bestpractices

							    ASTA – Hyatt Best Practices
      Opportunities for Profit


                                      Brought to you by
                                      ASTA and Hyatt
                                      Hotels & Resorts




ASTA – Hyatt Best Practices Seminar      ASTA Southern & Western Regional –
        Saturday, April 12                          Tucson, AZ
    ASTA-Hyatt Best Practices Overview


   What is the program
    –   Recognize travel agencies for business processes
        that have broken the mold

    –   Highlight new and innovative methods for growing
        businesses and serving customers

    –   Focus on processes that travel agents can use in
        their own business
      What is a Best Practice?


“Any practice, know-how, or experience that
has proved to be valuable or effective within
one organization that may have applicability to
other organizations.”
               --The Transfer of Knowledge
               and Best Practices, 1998
         Who Entered the Program?

   Travel Agents Just Like You
    –   Agency Size
            Smallest 1 Employee
            Largest 450 employees
    –   Revenues
            Smallest $2 million
            Largest $243 million
    –   Business Mix
            40% leisure focused
            32% business focused
            28% business-leisure mix
                           Who Won?

   4 Best Practice Winners
    –   Associated Wayfarer Travels/Lafayette, La.
            Best Practice: Employee Relationship Management
            Categories: Human Resources & Operations
    –   Bayside Travel/Larchmont, N.Y.
            Best Practice: A Comprehensive, Local Public Relations Program
            Categories: Marketing & Selling
    –   MacNair Travel Management/American Express/Alex., Va.
            Best Practice: GoAwayDeals
            Categories: Technology, Operations & Selling
    –   Travel Solutions, Inc./Westerville, Ohio
            Best Practice: Grow 360
            Categories: Human Resources & Operation
                            Who Won?

   10 Honorable Mentions
    –   Algonquin Travel/Ottowa, Ontario, Canada
            Best Practice: Using Client Advisories
             to Build Sales
            Category: Marketing
    –   ATLAS Travel Agency/Dubrovnik, Croatia
            Best Practice: Changing Business in the
             Face of Adversity
            Category: Marketing
    –   Executive Travel/Tokyo, Japan
            Best Practice: Developing a Travel Niche/Personalizing Their
             Direct Mail
            Categories: Marketing & Selling
                       Who Won?

–   Gone Again Travel, Inc./New Port Richey, Fla.
        Best Practice: Outreach Program
         to Local Schools
        Category: Marketing
–   North Coast Travel/Erie, Pa.
        Best Practice: Become Travel Experts Through Teamwork and
         Training
        Categories: Marketing & Selling
–   Plaza Travel/Encino, Calif.
        Best Practice: Developing Business Through Vacation Travel
         Showcases
        Categories: Marketing & Selling
                        Who Won?

–   Rich Worldwide Travel/Harrison, N.Y.
        Best Practice: Developing an Integrated Marketing Plan
        Category: Marketing
–   Sea the World Cruises & Tours/Marathon, Fla.
        Best Practice: Eliminating Errors Through
         Written Itineraries
        Category: Selling
–   Travel Junction/Denver
        Best Practice: Creating a Consumer Benefit with Supplier
         Assistance
        Categories: Marketing & Selling
–   Trek Tours, Ltd./Westerly, R.I.
        Best Practice: Newsletter Co-marketing
        Categories: Marketing & Selling
    ASTA – Hyatt Best Practices
      Opportunities for Profit


                                      Brought to you by
                                      ASTA and Hyatt
                                      Hotels Corporation




ASTA – Hyatt Best Practices Seminar      ASTA Southern & Western Regional –
        Saturday, April 12                          Tucson, AZ
                   Bayside Travel


  A Comprehensive, Local Public Relations Program

        Prepared by:Barbara Nichuals, President
                     Bayside Travel


124 Larchmont Ave
Larchmont, NY 10538
914-833-8880
baysidetrvl@aol.com
www.LuxuryTravelService.com
  Bayside Travel




A Comprehensive, Local
Public Relations Program
          What are you doing?



   With spare time, agents play catch-up
       “If clients are staying home watching the
       war on TV, what are the nation's travel
       agents doing? . . .”

