Take It Off Your Plate and Put It on Mine: Travel Planning Shouldn't Be Another Job

There are times when my clients or people I'm talking to say something that sticks with me.

That happened this week.

I was talking with Julie, a photographer I know, about a trip she's been thinking about taking. She told me she'd been racking her brain trying to figure everything out.

Where should she go?

What should she book?

What's the best option?

How much is everything going to cost?

At some point, I basically told her:

Take it off your shoulders and put it on mine.

And afterward I thought about it.

That's probably one of the best ways I can describe what I actually do as a travel advisor.

Your Vacation Shouldn't Feel Like Another Job

Planning a vacation can be fun at first.

You start looking at pictures.

You watch a couple of videos.

You Google some destinations.

Then suddenly you've got 15 tabs open.

One resort has better reviews.

Another one has a better beach.

One package includes transportation.

Another doesn't.

The flight you found yesterday changed price.

The room you were looking at has six different categories.

Now you're reading reviews from somebody who loved the resort and somebody else who apparently had the worst vacation of their entire life at the exact same place. 😂

Three hours later, you haven't booked anything.

You're just more confused than when you started.

That's when it's time to take it off your plate and put it on mine.

You Can Plan Your Own Vacation

Let me make something clear.

You absolutely can book your own vacation.

You can book your own cruise.

You can find your own resort.

You can research flights.

You can watch YouTube videos.

You can read reviews.

You can figure out transportation.

You can compare room categories.

You can do all of it.

The question isn't:

"Can I do this myself?"

The question is:

"Do I want to?"

Your time has value.

If you're working, raising a family, running a business, taking care of a household, or simply trying to live your life, spending hours researching every piece of a vacation might not be how you want to spend your free time.

That's where I come in.

Give Me the Homework

Tell me what you're trying to do.

Where are you thinking about going?

Who is traveling?

What's important to you?

What's your budget?

Do you want to relax?

Do you want activities?

Do you want adults-only?

Are the kids coming?

Do you want a cruise?

Do you want an all-inclusive?

Maybe you don't even know where you want to go yet.

That's okay too.

Give me the information you do know.

Then give me the homework.

I'll start putting the pieces together.

That's part of my job.

I'm Not Here to Choose Your Vacation for You

There's an important difference here.

I'm not taking control of your vacation.

It's still YOUR trip.

You're spending the money.

You're taking the time off.

You're making the memories.

My job is to make the process easier so that you can make an informed decision without feeling like you need a degree in travel planning first.

I can narrow down the options.

I can explain the differences.

I can point out things you might not have noticed.

I can help you compare.

Then you decide.

That's how I like to work.

And Once You Book, I Don't Disappear

This is the other part of being a travel advisor that people don't always see.

The relationship doesn't end when you make your deposit.

Actually, sometimes that's when the questions really start. 😂

What documents do I need?

When is final payment?

When can I check in?

Should I buy the drink package?

Which excursion should I choose?

What time should I get to the port?

Where should I stay the night before?

Can you check this cabin?

Did the price change?

Can you look at this for me?

That's part of the process.

And that brings me to another conversation that happened this week.

"He's Not Going to Answer This Late"

Nikki and Joel are clients of mine who have an upcoming trip.

Nikki was talking to someone about what it's like working with me, and she told a story that had me laughing.

Apparently, one night it was around 10 o'clock and she and Joel were basically making a bet.

"He's not going to answer this late."

They sent me a message.

And guess who responded?

😂

Me.

Now, before some of y'all read this and get excited...

Poet's Year-Round Travel is NOT becoming a 24-hour hotline.

Please don't call me at 3:42 in the morning asking whether you should get the balcony or the ocean view. 😂

But Nikki's story says something about the way I try to run my business.

Communication matters to me.

I Want You to Have a Person

When you book certain things yourself, sometimes you have a question and you're looking for a phone number.

Then you're navigating menus.

Press 1.

Press 2.

Enter your reservation number.

Hold.

Listen to the music.

Explain the situation to somebody.

Maybe get transferred.

Explain it again.

Sometimes that's necessary, even when you have a travel advisor.

But I want my clients to know they also have a person they can reach out to.

You know my name.

You have my number.

You can send me a message.

If I know the answer, I'll answer you.

If I don't know the answer, I'll work on finding it.

And if something requires the cruise line, resort, tour operator, or another supplier, I can help determine the next step.

That's the relationship I want with my clients.

No, I Don't Answer Every Message in 30 Seconds

I want to be realistic about this too.

Sometimes I'm with another client.

Sometimes I'm driving.

Sometimes I'm at BNI.

Sometimes I'm sleeping.

Sometimes I'm actually on vacation myself.

And yes, there have definitely been times when a client's text message has woken me up. 😂

I don't promise that every message will receive an immediate response.

What I do promise is that communication is important to me.

I don't want you wondering whether your travel advisor disappeared after receiving your money.

That's Why I Call Myself Your Travel Assistant

I've said this before, and I still think it's the best description.

Think of me as your travel assistant.

I'm not just here to make a reservation.

I'm here to help you navigate the process.

Sometimes that means researching.

Sometimes that means explaining.

Sometimes that means reminding.

Sometimes that means calling somebody.

Sometimes that means sending you a video so you can actually see the ship, cabin, or resort we're discussing.

And sometimes it simply means saying:

"Don't worry about figuring that out tonight. Let me look into it."

That's what Julie's conversation reminded me of this week.

Take Some of the Weight Off

Vacations cost money.

They require time away from work.

For some families, they may only happen once or twice a year.

For others, it might be the trip they've been saving for over several years.

I don't take that lightly.

You shouldn't spend all that money just to be stressed throughout the entire planning process.

So if you're sitting at home right now with 17 tabs open trying to decide between three cruise ships, four resorts, six room categories, and nine different flights...

Close some of those tabs. 😂

Call me.

Tell me what you're trying to accomplish.

And let's start there.

Final Thoughts

You don't hire a travel advisor because you're incapable of planning your own vacation.

You hire a travel advisor because you don't have to carry every part of it yourself.

That's the difference.

Julie said she'd been racking her brain trying to figure out her trip.

My answer was simple:

Take it off your shoulders and put it on mine.

And Nikki's story reminded me of the other half of that promise.

Once we've started planning and you've booked your vacation, I'm still here.

Before the trip.

During the planning.

When the questions start coming.

When something doesn't make sense.

When you need somebody to point you in the right direction.

That's what I want Poet's Year-Round Travel to be.

Not just somewhere you booked a vacation.

Someone you trust to help you get there.

Turning travel wishes into reality.

— Eric Miles
Poet's Year-Round Travel