleagues’ own careers. Enjoy
what should be a humorous read as you journey with John Junior who
takes over the family travel agency in 1975. John Junior enjoys the
business his father built until every so often things start to go downhill;
then John Junior must look to his own talents as the decades, clients,
staff, suppliers, wars, storms and business come and go.
The story of The Travel Agency is told by The End Wall. The end wall
has been with the agency since it was built and John Senior moved in to
start the business. Walls do have ears and the end wall has heard it all.
Introduction
I am The End Wall and over the years, I've witnessed it all!
John Junior was born in the back office of his dad's travel agency, as his Mom, the
bookkeeper, was about to reconcile Paper Towels, under Office Expenses. John
Junior wanted out… he had things to learn, a travel career waiting for him and he
was due to take over the business too. There was no time to waste!
Let me give you a heads-up. In May 1914 the world of travel was doing just fine thank you very
much with the wealthy coming and going, cruising the world, taking off on safaris to shoot and
stuff another trophy for their home, staying at world renowned hotels and spas and golfing on
the best courses. There were bus tours, coach tours, rail journeys and people enjoying the
outdoors hiking into the mountains to watch others fall off them and life was good. The working
class were staying put mind you. Perhaps they were visiting local parks and the seaside or
immigrating by ship to a better life. Then on June 28th 1914 the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and
his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina and that was
that. WW1 was on. Travel was off.
The vacation business returned soon after the end of WW1 on November 11th 1918 and the
industry enjoyed close to twenty years of bookings before someone who shall not be mentioned
by the name of Hitler, decided on Round 2. This time the war, WW2, was on for six years and
travelling for pleasure was something you didn’t do in Europe, but in and around North America
the coast was clear.
After World War 2 the world had changed once more and it took some years for it to right itself.
On 24 September 1946 two ex-air force pilots, started the beginnings of a major airline called
Cathay Pacific. Many ex-air force pilots joined existing airlines that were planning for great times
ahead. People in general rebuilt their lives, money was more available and the “vacation” became
common place. Millions had died for freedom and freedom included going on vacation when and
how you liked. But even then not everyone was free to do what they wanted. The Jews were
looking for a place to live, black Americans still had a fight on their hands at home and many
POWs returned to no home and no family. If you had the grit to overcome these huge obstacles
and luck, chance and life favoured you, then you could make a go of it. Those who entered the
travel industry generally never looked back.
For the working class who fought in WW2 a vacation would still be a drive to the park, a camping
holiday or a visit to the beach. Then there were those who emigrated: travelling one way for a
better life. Those with more money (or those who still had money) they were attracted to
international destinations and they, once again they needed someone to talk to - someone to
take care of their travel needs. That’s when travel agencies came back into their own.
Travel agencies had existed before. In fact, even in Roman times there were agents who procured
accommodation and transportation through such entrepreneurial firms as Palanquins 4YOU,
Coliseum Suites & Gladiator Adventures.
In the UK and since 1845, when Thomas Cook ran his first group excursion, Cook’s as it became
known, was the main agency to deal with. From humble beginnings, Thomas Cook & Son grew
into an empire. Across the Atlantic in North America the travel agency came to life through Ask
Mr. Foster. Started by Ward G. Foster in St. Augustine, Florida in 1888, AMF eventually morphed
into Carlson Wagonlit Travel. The partnering of Wells & Fargo in 1873 eventually changed its
name and became American Express.
During the sixties and into the seventies there was money to be made. Naturally service was the
highpoint. The ‘yes’ attitude took top billing. There was nothing that could not be arranged. You
wanted your cabin on the SS France repainted, no problem. You’d like a pet rhino in your safari
tent, no problem – (thinking: no problem for us, but for you? Good luck.) A sheik visiting New
York wants the top three hotel floors to himself and entourage, no problem.
It was, as you’ll read, a time when business usually just walked in the door. It was a time when
wealthy clients would almost, but not quite walk in the door, preferring to pop their head around
the door and shout to the manager and no one else, “Henry! South Pacific, a month or so, you
know what we like, November’s good.”
And with that simply wait for Henry to deliver and explain the tickets; then pay the invoice and
tip him twenty-bucks for a job well done.
IATA, the International Air Transport Association and ATC, Airline Traffic Conference and a few
other government bodies and groups soon ruled the world of air travel and whether or not a
travel agency would be appointed. John Senior, owner of The Travel Agency had paid his dues.
For a couple of years he was buying his client’s tickets direct from the airlines by going to the
airport until a local airline office was opened downtown. There he would, at times, notice people
becoming agitated while waiting in line to be served. John Senior would introduce himself to
them; hand over his business card, and tell them he’d take care of them. And so it was, whenever
he went to purchase a ticket for a client, he returned with at least one new client.
During those years no commission was earned. Once he had produced $250,000 in airline sales
in one year he could apply for his IATA license and retain commission. He survived on selling
vacation packages to sun destinations that paid 10% to 15% and escorted tours that paid 10%
and up, and customized arrangements then known as FITs: Foreign Independent Travel. It was
the FIT that made him a lot of money. He would add $300 per head versus adding a ten percent
markup. He was worth it.
FITs, in John Senior’s mind, were always the best way to sell travel, so he followed in the footsteps
of his idols, Thomas and Mason Cook. But he, and others like him, had to know what they were
doing. They had to know where to buy travel arrangements, how to deal directly with hotel
managers, how to negotiate the best view, the best cabin, the best service and then piece the
arrangements together so that everything ran like clockwork. John Senior taught his son that
custom groups will never go out of style. It was the key to riches as long as you knew what you
were doing and had developed the right contacts. And so let’s join the agency team in 1980…
Chapter Two – The 1980s
For me, the 1980s started off rather well. A fresh coat of paint would you believe. Not so keen
on the red colour, but then it’s the other walls that have to look at me. I am now known as the
accent wall. Hey a promotion!
For John Junior and his staff the 1980s were building up to be just a little more turbulent than
expected. Despite matching the last decade for airline incidents at 160 that included tragic loss
of life the industry grew in unexpected areas of the trade. The cruise industry was coming into
its own.
John Junior’s distant relatives in the UK had immigrated to Australia in the 1960s paying ten-
pounds and sailing round South Africa to Perth Australia. Another relative traveled the world in
the British Merchant Navy working onboard P&O vessels carrying full voyage immigrants and
passengers who would cruise for one segment of the voyage such as Miami to Los Angeles and
then fly home. Chandris Line, a Greek company, was established in 1959 to carry migrants from
Europe to Australia. This service ceased in 1977.
Over the years as larger aircraft were built, they decimated the cruise liner industry. For those
immigrating to another country it was cheaper and quicker to fly and this forced the shipping
companies to reinvent themselves. Their ships were overhauled, redesigned, scrapped and new
vessels went into production. Smaller and sleeker vessels were built; capable of entering shallow
ports of call. Larger, deluxe ships were built and these could cruise worldwide. Itineraries where
revised, onboard amenities too, and some ships offered one class only.
With the introduction of the 747 Jumbo Jet in January 1970, companies like Cunard, Chandris and
P&O had to rethink, retrench and plan what was to become of their ships as they phased out of
carrying government sponsored migrants. The cruise industry was already in motion and poised
to take off. The 747 changed the entire world of travel. Based on its class and seat configuration
the 747 could carry 416 to 660 passengers.
