Below, please see our tried and true process for responding to a trip request. We also offer guidance for how to position and process fee payments if you decide to charge service fees. Reminder: independent advisors keep 100% of the service fees they decide to charge. Fees do not pass through Travel with Awestruck, and explore below for how to set up fee payments directly to you.
Responding to a trip request
The Process
Respond to the request
01
Reply to the client request as soon as possible to demonstrate our high-touch service level. To do so, you can use the provided email template as a starting point. All you need to do is change the highlighted items, and if the request came in via the trip request form, be sure to remove that section from the response email. You should take the time to edit the provided template and make it your own to better reflect your "voice," then save a personal version of the template to your Outlook to save time.
Download our sample trip request response here
Send the trip request form
02
Once the client schedules their planning call with you, please send them the trip request form from our website, unless they have already submitted the form. You will know based on their initial outreach whether or not the form has been completed. This is essential to making sure you have the relevant trip information to guide their consultation in the right way. You only need to send the trip request form for the first time a client reaches out. Their information is saved for subsequent trips with you in VCRM, and you can proceed planning via email.
Hold the initial consultation call
03
Your client's initial consultation is among their first impressions of our agency (and may be their first impression of you). You should use this time to learn as much as you can about your clients, understand more detail on what they are looking to get out of their trip, and establish your credibility as the right expert to serve them. Consultative selling takes time and practice, and each advisor has their own approach. You can use our guide to consultative selling below for inspiration on how to run the call and what kind of questions you should be asking.
Download our guide to consultative selling here
Send a follow-up email
04
After your initial consultation call, you should send your clients an email thanking them for their time, recapping what you discussed and providing next steps. If you charge a planning fee, this is also the right time to share your fee details and service offering (more on fees below). Otherwise, you can begin planning the trip at this point.
Collect the fee (if charging a fee)
05
Once your client responds and confirms that they would like to move forward, send your client an invoice through your preferred platform (Stripe, Square, etc.) Please reach out to the Travel with Awestruck leadership team if you need assistance in setting this up. All the invoice needs to include is the amount you are charging, what you will provide, and that it is non-refundable. Your client is not agreeing to any other terms or conditions at this point. Keep it simple. If you plan to apply their fee to their trip balance if they decide to book, you can write something like, “This fee is nonrefundable. It will be applied to your trip balance after the trip is booked and the deposit is received. If the trip is cancelled this fee is non-refundable.
Get to work!
06
Once the fee is paid, you go to work doing what you always want to do: delivering on the exceptional service you promised and crafting your client's next Awestruck Moment!
Other considerations
Setting barriers to entry: Trip request form
- Professional look and feel
- Allows you to set boundaries. and manage your time
- Prevents you from wasting time (and generating client frustration) on going back and forth via email to find a time that works
- Allows the client to feel in control as they can select whatever slot is best for them
- Allows you to be in control by only accepting calls on certain days / times that accommodate your schedule
You should not be relying on Facebook Messenger, Instagram Messenger, or emailing back and forth to gather all necessary trip information. By making clients complete the trip request form, you are communicating that you are a professional with a dedicated process. This also keeps your client details organized in VCRM and saves time inputting information manually. If you would prefer a different form than the one on the Travel with Awestruck website, VCRM allows for custom form generation, so you can create one that better suits your needs.
Defining your fees and service suite
In today's travel industry, more advisors are charging fees than ever. Charging fees is a great way to communicate the value of what you do, attract the right kind of client, and compensate yourself for all of the time and effort you put into your work.
Deciding whether or not to charge fees (and how much you should charge) is completely your decision. See our guide below on deciding whether or not to choose fees, and our sample fee structure letter that you can adapt and tailor to present to your clients if you decide to do so.
Download our guide on charging fees
Download our sample fee letters
