One of the most challenging parts of being a travel agent is de-escalating negative situations with unhappy clients. After 12 years in the industry, I’ve interacted with a lot of clients, some of which were unhappy, to put it mildly, and I feel like I’ve learned a ton throughout this process on what works and what doesn’t work, so on this episode, I’m going to share with you some of the tips I learned on how to de-escalate negative situations with unhappy clients.   This episode is sponsored by Palladium Hotel Group. To learn more about how you, as a travel agent, can partner with Palladi ..read more

On this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, I sit down with Erika Almaraz who is a Regional Senior Weddings Manager for Palladium Hotel Group in America. Erika has 15 year of experience in the Destination Wedding industry, working in destinations like Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. She has a hotel management degree and is a true believer in Simon Sinek’s theory of starting with why. She’s applied this theory in her practice to build wedding teams and convert clients into Palladium fans. If you’re interested in building and leading teams or marketing and selling destinatio ..read more

On this episode of The Modern Travel Agent Podcast, we speak with Todd Kirlik who is a Senior Director with Sunwing Travel Group. Sunwing Travel Group is a 17,000 employee vertically integrated travel company with brands at the level of tour operator, airline, hotel, destination management, and retail.    We do a lot of business with Sunwing, but the majority of it is done through their resort brand Blue Diamond Resorts. Blue Diamond Resorts is the sponsor of this episode, and if you’re an agent who books all-inclusive travel to Mexico or the Caribbean and you’re not considering Blue ..read more

In today’s episode, we interview Mary Jo Salas who is the Central Southwest Business Development Manager for AMResorts. Mary Jo’s career in the travel industry started 11 years ago when she answered an ad in the newspaper for a bilingual marketing associate. Since then, her passion for travel has led her to representing one of the largest all-inclusive resort brands in the world. Mary Jo shares what she believes the most successful travel agencies are doing differently, and she gives her advice on how travel agencies can set their agents up for success.   This episode is brought to you b ..read more

In this Wednesday Rant, I argue that value must be demonstrated rather than asserted. It's not enough to tell people they should use a travel agent. You have to show them why they should use an agent ..read more

This is the first episode of Wednesday Rant where I go on a lighthearted rant about what's on my mind in the travel agent world. If you ever find yourself complaining that your clients don't read, then this episode is for you ..read more

This is a new segment called Around The Block where I take you with me on my walk and answer travel agent questions. On this episode, I cover how to deal with imposter syndrome early on before you know everything you need to know. I give my top two pieces of advice for new travel agents, and I explain a few ways you can reduce the likelihood of your clients ghosting you. This episode is sponsored by Palladium Hotel Group. Check out the previous podcast, episode 26, where I detail my top 4 reasons to stay at their beautiful, adult-only TRS Yucatan Hotel ..read more

Here are the top 4 reasons why you should send your clients to the 454 suite, adult-only, Forbes recommended 5-star TRS Yucatan Hotel. 4. The TRS Yucatan Hotel is a great resort option for travelers looking for a luxury, adult-only jungle paradise in the Mexican Riviera Maya. This isn’t a Miami style high-rise resort like you’ll find in the Cancun hotel zone. This is a gorgeous property divided by a lagoon and spread out across the lush jungle vegetation of the Yucatan where you’ll see a wide range of wildlife including all types of beautiful birds, fish, iguanas, and my personal favorite, the ..read more

Being a travel agent often feels like trying to do an infinite number of things in a finite amount of time. Between building relationships with your clients and partners, answering calls, replying to emails, creating quotes, servicing bookings, training yourself on product, traveling on FAM trips, and actively selling travel packages, many agents also have to market themselves, track commissions and accounting, and perform a load of administrative tasks. While many agents pride themselves on wearing multiple hats and being able to do it all, they often pay the price by sacrificing their work-l ..read more

On this episode of the Modern Travel Agent Podcast, we speak with Stefany Jones, Director of Retail Affairs for Palladium Hotel Group. Stefany has 18 years of experience at prominent travel providers with a focus on account management, marketing and business development. We discuss the unique selling points for each different Palladium Hotel Group brand and resort including the Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre at the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres, the Chic Cabaret experience in Costa Mujeres, Riviera Maya, and Punta Cana, and the open-ended promotion, “two kids 17 and under stay free in the Family Sel ..read more