John Junior had been invited on a FAM that intrigued him. It was to visit the Boeing factory in
Seattle and view the 747 in production. When he returned to the agency he told everyone that,
“this has to be the safest plane to fly…” and often related his viewing the 747 to his clients. He
had been told the 747 had seven back-up systems and personally witnessed a series of signatures
confirming the smallest detail such as one screw being tightened to perfection. This checking and
double checking impressed John Junior so much he initiated a quality control program for all
agency bookings. The idea required the handing of a ticket to a colleague who ‘double-checked’
it. John Junior could not afford a quality control agent or department as some large corporate
agencies installed, so they did what they could amongst themselves to reduce mistakes. Colleen
who was very detailed often caught an incorrect or missing tour code that would increase the
commission rate.
John Junior and his team had come to realize that you can never bank on last year repeating
itself. Things happen. They always do. People decide to stay home. Some just stop travelling.
Some die. Some settle down and have families. Some get caught in a real estate fiasco and
sometimes the travel industry turns on itself.
Air travel in 1981 came to a halt when the air traffic controllers went on strike. At the same time
mortgage rates shot as high as 21%. The agency’s business suffered as many of its clients were
caught between selling and buying. In some cases people where left paying the original mortgage
on their old house and paying the 21% mortgage on the home just purchased. Personal
bankruptcies were common.
Despite the decade not starting off so well, travel and tourism revenues in the 80s more than
doubled and travel agencies increased from 20,000 to over 34,000 across North America.
Commission income more than tripled and by the end of the decade air travellers had risen from
57 million to 145 million. The financial crisis with banks failing left and right, and the recession
millions of consumers took to their credit cards and spent. They took vacations. Some even
thought a third world war was about to happen and decided to live it up. This was to carry over
into the next decade too.
It was, John Junior thought, a matter of holding on and not doing anything rash. A few larger
agencies had already cut staff to reduce overhead and as it turned out it was a fatal move. They
had fired the travel agents earning the highest salaries. Other agencies, who had no head office
to appease, quickly offered them jobs, gaining qualified, experienced sales people who had a
loyal clientele who might just follow them to their new agency. John junior stayed calm. He had
faith in his team and besides, he had invested in their training and education through FAMs and
more.
The 1980s did turn out to be worth the effort, but getting through that decade was a roller
coaster. The outcomes of deregulation in 1978 flowed into the 80s. The recession of 1981 caused
the loss of homes and jobs, some major corporations ceased funding pensions leaving millions of
people with inadequate financial support, the oil industry dried up for a while and rigs left town,
some favourite tourist spots where hit by crime, terrorism, drugs, local wars, political instability
and that caused many a traveller, even though they had the money to travel, to stay home.
It was a November day in 1981. Ellie walked in, not as late as usual, singing “Love… exciting and
new…” to anyone else she was in love, found a partner, but no, the agency team knew what she
was singing – it was the theme to the hit TV show The Love Boat. Despite the financial woes early
in the decade, this one TV show moved thousands of people to sample a short seven-day cruise,
not too far from home.
The Love Boat show ran from September 24, 1977, until February 27, 1987. The theme was simple
and yet there was a real life component to it. A cruise component. Each show followed a handful
of ship’s crew interacting with each other and several passengers played by guest actors. The
show was set aboard the Pacific Princess and that backdrop plus the romantic and humorous
adventures passengers had onboard, sold more cruises than ever before. Cruising was in and one
cruise line was delivering brand new fax machines to its agency accounts to help speed up
bookings.
Ellie is giving it her all: “…Love won't hurt anymore, It's an open smile on a friendly shore, It's love,
it's love, it's love, It's the Love Boat, It's the L-o-v-e B-o-a-t….YEAH!” Ellie was finishing off her
rendition to the applause of her co-workers and one client who had come in earlier than
expected. John Junior wasn’t joining in the applause – he was in his office staring at the page that
Mrs. H’ had placed on his desk. Sales where okay, but with the challenges predicted, there was a
shortfall to be expected. He needed money and I can still see the colour drain from his face.
John Juniors profit on paper had declined and to a point where he needed more operating capital.
He’d got a little carried away with his advertising and some of his regular clients had stopped
travelling due to their own financial problems. Mrs. H’ figured he needed about $25,000 and at
minimum $10,000 to tide him over until the business picked up again.
John Junior had to tell his staff that although the situation was a bit shaky, they would survive if
everyone sold their heart out. Their pay cheques might be a day or so late, he told them and if
they could work with him and be patient he would be able to do his best. Everyone appreciated
the honesty and said they’d support him.
As John Junior was considering his options, he was looking for loans or a partner or partners.
Mind you I overheard a discussion with Mr. H’ – and John Junior told her that one of his agency
owning friends had told him about his own partnership challenges. It was, as his friend told him,
a horror story.
It seemed his friend was so desperate that he took on two guys who were friends of the family.
They were from a small town and had great personalities but they were not from the travel
industry. They were farmers and drinking beer in Hawaii was all their adventures amounted to.
The challenge: they didn’t understand the term silent partner - they didn't stay behind the scenes.
On a Saturday they would turn up, park their old truck outside his agency, sit outside the agency
on a chair, lean back against the wall, greet customers as they walked past with a “Hi y’all...” and
play pitching pennies against the wall. Closest wins!
In his desire to do right by his father and his mother and his staff, John Junior decided to negotiate
a bank loan. The weather had been getting much colder than usual and it was nearing the middle
of November. He made a phone call and then got into his car the next morning and drove
downtown to meet his banker.
As John headed downtown to his bank to discuss a loan, it started to snow. By the time he got
into the bank manager’s office and sat down, there was a blizzard going on. When he got back to
the agency he had a huge smile on his face. As he told the story to his agency team he had
persuaded the bank manager that when it snowed people travelled. He noticed a photo on the
manager’s desk of his family in Hawaii and pointed to it. John junior had managed to negotiate a
$10,000 loan based on snow. The agency was going to survive.
He had not told his staff that, for the past two months he had paid some salaries by withdrawing
cash on his credit card. He was in debt personally but had the faith that he could make it all work.
The following month something happened. It was a sign.
In early December with snow still on the ground John Junior walked to the coffee shop on the
next block to get a coffee. Something caught his eye. A glint in the snow. Without breaking stride
he bent down and picked it up, shook the snow off it and smiled broadly. It was a large, chunky,
gold ring with a diamond in the center. A man’s ring. This “gift” arrived in John Junior’s life at just
the right moment as these things do.
The ring was valued at $800 and he kept it as a reminder that when times get tough there is
always a way out. He never sold or cashed in that ring and he told his story to anyone who was
going through tough times that there is always a way around the wall.
John Junior spent time reviewing the past five years since he took over and he had done pretty good and despite the outcomes of the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, easing the entry of new companies into the business and giving them freedom to set their own fares and fly whatever domestic routes they chose, he rode that wave as creatively as he could.
Looking ahead he decided just like his father suggested, that when it came to planning, always
‘sketch it out’ - write it down, get it out of your head, then as his father advised, “…you can look
at it…” make notes, rearrange your thoughts on paper. And that’s what John Junior did.
He sketched out his agency team and started to write their strengths and weaknesses under each
of their names. His thoughts wandered to his idea of building more corporate travel, and he
realized that he did not have an agent strong in that area. He made a note to hire someone for
what he would call The Executive Alternative department.
