A question for those of you that are travel agents

[beachbum53]

When you go on a cruise, do you ever leave a business card in one of the drawers in your cabin? Does it ever result in gaining new business? Just curious. :)

[LHT28]

I would hope housekeeping is cleaning out the drawers before new passengers board

I have heard of people leaving things like notes in the Bibles at hotels

[beachbum53]

I would hope housekeeping is cleaning out the drawers before new passengers board

I have heard of people leaving things like notes in the Bibles at hotels

 

Hmmm. Hadn't thought about the cabin stewards cleaning out the drawers. I guess that wouldn't be such a good place to leave a little advertising behind.

[Cruising Golfer]

That is not proper in the travel industry.

We don't want people to know if we are Travel Agents, they tend to think that you are going to find them some kind of deal. :cool:

[NLH Arizona]

On a cruise years ago a woman was selling jewerly on the ship and the Hotel Director got a hold of her and said she could not solicit business on their cruise ship and she would have to sell her jewerly off the ship. I'm sure any cruise line would frown upon a travel agent soliciting business on their ships. Think about it, if one travel agent see another doing it, then they would do it and then another sees it and pretty soon you will have a lot of business cards cluttering up the drawers.

 

From NCL's passenger contract: (f) No Soliciting: The Guest shall not solicit other Guests, the Carrier's employees, personnel or agentsduring the voyage with respect to any professional, commercial, or business activity, whether for profit orotherwise, without the prior written consent of the Carrier.

 

From Crystal's passenger contract: H) The Guest agrees that he or she shall not solicit for commercial purposes Guests or others onboard the Ship, or advertise goods or services on board the Ship without the prior writtenpermission of Crystal Cruises. Solicitation by vendors of goods and services, including, but notlimited to, solicitation by travel agents, is strictly forbidden

Edited September 14, 2017 by NLH Arizona

[beachbum53]

On a cruise years ago a woman was selling jewerly on the ship and the Hotel Director got a hold of her and said she could not solicit business on their cruise ship and she would have to sell her jewerly off the ship. I'm sure any cruise line would frown upon a travel agent soliciting business on their ships. Think about it, if one travel agent see another doing it, then they would do it and then another sees it and pretty soon you will have a lot of business cards cluttering up the drawers.

 

From NCL's passenger contract: (f) No Soliciting: The Guest shall not solicit other Guests, the Carrier's employees, personnel or agentsduring the voyage with respect to any professional, commercial, or business activity, whether for profit orotherwise, without the prior written consent of the Carrier.

 

From Crystal's passenger contract: H) The Guest agrees that he or she shall not solicit for commercial purposes Guests or others onboard the Ship, or advertise goods or services on board the Ship without the prior writtenpermission of Crystal Cruises. Solicitation by vendors of goods and services, including, but notlimited to, solicitation by travel agents, is strictly forbidden

 

You do have a good point. However, leaving a business card in a drawer is far more subtle than openly trying to sell merchandise on the ship. I wonder what would happen if someone was wearing a t-shirt with the name of their travel agency printed on it? Not that I would, but if someone chose to do that, would that person be reprimanded in some way?

[LHT28]

. I wonder what would happen if someone was wearing a t-shirt with the name of their travel agency printed on it? Not that I would, but if someone chose to do that, would that person be reprimanded in some way?

Of course not

 

Remember the days when TA's would give you tote bags or document holders with the agency name on it

 

 

I have been at Roll calls where some people hand out business cards from their TA

 

Tacky IMO

 

YMMV

[NLH Arizona]

You do have a good point. However, leaving a business card in a drawer is far more subtle than openly trying to sell merchandise on the ship. I wonder what would happen if someone was wearing a t-shirt with the name of their travel agency printed on it? Not that I would, but if someone chose to do that, would that person be reprimanded in some way?

Leaving a business card is considered soliciting business. Doesn't matter if it is subtle or not, soliciting is soliciting. You might want to try it on your next cruise and let us know if anything happens or call the cruise line and ask and if it is okay with them, then you could do it.

[Toofarfromthesea]

More importantly, how many pax would find a Ta's card in their drawer and think, 'wow, I should book with them next time.'. Personally I would look upon this with about as much favor as I do those flyers for a free estimate on house-cleaning that get left on my windshield. Round file along with the resolution to never use them.

[Nizzie]

Unfortunately the drawers do not always get cleaned out. A friend of mine works in customer service for a cruise line and he received a call from a passenger who, while still in port, found the previous passenger's clothing still in the drawers. She wanted to lodge a complaint with shoreside before going and standing in the massive Guest Services line. (Ship housekeeping was immediately contacted and two stewards were sent to clean the cabin again, because if they missed clothing in the drawers, what else did they miss?)

 

 

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[LHT28]

More importantly, how many pax would find a Ta's card in their drawer and think, 'wow, I should book with them next time.'. Personally I would look upon this with about as much favor as I do those flyers for a free estimate on house-cleaning that get left on my windshield. Round file along with the resolution to never use them.

or maybe someone would think the previous passenger did not have good service so no point in taking the business card with them

 

 

why not hand them out in the city where you live probably just as effective

[ronrick1943]

No, and if they left a card or tried to sell on the ship they should be taken off the ship asap--or leaving a card shouldn't be allowed to cruise on that ship again.

[NLH Arizona]

No, and if they left a card or tried to sell on the ship they should be taken off the ship asap--or leaving a card shouldn't be allowed to cruise on that ship again.

