Do You Think I is Fair???

[sail7seas]

Yesterday, we booked another set of back-to-backs (Yes!!!) on "MY" Maasdam with our regular brick and mortar TA who we have dealt with for years.

 

Last night I was looking through some on-line cruises sites and found a $700 difference in the price of ONE of the cruises we booked. This morning I called my TA; I e-mailed her a link to the site and requested they match that price. Within one hour she called back and agreed to match that lower price AND told me that she would watch that site I gave her to see if the other cruise posted at a lower rate in the future.

 

Do you think that was fair of me to do or should I expect to pay more as I get more service and that agency has to have higher expenses being a brick and mortar?

 

She was very pleasant about it and did not have any 'tude' whatsoever.

 

 

 

(I have tried three times to Edit the Title of this Thread. Seems to be a

verb problem. :o Each time I try to correct it, nothing happens it remains the same. Sorry for the poor grammer.)

[Krazy Kruizers]

GET THOSE LOWER PRICES!!

I am always on the watch for lower via the "other" sites. And whenever I see that 10% difference, I write down the price, time, and where I saw it. Then I call our TA and she in turn calls HAL - and so far we have always gotten the lower quotes that we have seen.

So far our TA doesn't seem bothered by it - afterall - she knows that within a few months we will be booking another cruise.

SO - will you be going out of Norfolk for your back-to-back cruises on the Maasdam?

[marco]

$700, be it per per person or couple is a LOT. Usually, when a TA contacts the line and says, "My client can get the cruise for $XXXXX" they will match the price for your TA, and then your TA will earn whatever commission based on the new price. I would have to expect QUITE A LOT OF SERVICE to pay $700 more!!!!!

[jking757]

Sail, a $700.000 dollar difference is nothing to toot at....I think you should send ME the site info...Lol

[sail7seas]

GET THOSE LOWER PRICES!!

 

I am always on the watch for lower via the "other" sites. And whenever I see that 10% difference, I write down the price, time, and where I saw it. Then I call our TA and she in turn calls HAL - and so far we have always gotten the lower quotes that we have seen.

 

So far our TA doesn't seem bothered by it - afterall - she knows that within a few months we will be booking another cruise.

 

SO - will you be going out of Norfolk for your back-to-back cruises on the Maasdam?

 

I glad you do not think I was being unreasonable. Like you, KK, our TA knows we shall be back again and again as long as she continues to take good care of us.

 

We booked Boston to Montreal and will stay aboard for Montreal back to Boston. NO FLYING!!!! Gotta love that!!! We found out a very good friend of ours is scheduled to be aboard and we very much want to sail with him. "MY" Maasdam, a very good friend aboard and sailing from Boston......That has our name all over it. :) Was too good to pass up.

[cactuslady]

The travel agents, HAL, the trip insurance companies, and all the rest are in business to make the most money possible. As consumers, our business should be to save ourselves the most money possible. The business people, for the most part, understand that and do not expect us to give them any special favors at big expense to our bottom line (especially not at the cost of several hundred dollars, only a small part of which, if any, the TA would see). Those that don't understand probably have trouble dealing with our system of capitalism.

 

If your TA has been especially helpful and gracious and you want to reward him or her, a small gift of an item that would be helpful or look good in his or her office might be nice (or one that would taste good). Best of all would be to refer another good customer, and to speak highly of your TA (as you have done).

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Sail, I also agree that you did the right thing. I am sure there is still a lot of room for her commission. I have always done that with our TA and usually she can come really close with the exception fo that unbelievable price on got for the S Suite on the Oosterdam Oct of 2005. That one was $1000 per person cheaper than she could get so I booked on line.

I think TA's have the ability to work HAL also on price at least this is my guess. If they tell HAL that their long time client has found this price much cheaper I think HAL offers it less plus, I know that my TA claims they she called HAL to get the price down and always tells them I am a Mariner and have several cruises booked with them. I think it is always wise to check out several on line agencys for their prices before I book with my TA so I know what is available for pricing. My TA always askes me what price I have come up with before she calls HAL so she too is prepared.

 

IMHO I feel that the Travel Agency business is very much like the Car Dealership industry that I know all too well. I think there is the MSRP/Suggested Retail Price which in the Travel Industry I think a lot of people pay because they are not aware. Then there is the the Price they give you for being a good customer and give you a small discount. Then there is the bottom line price that still gives them the mini commission or a flat fee for booking it. If you are a frequent customer who refers lot of clients to them they should always give you the bottom line price, but unless you do research ahead of time as good of friend that they may be it is still a profit business and unless you ask they will still want to make that bigger profit on you.

[sail7seas]

Thanks, CactusLady.

 

We have indeed referred friends/acquaintances to her and she has done a good deal of business through these referrals....through all the years we have dealt with her.

 

We also give her a lot of business each and every year ourselves. :)

[jazzsea]

You know that I am a TA and I am glad that you forwarded the website to your agent.

 

Believe it or not, we don't always know what the best prices are. I only sell 5 cruise lines. Imagine what it would be like to keep track of 10 or 12. Five is enough and even then I'm constantly checking and rechecking.