The more he thought about his future plans he decided rather than expanding the size of the
office or relocating to larger space or adding more staff, other than his corporate hire, he would
focus on selling higher priced products and sell more of them. He’d attract the wealthier clientele
and ask new corporate accounts for their leisure business. And he would sell more travel
insurance. He decided to maintain his religious tour program and start to move away from low
priced anything. He sensed an opportunity for fee-based after-hours consultations. His father
had always said that wealthy people knew the value of personal service and would pay for it. He
would also take a hard look at the cruising phenomena.
There was something else happening too. John Junior noticed that his parent’s generation were
turning 60 in 1985 and many would be taking early retirement. They had survived WW2 and
worked hard all their lives. Many now wanted to reap the benefits of their pension plans – well
those that still had them intact that is. Others would be waiting to reach 65 before retiring.
There was something else pushing John Junior to succeed and it happened at the start of 1981.
A good pal, an airline rep had taken John Junior for lunch and then as he dropped him off outside
the agency his pal Rob turned to him and said, “John I've got something to tell you…” and John
lost his smile as his friend Rob looked uncomfortable and John Junior thought perhaps he'd been
moved to another territory or perhaps fired. But that wasn't it.
“What is it Rob you can tell me…” said John Junior and that was when Rob told John Junior that
he was gay. “Happy you mean?” Was John Junior’s quick response and then the penny fell. They
had known each other for many years. Rob was married and then separated and after that Rob
and John often talked about heading off to Hawaii and as John Junior would jokingly say “…and
get us some women!” Now of course he felt a bit stupid. Poor Rob.
What Rob didn't tell him was that he was dying. It took a while but eventually his good friend Rob
succumbed. A new plague had been announced in 1981– it was called AIDS.
The AIDS virus worked its way through the travel trade causing losses in the cruising industry,
airline, hotel staff and travel agencies too. It also challenged the travelling consumer both straight
and gay as no one knew how AIDS was contracted. As a country, Kenya’s population and its
tourism industry was devastated and the Dominican Republic reported high HIV infections too. It
wasn’t until 1987 that the anti-AIDS drug AZT became available to treat HIV although it was slow
to reach third world countries.
The loss of a good friend was something John Junior had not experienced before. Older relatives
of course and both parents now, but not until now the loss of someone his own age. I can recall
the conversations in his office and how this one event spurred John Junior on to greater
achievements and to make a difference somehow. It didn't happen right away but eventually he
hired a gay travel agent and allowed him to go after the gay travel business and at the same time
donate what he could to help fight AIDS when there was a way to fight it.
John decided he needed a beer and on a Friday night headed to the local lounge where the travel
trade often met. John Junior liked these get-togethers where agency owners and managers could
talk shop, exchange ideas, steal ideas, get the inside track from an airline rep or tour operator
BDM that turned up and in general, put the world of travel to rights.
They drank, smoked, laughed and some stayed until closing time and others went home to family.
The topic this evening was about who was still alive, what was going on, where’s so and so… and
it was a sad evening until someone offered a toast to “our departed friends” and then they got
serious about the drinking. Bob was one who got rather drunk. The topic had made him sad. Bob
was gay and had not yet come out. Although it wasn’t known at the time, Bob was going to join
The Travel Agency in 1985.
Everyone in the agency took on the concept that you only have one life and time is precious. As
one travel company promoted: “Life is short, death is long, travel now!” which didn't go down
well with the seniors on their client list! Others adopted the quote “Seize the day!” and went for
gold each and every day. Sales had to be made and travel insurance was always the first thing
mentioned. John Junior had asked his travel insurance provider to pay them a visit and conduct
a training session.
As it turned out, John Junior was proud of his team. They took to selling travel insurance and
more so when they were told they would now earn 15% of the agency’s 40% commission. They
decided as a team, after the initial greeting and small talk with their clients, they would introduce
the topic of travel insurance this way: “… right, now, before we select the best tour and itinerary
for you, let me put this brochure right there as reminder - - I must not forget to advise you about
purchasing travel insurance that will help protect you, your family and your financial investment
in this trip…” They actually created three more scripts that they practiced and became very
proficient at presenting the features & benefits of the various insurance packages. They had sat
with John Junior and the travel insurance supplier’s BDM and read and discussed the fine print
of each package. It was a tiring and boring session, but the next day when a client challenged
them about a specific feature, they could articulate with confidence and felt themselves grow
taller in the process. It had been worth it. The Reader is the Leader they reminded themselves.
Mrs. H’, was still with John as the agency entered the 80s. So was Colleen, Barbara, Ellie, Evelyn
and Shelly the new hire who was doing well and the nine OSRs not so much.
Perhaps John Senior’s ghost had a quiet word with his son, as one day he came into the office
and actually held a very good staff meeting during which he told his staff in no uncertain words
that the business is no longer walking in the door and then lowered the boom, “To survive we
will have to go out to get the business…” He had written up his plan and knew this to be the case.
I can remember the faces around that table and the body language too… each person to a man
sat back in their chair and looked down. John Junior continued, “…it means we will phone
corporations and ask for their business as well as make cold-calls locally for vacation travel. We
will learn the meetings and incentive business and we will also look for vacation spinoff from
each account.”
The incentive business was growing. Local to national firms wanted to excite and incite their sales
people to sell more. Millions of dollars were poured into special events, meetings with the
executive team during a company golf event and some went further to hire in very expensive
keynote speakers and sales trainers each year to raise the selling and closing skills of their sales
teams. It was a lucrative industry segment.
At the end of John Junior’s meeting there was a line up at his office door as each member of the
team wanted to know if they really had to go door-to-door. They were all happy to know that no,
that wasn't what he had intended, however, what he did intend was to have each member of
staff learn how to make cold calls. To help make that happen he arranged for an instructor from
the local Telco to come visit and put his team through their paces. The Telco instructor was
female, knew her stuff and could articulate the methods that the telephone company used
themselves when dialling for new accounts and new subscribers.
There was nervous energy galore during the after-hours training session and there was not a soul
in that room who couldn't wait for it to end. One or two agents enjoyed the session and could
see that this training would benefit them tremendously especially when it came to cold calling
local people to ask for their personal travel. Everyone went home looking tired and concerned.
They didn’t like role-playing. Could never see the point of play acting.
The following Tuesday morning was chosen as the cold-calling start date and each member of
staff had their hot hit list to call. The Telco rep had supplied the company name, the president’s
name and telephone number too. In later years this would have resulted in a heavy fine or jail
term for not abiding by the privacy act. John Junior had bought everyone a take-out coffee and
a bag of muffins to help with the nerves. By 10 am the coffee was drunk, all the muffins gone…
and no calls made as yet.
John Junior decided he had to show his team how it was done and picked up the phone… seven
digits later… ring, ring… a receptionist answers and states the company name and asks how she
may help… John Junior goes into action. He had been role playing with Mrs. H’ and had built his
confidence to a new level.
“Good morning, it's John Powell from The Travel Agency calling, could you tell me who is
responsible for arranging the business travel for your employees?” His voice was upbeat,
controlled, even sexy one agent commented afterwards.
The receptionist, the gatekeeper, responded with, “Can you tell me the purpose of your call?”
John Junior didn't hesitate and told it like it was… “Yes of course, the fact is we have just started
servicing corporations like yours and eager to discuss our corporate travel plan that in effect will
save your company money…” and then he trial closed with, “… do you think that's something
your managers would like?”
