| So you have read what it takes to set up your
own successful travel agency business. If you can answer yes to
the following questions then you may be exactly the person we
are looking for to join our team:
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Do you have a passion for travel? |
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Are you a great communicator especially over the telephone? |
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Do you have basic computer skills? Do you use Word, Outlook
Excel? |
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Do you have the determination to succeed in sales? |
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Are you hungry to build a successful business you can call
your own? |
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Are you a good self-motivator? |
Need more answers? Read these FAQ’s we have compiled over
the years.
Q. Are your customer’s payments protected?
A. Holiday Direct operates a client’s trust account. In
case of our financial failure, your customer’s payments
are with a trustee who will administrate the supplier payments
until the supplier is paid.
Q. Are your customer’s holidays bonded?
A. All Holiday Directs suppliers are ABTA, ATOL or AITO bonded,
therefore your customers get the same protection as any high street
retail agents can offer. Your tailor made packages are covered
by Holiday Direct Travel Group’s own ATOL licence.
Q. Why should customers deal with us instead of the traditional
high street retail agents?
A. Holiday Direct is totally independent. Our members offer a
high level of expert personal service. Holiday Direct members
frequently exceed customer expectations and have a high customer
retention level.
Q. Do our customers pay more for our services?
A. It’s up to you. The basic prices you charge your customers
are the same as they would pay on the high street. If a tour operator
reduces its prices for early or late bookings then you are able
to sell at those same reduced prices. The commission you earn
is already included in the price. In the case of Net airfares
then you will add an amount that is exactly in line with what
any agent would add.
If agents feel that they need to charge more for the time they
have spent then they are free to add their own booking charges
as they see fit.
Q. What type of products can we sell?
A. Our strength is in the level of service we offer and the huge
range of travel products available to us. We can provide anything
your customer could book through a high street retail agent, and
much more besides. Overseas & UK packages & tailor made
holidays, flights, cruises, excursions, travel insurance, car
hire, train & ferry bookings, airport car parking & hotels.
Also, increasingly, concerts, theatre breaks and various kinds
of sporting and leisure events.
Q. Where will I find my customers?
A. Marketing is vital to the success of any business and you
must have a good understanding of how you are going to approach
this for us to accept you as a member. We would like to suggest
all members should set aside at least £1,500 - £2,000
marketing costing for the first year of your business. Your proposals
don’t need to be sophisticated; many of our agents have
large networks of personal contacts (family members, social clubs
and so on) and begin their marketing through these channels. Most
agencies these days offer some degree of specialisation; new members
can work alongside Holiday Direct to improve their knowledge and
success within their particular market.
Q. Are we restricted to certain areas?
A. Absolutely not! There are no boundaries or restrictions on
where you market and obtain your customers.
Q. Can we advertise on our own?
A. Yes, the more advertising and marketing you do, the better
the results will be.
Some of our members start by dealing with family, friends and
recommendations. Most also do their own advertising; leaflet drops,
mail shots, online advertising, Teletext advertising and some
even employ telephone canvassers. All marketing materials need
to be approved by head office before circulation.
Q. What kind of marketing support will Holiday Direct provide?
A. We are happy to help you with your marketing campaign! You
just tell us what your marketing strategy is and we can help you
develop a campaign to fit into your budget. Holiday Direct has
in house graphic designers who can produce artwork or help you
with logos and presentation at a very reasonable cost. Our advice
is to make the Internet a part of your overall strategy. We will
set up your own web site with live booking links and a unique
industry search tool for holidays, flights and hotels.
Q. What training do we get from Holiday Direct?
A. Once you have joined us, we will arrange a 3 day training
course (*with accommodation included). This will cover the use
of Viewdata, your personal website and our other back office systems.
We will train you how to explore the market, how to build up your
client base quickly, how to ask questions during the enquiry,
how to provide information to your clients and how to close the
deal. As far as the holiday products are concerned, we are constantly
requesting product training from the tour operators at their head
quarters and we can register you free of charge at various events
and seminars.
* Hotel accommodation for 2 night stay for 1 person on Bed &
Breakfast basis.
Q. Where do we get the quotation and other travel information?
A. There are 3 ways for you to obtain the information:
1) Use our support team to help you to locate the suitable suppliers.
Our experienced and friendly staff will be happy to point you
in the right direction and help you to work out the pricing.
2) Use our online ‘Supplier’s List’ and make
direct contact with the suppliers. We will provide you with a
list, which contains over 250 tour operators, flight consolidators,
airlines, train operators, ferry operators as well as suppliers
of sporting events, theatre and concert tickets. Identify yourself
with the allocated password and ABTA/Account numbers, they will
provide you with all the availability and prices.
3) Use the ‘Search and Live Booking’ system. You will
be able to go straight into the operator’s central reservation
systems and locate the information in your own time, 7 days a
week, 365 days a year. The whole travel agents system operates
within your own home or office at very little cost (access via
Internet).
Q. Is there a lot of administration involved?
A. Absolutely not. Our objective is to relieve you of the administrative
burden, enabling you to concentrate on building a strong client
base. We will deal with client’s confirmation, collecting
payments, sending out travel documents and all your commission.
Q. What kind of equipment do I need to run my business?
A. Telephone line, answer machine, fax machine and a computer
with an Internet connection (Broadband recommended) and email
access.
Q. What other support will I get from Holiday Direct?
A. We are constantly looking for ways to assist you to improve
your business. As part of a group you will benefit from the contacts
and experience we have built up over the years. We will help you
reduce costs of printing, marketing, research, communication,
web advertising and so on.
We will extend our support by matching you pound for pound towards
your marketing cost up to £300 (carried out within 3 months
after your initial training).
Q. What is the membership licence fee and professional indemnity
insurance for?
A. The membership licence fee allows you to conduct your business
under the Holiday Direct banner. As a Holiday Direct appointed
member, consumers and bonded operators will be happy to do business
with you. Professional indemnity Insurance protects you against
claims and lawsuits in the event of you misrepresenting a product
to a customer, or other mistake.
Q. How much money can I earn and how long will it take to become
established in the travel industry?
A. The sky is the limit! Like any business, the more you put
in, the more you get. Holidays are a subject everyone loves to
talk about, so it is easy to bring up your business in conversation.
For many people holidays and travel is more a necessity than a
desire. An inexperienced agent will take approximately 3-4 months
to be established. It very much depends on your commitment and
determination. Success comes to those who act rather than wait
and think!
Q. What is included in the set up cost?
A. Your initial 3 day training with hotel accommodation for 2
night stay for 1 person on Bed & Breakfast basis.
Sales directors’ visit and setup support.
Further on site training available.
Website and back office systems set up.
Stationary, advertising support (including your first advertisement
design) and all the advice and training you need to get your business
off the ground.
Our advertising start-up support - we match what you spend within
3 months after your initial training up to £300.
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