Off the ship. That is what the cruise line threatened the lady with that was selling jewerly on my cruise if they heard of her doing it again or saw her doing it.

[drsel]

I would hope housekeeping is cleaning out the drawers before new passengers board

I have heard of people leaving things like notes in the Bibles at hotels

What kind of notes? Handwritten notes or discount coupons and unused drink vouchers?

[1025cruise]

As a non-TA, if I was unpacking and saw a card in a drawer, I would just assume it missed during cleaning and toss it.

[Equisport]

I didn't think people used TA anymore ? And just booked on the internet ??

I couldn't even name anyone I know who goes to a travel agent ? Is this a USA thing ?

 

 

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[nhsails]

Personally, I find it quite tacky. Wouldn't do and wouldn't have a positive response to one who did

[Trevor Fountain]

Analogue SPAM imvho.

[Tapi]

I'm in the airline industry, and one of the guidelines when traveling is that all employees must refrain from wearing ID's or any other item that would identify them as employees of that airline. Furthermore, we are not allowed to solicit or discuss with revenue passengers privileges that allow us to travel either for free or at a discounted rate. I'm guessing that similar rules may be in place for other travel industry professionals when traveling.

 

With that said, I still occasionally see employees wearing their ID's or bragging to other passengers in their row how they got on that flight for free. [emoji849]

 

 

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[SmoothFlying]

I'm in the airline industry, and one of the guidelines when traveling is that all employees must refrain from wearing ID's or any other item that would identify them as employees of that airline. Furthermore, we are not allowed to solicit or discuss with revenue passengers privileges that allow us to travel either for free or at a discounted rate. I'm guessing that similar rules may be in place for other travel industry professionals when traveling.

 

With that said, I still occasionally see employees wearing their ID's or bragging to other passengers in their row how they got on that flight for free. [emoji849]

 

 

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WOW !!!!!!!!!! I retired from a airline w/twenty-nine years service and knew from day one ( they told us on our first day in our first week of training) that IF you wanted to end your employment that there were THREE of the quickest ways were 1) steal ANYTHING from a passenger 2) Be late, on your job on a continuous basis 3) Brag, or overheard bragging to a non employee (by someone in supervision) about you flight benefits. We(for the first 15 years I was there) even had to wear a coat AND tie no matter where you were flying They finally realized how that actually made you stand out, and made passengers wonder WHY would someone fly to Hawaii in a business suit! So, they changed it to 'business casual' (No tie and coat).

 

Mac

[sail7seas]

You do have a good point. However, leaving a business card in a drawer is far more subtle than openly trying to sell merchandise on the ship. I wonder what would happen if someone was wearing a t-shirt with the name of their travel agency printed on it? Not that I would, but if someone chose to do that, would that person be reprimanded in some way?

 

An even better question IMO is would any of us be b othered with someone soliciting our business and disturbing our enjoyment with their attempt to grab our ear. No, I would never do business with them. Too nervy for my taste.

On board the ship is wherethe future cruise consultants work and how they earn their living You independent TA's, stay out of their work space, iMO>

Edited September 14, 2017 by sail7seas

[Interstate]

You do have a good point. However, leaving a business card in a drawer is far more subtle than openly trying to sell merchandise on the ship. I wonder what would happen if someone was wearing a t-shirt with the name of their travel agency printed on it? Not that I would, but if someone chose to do that, would that person be reprimanded in some way?

 

I was on Anthem of the Seas this July and there was a quinceañera group aboard whose shirts had the info about their booking agent. Some of that group had 'staff' tags with the credentials of the agency.

 

Were they directly soliciting, no. They were working and subtly advertising with Royal's blessing

[AZ Ocean Lover]

We were on a Princess cruise a few years back enjoying our early morning coffee in the International Cafe when a nice lady walked up and sat down nearby. We started talking and learned she was there with a group of travelers and she was the agent. We talked about various cruise lines and before you knew it we were getting her card and talking about her helping us with a future cruise. We did use her (once) but we often talk about how we fell for her marketing ploy hook, line and sinker.

[Beachdude]

No, and if they left a card or tried to sell on the ship they should be taken off the ship asap--or leaving a card shouldn't be allowed to cruise on that ship again.

OK, this is as far in the discussion I could go. Sometime folks just seem nutty after spending too much time in front of a computer. Taken off the ship because they left a card in the drawer! Please!

 

Let's go farther: while sitting at the dinner table, one table mate ask another what they do professionally. At what point is the waiter dragging that table mate to be keel hauled?

 

Folks, discussions like this are a test of your mental health. If you really believe some of this stuff, "Step away from the computer and take a long walk". You can talk to yourself during the walk, but please don't answer yourself.

 

Burt

[NLH Arizona]

OK, this is as far in the discussion I could go. Sometime folks just seem nutty after spending too much time in front of a computer. Taken off the ship because they left a card in the drawer! Please!

 

Let's go farther: while sitting at the dinner table, one table mate ask another what they do professionally. At what point is the waiter dragging that table mate to be keel hauled?

 

Folks, discussions like this are a test of your mental health. If you really believe some of this stuff, "Step away from the computer and take a long walk". You can talk to yourself during the walk, but please don't answer yourself.

 

Burt

There is a big difference in asking a table mate what they do for a living versus leaving business cards in a cabin in an effort to solicit business.