The natural response was a yes. John followed up with, “Excellent, who do you suggest I speak
to?” And with that he was on the line to the accountant who was, if anyone knew, about to lose
his job if he didn't or couldn't cut T&E expenses. “Great timing!” Were the first words the
accountant said and then after that he and John Junior arranged to meet at the accountant’s
office. The Travel Agency had its first fifty-thousand dollar account.
The agency team were in awe of their leader. He had proven that he was a go-getter. His
credibility factor was high and in leading the charge he had proved it could be done. One or two
of his team also proved something. They turned out to be fantastic cold callers and could set up
three or four appointments for John Junior each week. The rest of his team found cold calling
difficult.
It was at this time that John Junior realized, some people can only take a cheque, whilst others
can make a cheque. He did not want to make waves, however looking ahead he saw the need to
hire only travel agents who were skilful at prospecting for business as well as servicing the
business that called or walked in. He also made a note to hire people who understood the value
of training and who would, like a movie star or musician, practice until they managed to do “it” -
whatever it was - correctly.
John Junior recalled his father telling him about what it meant to practice speaking correctly.
Learning to explain something three different ways and be able to stand up on stage and speak
to an audience. Well that, his father thought, was money in the bank. Most people believed
keynote speakers were special people however John Junior’s father new different. Practice and
a lot of it was one of the keys to success. He knew that being able to speak well and command
an audience built personal confidence. This was a marvellous skill when having to respond to an
aggressive client or one that liked to bully frontline staff.
John Junior recalled a time when his father was sitting up front and a middle aged couple walked
in. The husband dressed in Casey Jones striped overalls and matching railway cap stood and
looked gruff. His wife who was very pleasant, sat down and started to chat with John Senior.
Neither knew he was the owner of the agency. When it came to arrangements and pricing the
husband took over and started to tell John Senior how to do his job, that he wanted a better price
and more. The man’s wife shrunk a little and that’s when John Senior stood up (a move he had
practised for special moments like this one) put his hand in his pocket and said, “You know I
haven’t had a coffee yet, would you like to join me… there’s a coffee shop just across the road…”
and with that, handed three dollars to the husband saying, “… would you mind?” By the time
Casey Jones returned with the take-out coffees, his wife and John Senior had reviewed brochures,
dates and times and prices, made a decision, a deposit was taken and their Hawaiian package
would be confirmed later in the day. John Senior handed his business card to Mrs. Casey Jones
and she smiled when she read that he was the owner.
Mrs. H’ met with John Junior to review the sales generated by his outside reps. It wasn't what
John Junior was expecting. Out of the nine OSRs, two had generated roughly three-thousand
dollars in commission over the last 3 months, three had submitted expense reports for roughly
$300 for business lunches and they expected huge, yes huge, returns “…when the business comes
in…” and the remaining three OSRs had travelled extensively thanks to being connected to John’s
travel agency.
There was a commotion up front when an airline sales rep’ walked into the agency unannounced,
with coffee for everyone, sat down at Ellie’s desk, who he fancied, threw one leg over the other
and lit up a cigarette. It didn’t matter that Ellie was on the phone and there were clients at the
brochure rack. He was God.
“We’ll have to stop that nonsense.” John Junior said to Mrs. H’ “It’s so disrespectful and these
reps even barge into conversations the staff are having with their clients and on top of that
they’re offering my staff incentives behind my back!” He decided to establish an appointment
setting protocol and chat with his staff about it. But right now he was focused on a meeting of a
different kind.
A special meeting was called for all OSRs and Mrs. H’ was in attendance too. It went something
like this with John Junior kicking off the session. “Right, thanks for turning up everyone, Mrs. H’
has some questions for you…” At the mention of Mrs. H’ the nine OSRs looked for an exit but too
late, she was walking through it into the room. She sat down at the table and with a practiced
stare, eyeballed the nine OSRs and then slid a three page document to each person, it read,
Outside Sales Representative Agreement.
“We’re streamlining our sales force and catching up with the times and so must you if you would
like to continue selling travel or us.” She emphasized the words continue and selling. “Let me
explain. This agreement sets out the terms for you to continue representing and selling for the
agency.”
“In essence you'll be required to start your own company, pay your own expenses, claim your
sales… and from here on there is a minimum revenue requirement that starts at $10,000 in year
one, moving to $25,000 for year two and three. Of course you may generate as much as you like.
The commission structure will be 25% of everything you sell and process and 10% on the business
you close and hand off to be processed. If you just refer a lead then it’s 3%. FAM trips are now
based on production and the manager will select the destination based on the expertise the
agency needs you to have – plus there is a FAM incentive for those who produce double their
target.”
Mrs. H’ took a well-practiced breath, waiting for the information to take root. The room was
silent, I can hear it now. “Any questions?” was the final comment and then when there was just
empty air, “… okay, well please read your agreements tonight and return them signed and dated
to my in-tray by 10 am tomorrow.”
With that, Mrs. H’ was up, said “thanks” and turned to leave the room, winked at John Junior
who thanked her for her hard work in putting the agreement together and presenting it so well.
Very thorough. Then he turned to his nine OSRs and said, “Exciting times for all… now we can all
make some money. Some of you will need to purchase new business cards, I can order those for
you and deduct the cost from your next cheque if that works for you. Okay, see you at the next
sales meeting.” The next day one agreement was signed, dated and in the tray. For some reason
the other eight OSRs didn't respond and were never heard of again.
John recalled his father telling him that there are certain people who should not be in the retail
travel industry as they were just not cut out for it. Don’t have the personality for it. In the future
he thought he would actually test a new candidate’s prospecting talents before hiring them.
The new computers arrived. They had been using Sabre soon after it came to travel agents in
1976 and although Barbara wasn’t too interested in using them, she could key in one or two
codes and that was it. During the 1980’s the competing reservation systems were having some
high priced fun. Each trying to sway travel agencies especially larger agencies specializing in
corporate travel to their brand. The reason for that was simple: reservation systems were owned
by airlines and corporate travellers travelled frequently.
The large corporate agencies actually had a terminal for each of Sabre, Apollo and Galileo hoping
to stay ahead of the game; that game being each system was screen biased to the airline that
owned it.
Negotiating GDS contracts was a new skill to be learned and there were travel management
consultants who would actually do the negotiating for you. Eventually more GDS systems came
on the market, airlines gave up their interests and set those departments free. Back room
operations when to outsiders and the average agency owner was lost in translation.
With the new computers came new ticket printers and the agency safe had to grow in size as
there was a need to house more ticket stock – and although you could keep your ticket stock in
a safety deposit box at your bank, it was more convenient to keep stock in the agency safe.
Barbara wanted to know if she could head to Houston for Sabre training and perhaps a tariff
course with British Airways in London. Well times had changed. Each reservation system had built
in self-guided training and tariff training died out late in the 70s. In the 80’s it was all in-house or
local training conducted at the airline’s office or reservation center if they had one in your city or
a city close to you. Most of the time, any airfare you wanted to know, was right ‘there’ in your
res system.
Another Friday night drink with fellow travel trade colleagues turned to discussing sales reps
barging into the agency and offering incentives directly to agency staff. It was wasn’t long before
everyone round the table agreed to ask their supplier reps to book ahead of time and only with
the manager. One agency owner said she deals only with the district manager and no one came
to her agency unless invited.
A few more drinks later someone recalled the days, the ‘good old days’ when you could smudge
a ticket to help your client extend their stay in Europe. Everyone laughed and the topic turned to
one former agency that had over 350 tickets to handwrite. The owner had bought in a case of
beer, ordered pizza and then he and his three staff got down to work.
The tickets were a work of art. No codes… just name, to and from destinations, one line of code
and the rest all lines indicating “same as above” – had it down to six seconds a ticket. When all
the beer was drunk there a distinct difference in the tickets… the lines had become wavy and
some codes were missing. Apparently the tour group departed and returned without a problem.
A young travel agent had joined the group and asked what smudging meant. One of the guys
explained that back in the day, certain travel agencies wanted to extend their clients stay in
Europe and to do that they would do the “rub-a-dub-smudge” technique. It meant issuing two
45 day excursions tickets with a visible outbound coupon and a seemingly worn out return
coupon on ticket number one - and a worn out outbound coupon and visible return coupon on
ticket number two. You instruct your client/s to use coupon one, ticket one, on the outbound
and coupon two, ticket two on the return. In this way a client could spend 6 months or more in
Europe for half the price of a straight economy airfare. The young travel agents eyes said, “Huh?”
During the early 1980s the world was once again rocked by events - some good, some bad and some ugly. There was a rescue attempt made to save the American hostages in Iran, but it failed. John Lennon was assassinated outside his New York apartment causing wide spread grief and travel agents who subscribed to being opportunity minded and had witnessed events after Elvis died, realized that fans of Lennon would travel from far and wide to see that very spot. The Imagine mosaic centerpiece located directly across from Lennon’s apartment in an area of Central Park named as Strawberry Fields became a focal point. Then Mount St. Helen’s erupted and eventually touring volcanic locations became cool.
John Junior walked in one day with a multi coloured cube, twisting it and turning it and cursing under this breath too if I recall. The Rubik Cube was in his life and John Junior had a great idea. The cube was impossible to beat. He knew that. His idea was to offer anyone a chance to win their vacation, a free vacation, if they could solve the Rubik Cube in his office. He handed it to each member of his staff to try their luck. No one solved the cube. It was a great idea and the agency staff were all excited about it, but then the news came. At the first international world championship, held in Budapest on June 5, 1982, a Vietnamese student from Los Angeles, solved the cube in a record time of 22.95 seconds. John Junior threw his Rubik’s Cube into his desk draw and realised not all ideas were great ideas. He could have lost a fortune on a toss of a coin or twist of a cube as it were. Lesson learned. Stick to the tried and true. At least for the moment. The Pac-Man video game was released bringing some respite to worldly woes and a guy called Ted Turner established CNN and his mass media company would not help the retail travel industry during the ensuing years as their reporters seemed to deliver over the top reporting on any travel related events. During the 1980s there were close to 160 accidents involving passenger aircraft. The disasters remained so as long as they were newsworthy and once interest dropped off they were shelved until the anniversary of the event. Then the mass media companies would resurrect the trauma, causing more pain to the travel trade and to families who had lost a loved one. There was a pattern to this mass media hype if you studied it. It was during the 1980’s that a series of air crashes involving DC10s and John Junior noticed that it was usually a DC10 flying passengers to their ships when an air/sea package was booked. Whereas he used to promote air travel and even include his airline supplier’s logos in his ads, he decided, whilst DC10s were falling from the sky ‘every week’ as it seemed, he promoted cruising as his main niche. Of course when someone asked “How are we flying to Miami?” or to whichever port they were sailing from, he’d say “Oh… DC10… now let’s discuss travel insurance…”
Two assassination attempts put the world on notice and the average travelling consumer became skittish. Pope John Paul was shot and survived and not wishing to be out shined, Ronald Regan
also took a bullet. He survived too. The demand for tours to Rome increased as the faithful headed there to wish their leader a speedy recovery. John Junior’s move to offer religious tours continued to pay off. The wedding of Charles and Diana when broadcast around the world caused a spurt of weddings and honeymoon bookings that continued on and became a specialty of Ellie’s. She was nearing her late twenties and identified with young couples. Brides-to-be were enamoured with everything Diana from the dress to the look-alike sapphire ring. Customized weddings, honeymoons and wedding parties became a central focus for The Travel Agency. John Junior wasn’t really a royalist but he appreciated the fact that they had great timing and quietly thanked them for boosting his sales to the UK too. He made sure the poster of Charles and Diana was always in his agency window, and straight. In 1983 and 1984 the world of tourism was sent reeling once again. The Soviets shot down a Korean Airliner, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut was bombed, a poison gas leak killed hundreds in Bhopal, India and Indira Gandhi, India's Prime Minister was killed by two bodyguards. In 1985 there was terrible famine in Ethiopia; Diane Fossey who through her work, opened gorilla viewing tourism, was murdered; terrorists hijack flight TWA 847; a hole in the Ozone layer is discovered and Rock Hudson died of AIDS. The rest of the decade did not disappoint as IBM introduced their personal computer, the movie E.T was released and everyone told everyone else to call home - touching index fingers as they did so. Britain went to war after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and travel agents found that they could no longer book clients on Cunard’s QE2 or P&O’s Canberra - both ships had been drafted as troop carriers. Another ship made the news as it was raised to take a bow and that was King Henry VIII's ship the Mary Rose. Raised after 437 Years and eventually it would become a tourism money maker. Michael Jackson released Thriller; the Reverend Sun Myung Moon marries 2,075 couples at Madison Square Garden and more importantly, the Vietnam War Memorial opened in Washington giving travel agents one more iconic memorial on which to build a group tour. Despite the darkness, something new and bright was on the horizon. The first Internet domain name is registered; Mikhail Gorbachev wants to be friends and the wreck of the Titanic is found. Each event establishing something new and different for the travel trade to plan group tours around. John Junior heard his father’s words once more, “Out of every crisis comes opportunity.” It was, his father told him, a Chinese maxim and so far it was a truism. No matter how traumatic an event, tourism always seemed to survive, return or invent a new tour.
It’s March 7th, 1985, everyone is at their desk and Ellie is tuning up once again. This time she is singing “We Are The World” - a song that raised over $63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the US. Soon after, the entire agency was singing and swaying to the song with Ellie. John Junior decided to divert a small percentage of every booking for a period of time to the fund. The staff got behind it and everyone felt good about contributing.
Building a charity into your marketing plan seemed to be a worthy thing to do. Some charities related to wild life preservation however proved to be a nightmare as they often had terrorist designs and focused on damaging corporate installations. Oil companies being a favourite target. Some of the targeted companies were clients of the agency so John Junior was careful about which charity he chose to work with. Eventually he and other agencies gave up supporting any charity. It was too tricky and as Mrs. H’ mentioned, you never knew if your donations ever reached the people in need. By 1986 the cruise business was becoming mass market. The luxury element remained for only a
few cruise lines who held their pricing and attracted the wealthier client. Other companies
created a party like atmosphere and sold themselves that way. Fun was the keyword.
The mid 1980s was a time when suppliers turned to learning more about the psychology of travel.
They wanted to know why some people travel and some don’t. They were interested in what’s
behind the various studies being conducted. The information was invaluable and helped tour,
cruise and airlines generate a more focused marketing plan.
The topic of customer service and fulfilling the promise that had been advertised was challenged
by the consumer. They wanted value for money, they wanted what they had paid for. There were
times when a supplier in their eagerness to bring a hotel to market, sold rooms whilst the
property was still being built. Colleen had to withstand a barrage from an unhappy client who
had purchased a Hawaiian package and in the client’s own words: “The lobby was just finished
the day they arrived and the swimming pool was just a hole in the ground.” There was no pool.