          –   By Nadine Godwin and Michael Milligan (3/31/2003)
                       The Case

   Developing a “back to basics” marketing plan

   Using multiple sources
    –   Public relations
    –   Supplier co-marketing
    –   Leveraging professional relationships.
           Changing Your Business

   Challenge
    –   Airline commission caps
    –   Moving from order takers to marketers
    –   Never paid much attention to marketing.
   Actions
    –   Back to Basics Marketing
   Philosophy
    –   The owner of Bayside began as an Independent Contractor
        with the theory “if people got to know her well enough they
        would feel comfortable buying from her”
    –   Decided to retry this philosophy.
                Marketing Yourself

   Creating Awareness
    –   Distributing fliers children’s school, local merchants,
        doctors’ offices, supermarkets, the train station, post
        office, etc
    –   Focus on your strengths “personalized services
        including at-home consultations”
                 Personal Contacts

   Join local trade associations, business groups, etc.
   Example – Pelham Chamber of Commerce
    –   Joined the Chamber
    –   Developed business relationship with its past president
    –   Opened a “virtual” office based at his realty office
    –   Provided owner an address, phone number and an identity in
        the area
    –   Participating in the Chamber’s local street fair to obtain
        wonderful leads for her mailing list
                Developing a Niche

   Owner developed a reputation as a Family
    Travel Specialist
    –   Held a “Family Travel Trade Show”
    –   Invited prospects from a mailing list of families with
        a target income level in certain zip codes
    –   Invited suppliers like Carnival, Beaches and FDR
           Leave No Stone Unturned

   Leave No Stone Unturned –
   Bayside Travel has used every opportunity to market
    itself. Here are some examples:
    –   Joining Vacation.com and their Level II Engagement direct
        mail opportunities.
    –   Hosting monthly Sandals/Beaches nights at their offices which
        are advertised on the Knot.com
    –   » Advertising and writing a monthly feature in the Larchmont
        Ledger, the Harrison Herald and the Pelham Post
    –   Advertise in the Community Directory offered by Real Estate
        agents to new home buyers
    –   » Hiring a French speaking agent to service the heavily
        French-influenced neighborhood
    Preferred Supplier Partnerships

   Work with your suppliers
    –   Bayside arranged and hosted a number of travel events
   Include these elements
    –    Partnering with preferred suppliers to help increase sales and
        promote the products she sells
    –   Running a grand prize drawing with prizes donated by
        preferred suppliers which helps increase attendance
    –   Leveraging personal relationships to acquire space at local
        meeting halls and mailing lists
    –   Working with preferred suppliers to attend their consumer
        trade shows as the exclusive travel agent for suppliers
        Rethink Your Business Model

   Bayside Travel realized that they needed to adjust their
    business to focus on their core clients
   Closed storefront which had been in the same area for
    40 years
   Downsized the Bayside operation to a suite, becoming
    “Appointment Only”
   Every event is a marketing opportunity
    –   Mailed to their customer database with a gift certificate
        towards a package to announce the move
                     Insights

   You must keep yourself and your company
    continuously in the mind of the consumer
   Communication is as important with your
    customers as selling to them
   Recognize the value of the relationships you
    have with those in your sphere of influence –
    customers as well as suppliers
   Don’t sit and wait for people to come to you
    ASTA – Hyatt Best Practices
      Opportunities for Profit


                                      Brought to you by
                                      ASTA and Hyatt
                                      Hotels Corporation




ASTA – Hyatt Best Practices Seminar      ASTA Southern & Western Regional –
        Saturday, April 12                          Tucson, AZ
                   Travel Junction


                  Creating a Consumer
             Benefit with Supplier Assistance

             Prepared by:Chris Russo, Owner
                    The Travel Junction

5455 W. 38th Ave., Suite L
Denver, CO 80212
303-420-4646
chrisrusso@vacation.com
www.TravelJunction.vacation.com
                      The Case

   Description
    –   Developing a way to improve clients’ travel
        experience
    –   Continue to promote the Travel Junction during
        their trip
   Actions
    –   Developed a customer benefit
    –   Created a supplier partnership
             Customer Experience

   Product Development
    –   Determine customers’ needs
    –   Improve the travel experience
    –   Provide a service
    –   Promote Travel Junction
                            Tip Money

   Created a Tip Money Envelope
    –   Convenience statement in envelope


   Economics of Envelope
    –   limited to packages with over $200 in commissions earned
            $200 – 299 in commission – $ 10 tip money
            $300 – 399 in commission – $ 15 tip money
            $400 or more – $ 20 tip money
    –   The tip money, given in crisp $1 bills
           Partnership Development

   Partner with a preferred vendor
    –   Advertises new products
    –   Creates return customer opportunities
   Cost
    –   Vendor paid for the printing and creation of the
        envelope
Sample Envelope
    ASTA – Hyatt Best Practices
      Opportunities for Profit