 

You did yourself and your TA a big favor by sending the new price promo from the other agency.

[Vicar]

I think you were perfectly right to bring the price drop to her attention, Who wouldn't want to save money(especially a decent sum like that) if they could?

 

From the side of the TA, lowering the price and promiseing to watch that site for you is just good business. I am sure that she doesn't want to risk looseing a good customer of many years.

 

Take the $700 you saved and buy something special for yourself when you are back on your Maasdam. :)

[jhannah]

I found a price that was $350 PP less, and I notified my TA. She called HAL. "No way" was the answer. But my TA asked me to give her a little time. About a month later she came back with a price that was $800 PP less! Don't know what changed ... and I don't care. It's just another reason I'm inclined to stick with this agency.

[bepsf]

If it was a small difference - $50 or $100 - I doubt that I would care or go to the trouble.

 

But $700? Definately you did the right thing. Take the dinero and buy yourself something pretty...

[localady]

Absolutely it's fair S7S!! As many here agree it is just part of the capitalist system. I think your TA would rather have you notify her then to do a slow burn about the price then consider using an online agency next time solely based on price IMHO!:eek: :cool:

[Spender Nui]

My question is why you had to contact the agency and they didn't contact you. Makes you wonder how many times we don't notice the big price spread and never knew what was out there.

[Nliedel]

Stop feeling guilty.. I think you absolutly did the right thing.

[jhannah]

Take the $700 you saved and buy something special for yourself when you are back on your Maasdam. :)

There's nothing in ship boutiques that's worth anywhere near $700! (Oh ... sorry ... that's another thread.) :eek:

[Nliedel]

Oh if you're really feeling guilty you can buy your hard working TA a small gift while on board.. Something she will use and nothing with the ships logo on it since she is probably up to her bottom in stuff like that.. (I was a TA for years).

[HeatherInFlorida]

Sail, no question ... you were absolutely fair. And with all the business you give her, I'm sure she thought you were fair as well. Stop kicking yourself and be glad you were on top of it.:)

[dakrewser]

We booked Boston to Montreal and will stay aboard for Montreal back to Boston. NO FLYING!!!! Gotta love that!!! We found out a very good friend of ours is scheduled to be aboard and we very much want to sail with him. "MY" Maasdam, a very good friend aboard and sailing from Boston......That has our name all over it. :) Was too good to pass up.

Based on an emailing I just got, the dropped price only occured late yesterday so your TA may have been totally up to date when you booked and also been able to re-book at the lower price when you asked. And heck, it never hurts to ask. I'd be willing to bet that had your TA offered to rebate $600 of the $700 you would have gone for that, too. And I'll bet your TA knows that also, so its to their credit that they met the lower price spot on.

 

Bon voyage!

[sail7seas]

My question is why you had to contact the agency and they didn't contact you. Makes you wonder how many times we don't notice the big price spread and never knew what was out there.

 

I do not think it reasonable to expect my TA to spend her time monitoring the very many websites that sell cruises to seek the best price. She would have absolutely no time left to do anything else if all her cruising clients expected that.

 

I have never heard of any that do that. I have, however, heard (and my TA has done it) that when they learned of a lower price through a special offer or whatever means, they contact their client and advise them of the saving.

[sail7seas]

You know that I am a TA and I am glad that you forwarded the website to your agent.

 

You did yourself and your TA a big favor by sending the new price promo from the other agency.

 

Thank you for being supportive of my seeking the reduction, Jazzsea.

My thinking when forwarding her the link to the promo price was to 'evidence' that lower price really did exist and was for exactly what I had booked. While I know she 'trusts' me, she should see for herself I am not mistaken.

 

I do not understand another reason why "I did myself and her a favor". What am I missing? What difference other than 'evidence' did it make?

 

Thanks, Carol.

[sail7seas]

Thank you all for your responses. Seems to be pretty unanimous that you think I did an 'inappropriate' thing. I don't think in all our years of cruising I have done that before but now know that I would do it again. There have been times when I noticed a reduction on HAL's own site and have called about that, but this is the first time I called her about a lower price on another site.

 

I definitely would NOT have called for something under about $100 but for $700, I felt I really had to. I could not let myself pay that much more than necessary. It simply was too big a difference.

 

(The worst that I feel awful about is that last night when I was looking at the site, the second cruise was reduced $1,000 but it had disappeared by this morning. I did not print it out; I Blew It!!! :( But I shall continue to check regularly to see if that price shows up again.

 

Thanks for your comments. I appreciate it.

[OCruisers]

(I have tried three times to Edit the Title of this Thread. Seems to be a

verb problem. :o Each time I try to correct it, nothing happens it remains the same. Sorry for the poor grammer.)

 

S7S .... Let's face it! Neither you nor I have a grammer problem. We just can't type worth a darn!!! :D

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :p

[CruisinNana]

If I were your TA, I would be so thankful for the loyal, regular business you give me that I would be delighted to match a published price. I have a feeling that is exactly how she felt when you called.

 

Have a wonderful time on YOUR Maasdam. We certainly did!!!!! :D

Dee

[gliles]

Is it grammer or grammar? I guess I have a problem because I always thought it was grammar! :eek: