Ask-An-Advisor: A Supplier Messed Up. Is There Anything I Can Do to Make It Up to My Client?

by Daniel McCarthy / September 06, 2024

This is 2024’s third edition of TMR’s Ask an Advisor series, a regular column where a team of travel advisors tackles questions from others in the industry. All questions from this series have been submitted by readers and vetted by the TMR editorial team. The third 2024 question comes from an advisor wanting to find some way to keep a client’s relationship strong after a supplier didn’t come through.

Dear Panel,
A supplier I used for a FIT trip recently ended up messing up big time with my clients. It wasn’t one big problem, but lots of little ones. I know my clients feel burned but the supplier isn’t willing to do anything. Is there anything I can do to make it up to my client? Or am I simply out of luck? What would you do?

Angela Hughes, CEO, Trips & Ships Luxury Travel

First and foremost, clients want to feel heard. It’s crucial to acknowledge the issues they faced, even if they were minor, as their collective impact could have significantly affected the overall experience of their trip. Ensure that your clients know you understand their frustration and empathize with their situation.

Even if the supplier isn’t willing to offer any compensation, consider offering a gesture of goodwill on your part. This could be a partial refund from your commission, a future travel credit, or a small gift to show your appreciation for their patience. It’s less about the monetary value and more about demonstrating your commitment to making things right.

Keep the lines of communication open with the supplier. If they initially refuse to compensate, consider escalating the issue to a higher authority within the company. Provide a detailed account of the problems and how they impacted your client’s experience. Sometimes, a supplier may reconsider after understanding the full extent of the issue.

Use this as a learning experience to reassess your supplier relationships. Consider whether this supplier is reliable enough for future bookings or if it might be time to explore other options to prevent similar issues from occurring again.

Angela Hughes, CEO of Trips & Ships Luxury Travel and Luxury Travel University, is a trailblazer in the luxury travel industry. She leads a talented team of advisors, curating bespoke, high-end travel experiences that exceed client expectations. Angela’s passion for travel and education is evident in her work with Luxury Travel University, where she empowers professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the luxury travel market.

Jennifer Doncsecz, CTIE, President, VIP Vacations Inc

First, I would tell your clients that you are advocating for them. Without knowing the specifics of what the supplier did, if you have certain assurances and items in writing from the supplier that demonstrates that mistakes were made on their part, I suggest you take your issues “up the ladder” with the supplier. When you speak with the supplier, show them where things were done incorrectly and request a “goodwill gesture”.

Additionally, if you are part of a consortia and this supplier is a preferred vendor, I would reach out to your consortia to request a key contact at this supplier for you to work with and enlist your consortia to help you. Finally, if this supplier doesn’t do anything to rectify what happened, you should most definitely not use them again.

Jennifer is a nationally recognized travel expert. As president of VIP Vacations Inc., Jennifer has distinguished herself as one of the top travel agents in America. Having received numerous industry awards, Jennifer uses her position to educate consumers as well as travel professionals on how to create amazing memories through travel.

Melinda Fortunato, Owner, Best Travel

Answer: It’s disappointing when things are not perfect, especially when we can’t control it. More than anything our clients want to be heard, acknowledged, and know that we are advocating for them.
What to do:
-Address the issue with your supplier (always in a professional way and in writing) and escalate it, when appropriate.
-Keep your client updated on the status so they know you are actively working to make it right.
-If your supplier decides that further action isn’t necessary, inform your client and apologize. A handwritten note goes a long way in thanking our clients for their business and showing how much we care.

What not to do:
-Sometimes advisors want to refund out of their commission or buy gifts to make up for other’s mistakes. If WE make a mistake, we need to own it and make it right. However, it’s not good business practice to pay for mistakes that we don’t own.
– Do not bash your partners publicly or on social media. You may decide not to work with them anymore, but don’t burn bridges.

For future, remind your clients pre-travel to remain flexible during travel. Make sure that your clients have contact information for the suppliers, drivers, tour guides, etc so problems can be resolved in the moment. Remind your clients to let you know as problems arise DURING travel, not after, so you can help resolve it without their vacation being disrupted.

Melinda Fortunato is a passionate travel advisor in the Washington DC area with over 10 years of experience and a lifetime of travel experience as a military wife and child. She is the owner of Best Travel, a luxury travel agency that provides high-touch service and custom travel planning. Melinda actively advocates for the travel advisor industry as a Champion for Women of Travel Leaders, ASTA Mentorship Committee member, Nexion Advisory Board, and Past President of the ASTA Central Atlantic Chapter.