TomTravel2

I do not pretend to be young or on top of all the latest in youth culture, but I am building my luxury travel business mostly with people in their 20’s and 30’s. How is an offline travel agent making repeat clients our of the online generation? Connections, baby! If the headline fits you probably know how to get inside the velvet ropes at the trendy clubs in your city. You think nothing of tipping a doorman or working your connections to bypass the line outside. You may even pay up to get a table in the VIP. What you probably don’t know is that booking your hotel stay on the internet puts you on the wrong side of the velvet ropes, and far from the VIP room you want and deserve.

I am a father who had a very open household as my kids grew up. We had one of those houses where kids didn’t mind hanging out. As our kids became successful young adults their friends have kept in touch. One young couple we know booked their honeymoon on the internet at very nice hotels in Hawaii. I had just started my adventure as a travel agent. After we looked at the photos I pointed out to them that they were in two Virtuoso properties. If they had booked with me they would have had a room upgrade if available, free daily breakfast, resort credits, and VIP status all for the same price they paid on the internet. They let me compare their next trip to what they could do themselves on the web and have been regular clients since. When they start planning a trip now the first question is usually “Is that a Virtuoso hotel?”

This has led to a number of referrals to their friends who are also becoming regular customers. You are probably already hooked on the idea of getting VIP treatment. What most of you don’t know is the cool way to book your travel is not on the internet. A recent article claimed that only 7% of this age cohort uses traditional travel agents! You are the web generation indeed. Are you sure you want that online room? What I offer that the web can’t is connections. I am off to Las Vegas this weekend to build on the great connections I have already made. At Virtuoso Travel Mart we have the opportunity to meet with the sales managers and general managers at the chic hotels you crave. These are the people who decide who gets the VIP treatment and who doesn’t. Who would you give the best room to, an anonymous booking or the client of someone you know? I don’t need to know the doorman, I know the doorman’s boss.

As luxury travel agents we take every opportunity to create and nurture relationships with the people at the places you want to stay. If you don’t schmooze you lose. What the internet travel sites will never be able to do is replace the person to person relationships that we have. Many of the people I have met in the industry want you to book your trip with us, not on the web. It makes it easier for them to make sure your stay is exactly what you were looking for. This creates a satisfaction that leads to repeat business. We have a very high rate of repeat business among our clients. We also mostly generate our new business off of referrals from our happy clients. The internet travel sites struggle with customer loyalty. Under 20% of internet booking customers express satisfaction with the experience. Repeat business is just as low. I know once I get you inside the velvet ropes and into the VIP you will come back for more. Not to mention the free breakfast and resort credit.