She wanted her money back and rightly so, said Colleen. She asked her client for a letter of
complaint and then she would mail it to the supplier and request a refund.
The customer wasn’t happy with that. She wanted her money repaid now. She had paid “this
agency” and therefore expected it back and now.
John Junior had taken a customer service training course and having overheard the client’s
situation he wanted to make sure the agency retained them at almost all-costs. Here was his
chance to practice what the instructor had advised was the best question to ask an upset client.
Upset in this case by a promise that had not been fulfilled by the tour operator. He walked out
to the front office and Colleen looked up gratefully as her manager excused himself, interrupted
and after some small talk with the client, listened to the clients complaint. He acknowledged it
and then listened to Colleen confirm how she will seek a refund. Then he said to their client, “…
so tell me, overall, how was the vacation?”
This was the question to ask. It moved the client away from the challenges they experienced to
think about the entire vacation itself. In this case and in many other similar situations the general
response was, “Oh it was great.” Or “Good, great!” And that was the magic answer. As soon as
the client said or admitted they had a great time overall, they relaxed and the hostility
diminished. Now it was easier to deal with the client and work toward a win-win resolution by
explaining where the money actually sits and the protocol for requesting a refund for the
customer. The customer’s written complaint was one step in the process.
Entering the last year of the decade John Junior and his staff faced a strange challenge that came
not from a client or suppliers but from travel writers. Well known travel writers and columnists
were trashing the trade.
Travel just wasn't what it once was they wrote. It wasn't fun anymore. Wonderful historic places
where now tired, worn out and overrun with tourists who wrote things on walls, carved their
names into ancient trees, stole things that were not nailed down, desecrated, trod on… well the
list of crimes went on. Airline seats had shrunk and passengers were flying in the crash position
as one reporter wrote, and when the passenger in front fully reclined their seat, counting follicles
on a head just 9 inches from your face became a way to pass the agony.
There was a tide of discontent growing. The bad press was emulating what the travelling public
knew to be true. There was a drop in bookings as travellers across the country returned to their
cars and hit the highways and then the byways. They had cruised five times, they had visited the
capitals of Europe, taken escorted tours and stayed at the world’s best resorts and spas.
Travelling by car took business away from airlines and even business travellers turned to their
cars to avoid the hassles of flying. Driving for pleasure was up 81% and 60% for business whereas
flying for pleasure had dropped 2% and flying for business had dropped 4% over a two year
period.
Travel writers of national newspapers were out in force and although much of their commentary
was true it damaged every travel agent’s sales. John Junior called an extraordinary mid-morning
staff meeting… it's a September Wednesday and John Junior is reading from a cover story article
in the latest issue of Frequent Flyer…
“I have to share this with you, and I have another article here in a moment too. This could be the
reason why our bookings have tailed off…” And then he read out, “To write this story I took seven
domestic commercial flights. Three flights were delayed – one for more than two hours, and
each for a different reason: poor weather and air traffic control difficulties; runway constructions
and a mechanical problem. But delays are only one of the negatives facing the traveller these
days; others include traffic congestion to and from the airport, crowded airport lounges, cramped
aircraft seating, skimpy to non-existent inflight meal service, tight connection times at far apart
gates and surly service personnel…” The entire agency team let out a confirming shout, “Right
on! That's how it is!”
John junior raised a hand and said, “Hold on there's more… and what I want from each of you is
to think about how we can, knowing these problems exit, capture more clients in this downturn.
We know the challenges and we have experienced them ourselves… so thinking caps on… okay,
here’s the other article.”
I could see in their faces that they were taking this seriously as their livelihood depended on
coming up with one or two workable ideas. They couldn't wait to hear what their leader had to
say next.
He paraphrased from a lengthy rant… “This one is titled Do Yourself a Favour, Don't Go! and starts
off: Today the problem is simply the crush of tourists; they come back with trinkets galore, out
of focus photos and diseases all of which they are proud to have acquired; when tourists arrive
in force they make a wonderful place look more like an outdoor convention centre than a
testament to a lost civilian… and they steal important relics, deface buildings to record they had
been there and…”
John junior stopped and looked up, “There's more but you get the message, our own industry is
imploding. We're killing off our own business. We've unleashed a monster… so what do we do?”
Evelyn spoke up and talked about something called a focus group. One of her friends worked for
a marketing firm and it's what they have been doing recently. Talking directly with consumers to
better understand their buying habits and how to accommodate them, or not.” She emphasized
the fact that her friend had mentioned most people complain about “the advertised promise”
not being delivered. With her hands she indicated quotes when she said “the advertised
promise”. Someone asked her to explain how a focus group worked.
John Junior nodded and liked the idea and asked his staff to each invite five of their best clients
to attend a focus group and to advise them the agency needed their help to restructure their
customer service program and offer a better selection of vacations.
The focus group turned out be enlightening as most of their client’s complaints had not been
voiced. As so many consumers do, they just kept quiet and either gave up travelling or booked
elsewhere.
The complaints had come thick and fast with reports of, “…the tour guide was so old he slept
through most of the tour…” - rooms where filthy, sheets where stained and no one wanted to
discuss that any further. Toilets filthy, meals were cold and some just not edible. Hotels received
the greatest number of complaints and then there were the tour Guides who escorted tour
members to shops that paid the guide a kick back. Total rip off.
The disappointment was obvious with many travellers saving for years to take their trip of a
lifetime which turned out to be a nightmare of a lifetime. The expectation and the tour companies
failure to deliver on the promise their brochures promoted, made their clients feel deceived, let
down and robbed.
Then the travel industry conducted its own focus groups amongst travel agents. They were
stating that “The industry is not as much fun as it used to be...” and “The airlines are dumping
more and more work on us for less commission, less service, and what's with ten different
economy fares?”
After John Junior and his team had discussed their client’s comments they decided they would
review the suppliers they sell and come up with a preferred list of suppliers who are consistent
in their products, offer quality training, make in-agency appointments and always deliver the
promise that the travel agent sells on their behalf. The agency team were elated about this
decision.
John Junior had it in his own mind to have each member of staff conduct a follow up phone call
after each client returned from their trip. That didn’t go down too well, however the team got
behind it and as part of their customer service plan it has survived through to the present day.
The next morning after the customer focus group Barbara walked into John Juniors office. He
look up and past her and noticed a young couple sitting at her desk. “Problem?” He asked. “Well,
yes, and it's a good one…”
Barbara explained that this couple, had booked their honeymoon to Barbados with her and they
had eventually settled for a packaged vacation. John Junior’s mind went immediately to the focus
group and the hotel horror stories. “Hotel?” He queried. “No actually it was fine… no they are
complaining about the heat and want their money back…”
“Tell them the manager would like to hear their complaint and bring them into my office and you
stay in too…” The young couple came into John Junior’s office and he motioned for them to sit
down. Barbara brought in another chair. “Barbara tells me you've just returned from your
honeymoon in Barbados and you want your money back… can you repeat what happened, then
we can sort it out for you.”
As the young couple told their story, John Junior noticed that they were extremely white. Their
complaint was that the sun was so hot in Barbados that they couldn't go outside. They were
reduced to walking under the cover of trees, and going out only at night, but even then it was
hot and uncomfortable.
