STUCK on how to sell a pass to SeaWorld? In a dither about
Disney or delaying selling airport parking? The holiday add-ons
sector is growing, with new products such as resorttaxis.com coming
into the market. Some agents already view holiday add-ons as a
strong revenue stream, earning vital extra pounds in commission.
What are these agents doing to secure sales that other agents
aren’t?
Travel Weekly spoke to four star sellers to find out how they
are cashing in.
| Tickets and attractions: |
Trowbridge-based Howard Travel is a top seller of tickets and
attractions, and office manager Melanie Raymond says it is vital to
tell clients the cost of tickets early in the sale.
Any selling tips? “If someone comes in for a
quote I discuss the prices of tickets and attractions. If, for
example, a family of four is going to Florida for two weeks, they
could spend up to £2,000 on tickets. This can be a shock. We
do have our own leaflet for clients which is constantly updated and
which explains all the different passes in Florida. The various
passes can be quite daunting for someone who doesn’t know
Florida.
“We also do radio advertising to publicise a whole range of
offers, and there are posters inside and outside the shop. I tend
to sell add-ons at the end of a sale. People tend to book the
holiday and then book their passes. It’s easy
commission.”
How much commission? Keith Prowse says
commission depends on its agreement with individual agents.
Sample product: a 10-day Hopper pass costs
£199 for adults and £159 for children aged three to nine.
Prices are valid until the end of the year.
| Airport parking |
Humberside-based Holiday Travel managing director Steve
Allerston never misses the opportunity to sell airport parking.
Any selling tips? “I bring up airport parking
once I have clinched the sale. I’d probably say something
like: ‘It’s an early flight – have you considered
an airport hotel and car parking?’ Suggestions can also be
perceived by the customer as a caring attitude.
“We conduct training on selling holiday add-ons. In these
competitive times, staff need to be very clued up on extras. Some
people do say they will check on the Internet, but we explain that
our prices are competitive and customers also have the convenience
of booking with us, and not having to have change at the airport.
We know the nitty-gritty when it comes to our regular car parks and
if someone found a cheaper price on the Internet I would ring the
supplier to tell them.”
How much commission? Agents can make between
£8 and £10 on a two-week parking-only booking. If they
up-sell to Meet and Greet or a BCP executive lounge, they can
increase this.
Sample product: two weeks’parking at
Gatwick with BCP costs £79.95.
| Car rental |
Liverpool-based TravelWise retail director Rita Hunter makes
sure no opportunity to sell car rental is lost – even if it
means going back to customers who bought their holiday two weeks
earlier.
Any selling tips? Hunter said TravelWise is
reprinting its ticket wallets to include information about
attractions and car rental. Agents are sometimes asked to refer
back to their bookings for the previous two weeks to see whether
they could still sell some car rental.
“At the enquiry stage, customers sometimes can’t make
their minds up. Going back has a drip-drip sales effect,” she
said.
Horncastle Executive Travel managing director Peter Drummond
said car rental should be taken seriously: “I look at it as a
revenue stream.”
How much commission? Holiday Autos said it
varied from agent to agent, depending on their contract.
Sample product: one week’s car rental in
Malaga, Spain, starts from £69 with Holiday Autos.
| Insurance |
West Midlands Co-op travel division deputy general manager Sue
Reid said self-confidence and confidence in the product were key to
successful insurance sales.
Any selling tips? “We have a dedicated person
in-house who is responsible for insurance. Agents get an updated
selling pack every year and our booking system has prompts. We try
to be as competitive as we can. We heavily promote the excess
deletion, where clients pay a small amount to remove the excess on
their policy. Agents also remind customers who are going to buy
elsewhere to make sure their cover is as comprehensive as ours. We
have had a couple of cases where clients would have faced a hefty
bill without cover. Agents need to have confidence in the product
and have a good contact at the insurer.”
How much commission? Agents add their own
mark-up, typically around 35%.
Sample product: Journeys Travel Insurance sells
a policy offering two weeks’ cover in Europe for one adult
for £12.80, which agents can
