I have an advertising partnership with a local minor league baseball team. I say it is a partnership, because it works both ways. I give and get. They give and get. And in the end it earns me a lot more business. Now, this partnership is not inexpensive—but the return is incredible on travel booked, as well as good will with my community.

Now for the give and the get part. I have been working with them since 1999 so there is a history there. I give them a check and I get advertising space on their outfield wall—that is pretty standard. I also purchase a four pack of season tickets to use for myself and to give away to clients (marketing expense). But in 2009,…

It sometimes seems difficult  to elicit good feedback, to get a conversation going with your clients. Too often we only hear from clients when things go wrong. Or worse, we don't hear from them at all. The smart travel professional pushes the conversation and makes it happen. Without that initiative, the client is soon distracted elsewhere and the next booking can happen without our input.

It is not difficult to understand how clients find themselves suddenly attracted to other travel channels and opportunities. As individuals, we are surrounded by thousands of brand messages each and every day. Stop right now and count the brand messages you see in front of you. My computer is an Apple, my word processor Microsoft, my watch is a Polar, my calculator…

Customer Service Wisdom Tip #1:

For the next five days, I am going to remind us of some important Customer Service Wisdom to improve your relationship with your current clients and cultivate a few new ones.

Your customer is your competitor’s…