9 Steps to Strong Client Relations

by Monique Burns August 12, 2014

Most travel professionals have developed strategies for bonding with clients, but it never hurts to take a few pages from other agents’ playbooks. Here are some tried-and-true ideas for keeping client relationships strong – and profitable.

1. Get personal on your website.
Use your website to introduce yourself to clients. The more personal you are, the better.

Jennifer Doncsecz, owner of VIP Vacations, Inc., a TRAVELSAVERS agency in Bethlehem, Penn., uses cute candid photos of her agents with short boxes listing their favorite destinations, songs and drinks.

“On mine, it says my favorite drink is a Cosmo,” said Doncsecz. “One of my clients, Mike, also likes Cosmos, and he said, ‘That’s why I went with you.’”

2. Track client preferences so you can exceed expectations.
“We ask clients questions in the first interview and get information like their airline mileage-program numbers, the kind of wine they like, whether they’re vegetarians or have any other dietary needs,” said Laura Lukasik of Viking Travel Service in Westmont, Ill., an Ensemble agency.

“When clients call the second time, we can offer unique options they might not have thought about.”

3. Recognize milestone events with handwritten notes.
Besides giving agents a chance to suggest trips, milestone events allow agents to reach out in a friendly way and say, “I’m thinking of you.”

An agent at VIP Vacations who has graphic design experience creates one-of-a-kind cards for client birthdays, anniversaries and other special events.

Since much of the agency’s business is honeymoons and destination weddings, her agency sends out a lot of baby cards. “We usually find out if there’s been a birth through Facebook. We also double-check with clients on their anniversaries to see if there’s been a birth in the family,” Doncsecz said.

Recognizing difficult times is important too. “If I find out there was a death in the family, I’ll send a card to say, ‘We’re praying for you. We’re thinking of you,’” said Laura Lukasik of Viking Travel Service in Westmont, Ill., an Ensemble agency.

4. Use social media creatively.
Doncsecz creates opportunities for clients to interact with her Facebook page, asking them to post their testimonials, then rewards them for their efforts.

“We have something called Throwback Thursdays, when we put clients’ testimonials and their pictures on our Facebook page. They get a little gift bag filled with stuff we’ve collected from suppliers – Jamaican coffee, luggage tags, sunglasses with company logos.

“We also create our own VIP Vacations beach bags and ask clients to take pictures of themselves in destinations with our beach bags.”

5. Make time for face time.
There’s no substitute for in-person contact when it comes to building relationships.

“I don’t mail everything. If I can get clients to come into the office to pick up documents, I do,” said Kathy Burns Lamphier, owner of Posh Travel Ltd. in Greenland, N.H., a Virtuoso agency. “They’re seeing my face, they’re seeing my golden retriever, and we’re bonding.

Some agents also do lunch, cocktails or dinner with clients, especially high-end ones. Others throw parties. (See sidebar.)

6. Stay in touch.
Find simple ways to maintain contact with clients on an ongoing basis.

“If we find an article in a travel magazine or in The New York Times that catches our eye, we’ll photocopy it and send it to the client with a Post-it note saying, ‘Just thought you’d be interested,’” said Lamphier. “They’re thrilled to get them. Little things like that mean a lot.”

7. Go the extra mile.
Sometimes you have to go the distance to build good relationships. “We’ve gone as far as watching a client’s dog so he could go on a trip,” recalled Lukasik of Viking Travel Service.

“My client had been in a car accident, had gone to the hospital, had been through therapy. This was one of those goal trips that his wellness hinged on. At the last minute, the person who was supposed to take care of his dog pulled out. My client was going to cancel his trip to St. Thomas.

“I couldn’t take it away from him. It was just appropriate that I step up to the plate.”

8. Do the unexpected.
“I had a customer traveling to Amsterdam, and I couldn’t get them decent seats on KLM,” Lamphier recalled. “It cost $40 to get them moved from Row 45 to Row 17. So, I upgraded them and paid for it.

“I explained to them that I didn’t want them to be in Row 45 next to the restroom. I wanted them to know I’d done it. I didn’t want them to think that KLM did it.

“They were paying $30,000 to $40,000 for a family trip. It was a nice gesture on my part.”

9. Give a gift.
“We buy colored jute bags with two-tone handles and tie a fancy ribbon around them,” said Lamphier. “All the clients’ documents are printed out, and we put them in a little travel bag. Clients love it.”

Lukasik gives out luggage straps imprinted with her agency’s name, as well as binoculars and insulated water bottles. “We’ve just ordered luggage scales since everybody seems to be getting caught with overweight luggage these days.”

Being affiliated with a travel agency consortium or marketing group helps agents secure welcome baskets and other gifts for clients. “Most of the time, if I call a vendor and say, ‘I’m an Ensemble agent, and it’s Mary Jo’s birthday, that client is going to get a special gift,” Lukasik said.