Gifts from TA

[GreatDaneMom]

I have to admit I was surprised that the agency who booked our Land/Sea made a $421 commission on a $3660 vacation. I guess I was a pretty easy sale because I already knew the category I wanted, sail date, cost, etc. After booking I only called them once to ask where to send my final payment. But maybe I'm not the average customer and maybe other people expect a lot more from them. If so, I can see where that $421 profit would really shrink.

 

[Joan1]

I have to admit I was surprised that the agency who booked our Land/Sea made a $421 commission on a $3660 vacation. I guess I was a pretty easy sale because I already knew the category I wanted, sail date, cost, etc. After booking I only called them once to ask where to send my final payment. But maybe I'm not the average customer and maybe other people expect a lot more from them. If so, I can see where that $421 profit would really shrink.

How did you know what their commission was? I have never found a travel agent to share that with me and I wouldn't ask, except my cousin when she worked as one but that was only because we are family. I know that some cruise lines used to give her agency added commission (I know there is a word for this but have no idea what it is) if they booked A LOT with them

I also wonder what the travel agents working on commission actually get on that amount

 

[GreatDaneMom]

Well, I don't want to get anyone in trouble so I'll just say Disney's reservation system is way too easy to hack into...

 

[Mainestreetpixie]

Has anyone received a stateroom gift from Small World Vacations?
We are using them in September on the Magic.
I'm still not sure if I'm happy with their service.
Sometimes I feel like I'm bothering my TA.

Why would you feel like you are bothering your TA? Having used Small world for most everything, even now being local, Ive never ever been made to feel as if i am a bother. Granted, sometimes i have to leave a message, but she has always gotten back to me within a few hours, even for the stupid questions. my agent has gone out of her way to make me feel comfortable, even driving to disney (when we lived in Maine) to get maps for me. She even sent my daughters a beautiful autograph book. yes, im sure she makes a commission, but if even half her clients are as nebby as me, shes definitely earned it and then some. i certainly never expected a gift from her! is there something she hasnt done? and if it is a matter of an inroom gift, im guessing that that would depend on your attitude towards her as well as hers towards you.

 

[alwayslisad]

I booked through DCL both times - but after talking to a few Dis'ers - I contacted Dana - SHE IS A LOVE!! oh my I adored talking to her - she put me at ease with all my questions -

I also think a gift is the lack of stress - so Dana gets my vote.!

 

[callahanjulie10]

I have used DU on all of our cruises except for the first 2 because I didn't know about them! On our 2nd cruise- I met Pete and quite a few of the DU TA's of that time. I really enjoyed them and now use DU for my WDW trips as well. I love DU and don't think I would go with anyone else. Dagny has been my DU agent for the past couple of years and for her to put up with me is more than enough. I have gotten stateroom gifts from DU but I think it was when there were 8 or more rooms booked on the same cruise. We got a really nice "faux wooden" crate filled with goodies one time and I think there was something else once but we also get CC gifts so we get quite a few little goodies when we have cruised.
Anyway- DAGNY is wonderful and I would recommend using her if you book with DU- which sponsor this board!

 

[ldb1030]

I may be wrong but unless you work for AAA or another large agency like that most TA's work on commission only.

If you are paid by the hour then you are paid whether someone books or not? Is that correct?

I am not a TA so I am just trying to understand

Most agents around here do not work on commisson! I imagine in VERY large cities it may be different. I work in a large city but it's not NYC or LA or any place like that. Yes, I get paid if I'm working in the office by the hour.
We have a great deal of corporate clients thank goodness to keep us plenty busy but although I "get paid whether someone books or not", I have spent coutless hours on research etc for people to have them NOT book. That time could have been spent on someone who wanted to pay but you never know so there is no way around it!

Also, yes I get paid by the hour BUT if "someone books or not" depends on raises (which I've not have in years) vacation pay which we no longer have, sick pay which we have none of etc.........so don't think that just because I get paid by the hour "whether someone books for not" means that I'm home free! It's tough but there are alot of people who depend on me to be there them!

 

[ldb1030]

There is very little left over as profit. Then remember on top of making little money we are also held responsible for flight delays, bad weather, noisy cabins or noisy neighbors, bad food, rude locals etc. like we have any control over any of that.

Yes it's definately a labor of love not money.

True!! We once had client who wanted to take this agent to court because this woman, the client, did not meet a man on vacation!!

 

[ivanova]

We have a friend that's a TA with a large nationally recognized agency who'll remain nameless But when I was asking her about me getting a job there, she basically told me that the TAs are salaried (about $35,000 a year) and once they are an experienced TA (like after their first year) they job performance is based on the amount of travel they sell. They are expected to do $1,000,000 in sales annually!!! If their salary is in the $35,000/year ballpark that works out to a 3.5% commission!! Ouch. The company of course has a lot of overhead (rent/lease, utilities, furniture, computers, booking engine contracts, etc.) but yeesh, that's a lot of work to only get 3.5% commission IMHO.

Also, when you get a gift in your room, it's not usually because the agent or agency paid out of their pocket for it (they couldn't afford to do that for every client). Normally it's because you were booked into group space, and the gift was one of the group amenities.