John Junior hoped his response would be received as intended… and started by asking them
which package they purchased and which hotel. He wanted to find out if they had paid attention
to what they had actually purchased. They both responded with the correct package and hotel.
John junior asked if they had read the brochure. They said yes, they had.
John Juniors study of brochures was to pay off: “On page three there's a weather chart that shows
the temperatures and the amount of sunny days each month receives – Barbados is sold as a sun
destination, it's why our wedding and honeymoon clients go there. So now I'm curious, if you
don't like heat and or the sun’s rays, why did you book it.?” The young couple looked a little
sheepish and told him that their parents had suggested it and their friends too.
“Okay, sounds to me like you've been living someone else's vacation. Now to be honest, there's
no way I can refund you as no mistakes have been made by this agency, however what I will do
is give you a credit of $100 to be applied against your next trip with us but it has to be a trip that
suits you and your style of vacation… and from here on, only rely on Barbara’s advice. She is the
travel professional. I hope you understand our situation (John Junior paused a practised pause,
then continued) – is my offer is acceptable to you?” They nodded and said it was fine. John
nodded in response as trained to do and then let Barbara escort the young couple back to her
desk to finish up.
At the next staff meeting, the team discussed how to dig a little deeper to better qualify their
clients and especially if there is a mention of a friend suggesting or recommending. They came
up with the idea of asking their clients if they share the same interests in life as the friends who
made the recommendation. Ellie was the first to apply the ‘technique’ and it proved out that her
clients firmly stated, “No way… we’re very different…” and that opened up the conversation,
allowing Ellie to guide her clients to the best vacation for them and not the one recommended
by a friend.
The era of the Bucket Shop had come and almost gone. In the late 1980s airlines were still trying
to sort themselves out from deregulation and passing off ticket stock to agencies that would sell
the same routes as their airlines but at a discount. This practice over flowed into the 1990s and
discounting became rampant to the point that corporate flyers were demanding a discount on
their tickets too. The joke going round was: it was getting to the point that when a customer
would ask “How much is it to Singapore?” the agent would reply, “How much do you have on
you?”
The airlines were selling seats at full price and hoping the bucket shops would fill the rest of their
747s, selling seats at a discount. Some travel agencies were making just five dollars per ticket.
John junior and his team did not venture into the discount market as they had decided to focus
on a higher end client, offering them full-service. There were however high end clients who also
wanted a discount and once in a while John Junior signed off on buying discounted tickets from
an established consolidator.
There were so many different airfares and dozens of rules that it was a confusing time for
everyone. A customer would check with three or four travel agencies and end up with as many
airfares and rules. The fact was, each airfare was correct. It depended on the day of inquiry, the
routing and which airline had the seat for sale.
Opening the next Monday morning sales meeting John Junior announced, “Okay, I know the
discount situation has got out of hand and your clients are wondering what's up with us and why
we cannot find the lowest fare in two-minutes like we did a year ago. Well I might have the
answer. It's a bit lengthy so bear with me. It's something humorous and if you feel confident, you
can hand this to your clients when they don’t understand why the airfare they want, isn’t
available. I'm not sure where it came from or who wrote it, but it does offer a humourous point
of view…” and with that John Junior handed out a copy of what he was going to read.
The main headline read: “How to explain airfares and availability using the principle of buying
paint” and then started off with: Buying Paint from a Hardware Store and John Junior read out
the following…
Customer: Hi. How much is your paint?
Clerk: We have regular quality for $12 a gallon and premium for $18. How many
gallons would you like?
Customer: Five gallons of regular quality, please.
Clerk: Great. That will be $60 plus tax.
“Okay… that was easy wasn’t it?” John Junior looked around the room and continued on, “The
customer asked for paint and bought it. Now, if that paint was what we sell, an air ticket for
instance, here’s what our clients experience.” John Junior suggested that it would be better if
two people acted out the sequence, and asked Barbara to be the Customer and Ellie to be the
Clerk.
Customer: Hi, how much is your paint?
Clerk: Well, sir, that all depends.
Customer: Depends on what?
Clerk: Actually, a lot of things.
Customer: How about giving me an average price?
Clerk: Wow, that's too hard a question. The lowest price is $9 a gallon, and we have
150 different prices up to $200 a gallon.
Customer: What's the difference in the paint?
Clerk: Oh, there isn't any difference; it's all the same paint.
Customer: Well, then, I'd like some of that $9 paint.
Clerk: Well, first I need to ask you a few questions. When do you intend to use it?
Customer: I want to paint tomorrow, on my day off.
Clerk: Sir, the paint for tomorrow is the $200 paint.
Customer: What? When would I have to paint in order to get the $9 version?
Clerk: That would be in three weeks, but you will also have to agree to start painting
before Friday of that week and continue painting until at least Sunday.
Customer: You've got to be kidding! Clerk: Sir, we don't kid around here. Of course, I'll have to check to see if we have any
of that paint available before I can sell it to you.
Customer: What do you mean check to see if you can sell it to me? You have shelves full of
that stuff; I can see it right there.
Clerk: Just because you can see it doesn't mean that we have it. It may be the same
paint, but we sell only a certain number of gallons on any given weekend. Oh,
and by the way, the price just went to $12.
Customer: You mean the price went up while we were talking!
Clerk: Yes, sir. You see, we change prices and rules thousands of times a day, and since
you haven't actually walked out of the store with your paint yet, we just decided
to change. Unless you want the same thing to happen again, I would suggest
that you get on with your purchase. How many gallons do you want?
Customer: I don't know exactly. Maybe five gallons. Maybe I should buy six gallons just to
make sure I have enough.
Clerk: Oh, no, sir, you can't do that. If you buy the paint and then don't use it, you will
be liable for penalties and possible confiscation of the paint you already have.
Customer: What?
Clerk: That's right. We can sell you enough paint to do your kitchen, bathroom, hall and
north bedroom, but if you stop painting before you do the bedroom, you will be
in violation of our tariffs.
Customer: But what does it matter whether I use all the paint? I already paid you for it! Clerk: Sir, that's just the way it is. We make plans based upon the idea that you will use all the paint, and when you don't, it just causes us all sorts of problems.
Customer: This is crazy! I suppose something terrible will happen if I don't keep painting
until after Saturday night!
Clerk: Yes, sir, it will.
Customer: Well, that does it! I'm going somewhere else to buy my paint.
Clerk: That won't do you any good, sir. We all have the same rules. Thanks for painting
with our airline.
Everyone clapped Barbara’s and Ellie’s performance and Ellie said, “Is that how we come across?
No wonder our clients get upset.” The rest of the team who were reading, watching and listening
were laughing at the situation and nodded, yes, that’s how we must come across to our clients.
The airlines should sort themselves out and make airfares easier to purchase and sell, too.
The last few years of the 1980s brought with them many more opportunities for John Junior and
his team. At the same time there were horrific acts of terror, changes in governments, and
environmental catastrophes.
On Tuesday, January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger soared into the sky and then, 73
seconds after take-off, exploded. It was 11:38 a.m. No one survived. More than a few travel
agents and tour companies believed in space tourism and saw this tragedy as a disaster for their
cause. As the US space program recovers, two more events happen - the Chernobyl Nuclear
explosion in the USSR is one and the launch of the Mir Space Station is the other. The space
station gave space tourism one more boost.
Halley’s Comet passes Earth as it has done before and excites the scientific community and the
believers in space tourism even more so. The Philippines enter an unstable era when Ferdinand
and Imelda Marcus flee the country, the United States bomb Libya and the Iran-Contra scandal
hits the mass media channels.
Pan Am airlines continue to take reservations on their now famous Lunar List. Although Pan Am
had closed the list back in 1971, the space tourism community often talked about it and the
100,000 names on the list. Many of them applying to be on the first commercial flight to the
moon after the Apollo 8 mission in 1968 and the lunar landing in July, 1969.
After the Mir Station was launched, a young couple came into the agency and spoke to Evelyn up
front, who then showed them into John Junior’s office. She knocked on his door as she stepped
into his office saying, “I think you need to handle these clients, John… they want to go to the
moon…” She left smiling, as she indicated they should be seated.
“The moon?” John Junior queried the young couple, “tell me more…” and as it turned out, the
young couple were looking for a gift for their friend’s new born baby, and wanted something
related to travel and thought placing a small deposit on the first flight to the moon might be ideal.
After some discussion, John Junior took $250 as a deposit, typed up a card acknowledging the
deposit on a seat to the moon, stamped it with his logo, placed it in an envelope and handed it
to the young couple who were delighted. After they left, John Junior just had to tell the front
office and mentioned Evelyn’s quick response to a most unusual request.
Two months later, the same young couple returned and asked for the deposit to be refunded.
They had thought about it, read more about space tourism and thought that a trip to the moon
would not happen in the lifetime of their friend’s new born baby. Well, at least it was something
to boast about when John Junior next had drinks with his travel trade colleagues.
In the last three years of the decade the New York Stock Exchange suffered a huge drop that was
labelled "Black Monday" and that sent many people who would be travelling, to check their
stocks, not pack more socks! More air tragedies occurred when Pan Am 103 was bombed over
Lockerbie and then the United States shot down an Iranian airliner. Discussions about air safety
hit the airwaves and once again the travel industry takes a hit.
On March 24, 1989, the oil-tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William
Sound, Alaska, spilling 10.8 million gallons of crude oil that ultimately damaged over 1,300 miles
of coastline, devastating local wildlife, people’s livelihood and tourism.
The Reagan administration got the glory and the rights to say “…tear down this wall!” and the
Berlin Wall falls. During the evening of November 9, 1989, East German government official
Günter Schabowski stated during a press conference that travel through the border to the West
was open. People went to the border to see if it was true. And it was. The wall was chipped away,
bull-dozed, knocked down and huge slabs sold off as tourism attractions. A year later, East and
West Germany reunified into a single German state on October 3, 1990 adding one more stop on
a brand new itinerary. Romania stepped closer to the west when Nicolae Ceausescu was
executed, offering yet another tourism opportunity to expand upon.
Despite the favourable signs of tourism growth in Eastern Europe, tourism to China takes a
downturn mid-1989 when students are massacred in Tiananmen Square.
Despite every high and low that came with this decade, The Travel Agency continued to survive
as did so many other travel agencies across the country. As the last year of the decade wrapped
up, John Junior still had Colleen and Barbara who sold upscale products and long haul, Evelynn
was still focused on selling tours to the Orient and South East Asia, Ellie and Shelley had the
personalities to deal with corporate bookings and took on that role as agents for The Executive
Alternative when the business came in. Bob had come out, was proud to be gay and joined The
Travel Agency and he was doing an excellent job at attracting and booking the gay community’s
travel needs. Last but not least, the remaining OSR had quit.
The business was rolling along as planned. As far as John Junior and Mrs. H’ could discern, they
were looking good and set for whatever the next decade would bring. By now they pretty much
knew that each decade offered the same opportunities and threats. They had seen the outcomes
of war and acts of terror and high crime and the tourist response was to simply go somewhere
else. That was it really. As long as you stayed well informed, you would have time to reset which
destinations and which suppliers to sell.
CHAPTER THREE – THE 1990s
The 1990s bring more turmoil and opportunities. John Junior and his team create their first
website; the Silent Generation is retiring and travelling; the world shrinks as the Soviet Union
collapses, war turns to genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda, the World Trade Center and Oklahoma
City are bombed, and Yitzhak Rabin is assassinated. The United Kingdom becomes a major tour
destination when the first Harry Potter book is released and Princess Diana dies in a car crash.
Airlines cut commissions, suppliers market against travel agents, a new currency appears called
the Euro and the Y2K Bug causes great concern. The 1990s decade is going to be one of survival
of the fittest yet again as the average person’s credit card debit balloons.
The full text of The Travel Agency is now in production.
Watch for a promotional campaign in the fall of
2015 when the book will be published.
Thanks for reading the first two chapters and thanks once again for your
support and suggestions. Huge shout out to Mike Foster of Nexion.ca for
his support and opening page.
PUBLISHING FALL 2015
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Here’s the dilemma. I needed a gizmo, a
gadget… something that would allow me to
shoot images on my iPhone and then
download them directly to a storage “thingy”
without using my iCloud storage or via Wifi.
I found the ISTICK. Excellent. It has the 8 pin
Lightning connector that slips right into the
iPhone. Trouble is, my iPhone is encased in a
Griffin Survivor case because I am outdoors
when I shoot with the iPhone.
The case I use does not allow the iStick to
connect. The case gets in the way. So I have
been hunting for an extender. Finally!
Found the Generic Lightning 8 Pin Dock
Extender which fits cases like mine. So now I can
plug the Dock Entender into my iPhone, plug the
iStick into the Dock Extender and now I can
download my images directly to the iStick. The
iStick storage unit has a slide button, and when
you slide it you can expose a USB connector that
plugs into your PC or Laptop.
The iStick 32 GB was around $50 and the Dock
Extender $13. They are manufactured under
different names, brands and available online
from Amazon, EBay and direct from a local
supplier.
NOTES:
The Lightening to SD Camera Card Reader (I found out) only
works with an iPad and then, it can only be used to tranfer
images on the camera card to the iPad. You cannot download
images from the iPad to the SD card.
The iStick
Dock
Extender
The iStick also works directly with my iPad
Mini which is in a case, but the Lightning
Connector is easily accessible.
Here’s where you find even more ideas on how to
sell travel and boost your revenues. Ct is the trade
magazine and every article I write is always
geared to new business generation for YOU and
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step how-to article to a comment about a
current topic. Many of the articles are worth
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able to work together to generate that new
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The full Canadian Traveller logo represents the
consumer magazine that now reaches millions
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magazine it is always a good idea to tell your
clients about the consumer CT and the main
reason for that is some supplements are shared
between the trade and consumer magazine. Now
you know what your client is reading, you can,
from the trade issue, learn how to sell various
destinations and then make the call. Everything CT
does targets new business generation and hopes to
put more money in your jeans. Click here to read.
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C L A S S I F I E D S
Wanted: readers to click on this link and make money selling more travel.
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Had enough of working for someone else? Would you like to explore how you can sell travel from home? If so then click on this link and explore.
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THE HUNTINGTON GROUPHUNTINGTONThe agents choice since 1973
THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM PRINTER FOR OVER 30 YEARS
TOP 6 WAYS WE ARE DEDICATEDTO THE TRAVEL AGENT:
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www.sellingtravel.net
If you could refer us to your travel trade colleagues,
we’d really appreciate it. Many thanks.
SELLING TRAVEL
SALES & MARKETING TIPS, TOOLS & TECHNIQUES FOR ALL TRAVEL TRADE PROFESSIONALS