by John Frenaye
Monday April 18, 2016

I am ticked off!  Maybe it is because I am a little stressed out over work. Maybe it is the tuition bills for three kids in college. I am not sure what it is, but I have written off several local businesses in the past seven days. I will never do business with them again.  Now as I have a somewhat more clear head, I can see that their "infractions" were not that severe; but they may have become a victim of poor timing nonetheless. Usually I am incredibly forgiving. I often joke that I have a sign that only restaurant servers can read that says "ignore me." But this week—not so much. So what happened?…

“Quality Service means exceeding your guest’s expectations and paying attention to details.”

Be Our Guest: Perfecting The Art of Customer Service - by the Disney Institute & Theodore Kinni, page 25

An error many agents make upon entering the industry is believing they know what their clients expect from the relationship. Ask a person what their dream vacation looks like, and chances are you will get as many different replies as people you ask. What you think does not matter. Only what the client expects matters…

by Richard Earls
Sunday April 17, 2016

Too much marketing is an afterthought – companies launch campaigns when they need business.  The problem with this approach, of course, is the timing.  If you wait until you need business to seek it out, you are a bit late to the races.

The first quarter of 2016 is well behind us.  What better time to evaluate our progress to date?  Better now than playing catch up in August!

When business is good, many companies lay off their marketing efforts;  big mistake.  Quiet spells in marketing today inevitably equate to slow business periods in the future.  If we are to maintain a consistent flow of income, marketing must be a…

by Richard Earls
Monday April 18, 2016

As you may know, I’m currently engaged in a study of travel agency websites. Indulge me for a moment and consider the merit of my strongly held belief: consumers don’t need another place to buy travel. Consumers have an almost unlimited access to travel product. They can buy direct from suppliers, from other travel agents, from monster-sized online sites, and from organizations and clubs like AARP or Costco…