                                      Brought to you by
                                      ASTA and Hyatt
                                      Hotels Corporation




ASTA – Hyatt Best Practices Seminar      ASTA Southern & Western Regional –
        Saturday, April 12                          Tucson, AZ
       Associated Wayfarer Travel


          Employee Relationship Management

            Prepared by:Robbie Bush, Owner
               Associated Wayfarer Travels

1025 Coolidge Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70503
337-233-5521
Robbie@ineedatrip.com
www.ineedatrip.com
         Associated Wayfarer Travel

   Business Statistics:
    –   Years in Business: 34
        Employees: 28
        Annual Gross Sales: $10 million


   Practice
    –   Creating a positive team environment during the
        transition of an agency purchase/merger.
                      The Case

   Merger of two agencies in Lafayette, La

   -Wayfarer Travels – $3 million dollar agency, 50/50 mix
    -Associated Travel – $4 million dollar agency, 80/20
    (corporate/leisure) mix

   Associated purchased Wayfarer

   Associated Wayfarer Travels (AWT) moved all
    employees into Associated’s space
        Creating Positive Environment

   Challenge
    –   Integrating employees from two different agencies
   Actions
    –   A “Welcome” party for employees with champagne and food
    –   Changed existing pyramid business model into a horizontal
        line team approach – different employees working in teams
    –   standardize approaches raise the level of efficiency and by the
        sharing of ideas between agents, develop trust and respect
    –   Small details like lunch schedules. Changed so Associated
        and Wayfarer employees mixed by eating together in the break
        room to reduce any possibility of cliques and gossip.
      Developing New Culture


“The real surprise in the merger was the need
for a new culture with a new set of standards
that fostered growth in a positive environment.”
            Developing New Culture

   Involvement
    –   An office manual was created utilizing team meetings that
        allowed all employees to contribute
   Technology
    –   Technically, the agency adopted Microsoft Office 2000 and
        held classes in order to raise the level of computer literacy
    –   Templates were created for client trips, replacing paper files
        and networked so customer information was accessible to
        everyone
    –   Applied for a state grant to begin Microsoft certification and
        customer relationship management courses
               Employee Motivation

   Small things made a difference
    –   Buying lunch from a different restaurant in town every Friday
   Office Space
    –   Key was integration
    –   Used a Feng Shui consultant and an artist to design a
        workplace
    –   Elevated the staff’s environment making them proud of where
        they worked
    –   Customer party was held to “show off” the new office and the
        new “team”.
                   Sales Motivation

   Create a “team” incentive to bond the office together
   Incentives
    –   Reach $10 million in sales and associates would be rewarded
        with a dinner for everyone and a guest at Ruth’s Chris
    –   Hit $11 million and the staff would go together on a weekend
        spa trip to New Orleans complete with private bus, gourmet
        dinners and two days of spa treatments
    –   Goals were set with reasonable expectations of success
    –   Sales agents had to sell, support staff had to provide more
        selling time without sacrificing quality
    –   AWT hit almost $12 million
                           Outcomes

   2002 – Source of Pride
   Challenges
    –   September 11th, no Washington D.C. school groups (8-10% of
        revenue), zero commission
   Actions
    –   Team focused on corporate net and offshore fares; leisure
        consultation, school bus trips (instead of air) to other places
   Results
    –   $10.5 million – the steak dinner is at Ruth’s Chris!
                     Insights

   You must invest time and money into creating
    and maintaining a culture that is unique for
    your staff
   It does not have to be “traditional” but it must
    be tied to a positive financial result
   A new culture has to be created from the input
    of each person with a share in the financial
    success as a reward but a sense of high self-
    esteem as the end result
    ASTA – Hyatt Best Practices
      Opportunities for Profit


                                      Brought to you by
                                      ASTA and Hyatt
                                      Hotels Corporation




ASTA – Hyatt Best Practices Seminar      ASTA Southern & Western Regional –
        Saturday, April 12                          Tucson, AZ
              Open Discussion


   What are your best practices?
            Goals for This Week

   Think about how to motivate your staff
   Meet with a preferred supplier about a joint
    marketing program
   Examine your personal contacts to market
    yourself
   Determine if you are communicating with your
    customers – not just selling to them
                      Resource




         Complete Best Practice Listings
             www.ASTAnet.com


Specific Link http://www.astanet.com/members/bestpractices.asp
                   Thank You


          Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
     Sponsor of the Best Practices Study


For more information on Hyatt Hotels Travel Agent Programs,
   please visit www.Hyatt.com Travel Professional Section
                   or call 1-800-55-HYATT