Yeah, like there needs to be one more thing to be concerned about. Now granted, I do not think this will be a huge issue, but nonetheless, one of which you should be aware of. The FTC is increasing its oversight of online reviews. Sigh.

Online reviews are a double-edged sword. Good ones can now reach thousands of people. And so can bad ones! And as we know, word-of-mouth reviews has always been (and always will be) the most powerful review of all. So, it is imperative that you respond to all of the reviews; and perhaps even more important to respond to the negative ones with a positive solution to the issue.

And here is where the FTC comes into play. As technology advances, it becomes…

Don't we all want satisfied customers? People who are happy with a buying experience, according to business lore, tell three other people about their satisfactory experience. We all tend to "collect" satisfied customers we can point to as examples of our competence and proficiency as travel consultants. Most travel agents who have been in the business for any length of time can point to a small stable of satisfied customers.

Here's another piece of business lore, from our own industry. Out of 5 repeat cruisers, four will book with an agent other than the one who booked their first. I don't know if a similar statistic exists for other segments of the industry, but let's use cruise as…

One of the more bazaar self-induced challenges I experienced in my life came during the summer of 1970. I had just completed my sophomore year. I was home from the University of Massachusetts, jobless and growing more restless by the minute. That’s when I decided to test my survival instincts by grabbing a crisp $100 bill and began heading west in my pale blue Chevy Malibu sedan.

At the last minute, I decided to “swing by” the Boston area and talk my college football teammate into joining me. He gave a 24-hour notice to his job at 7-11 and grabbed a C-note of his own. I have since looked unfavorably at such expeditious job notices. (That was the exact moment his mother began to…