A Trip Advisor's Best Weapon

Profile questions are key elements used by trip advisors in planning a successful trip on your behalf.

A good agent should have a variety of profile questions, at the ready.

And, the type of trip you are planning determines the sort of questions s/he asks.

Of course, there are the general types of questions designed to get basic information, such as your name, address, family matters, etc.

However, we are concerned here with the purpose and thinking behind asking certain other types of questions.

Think of me as your "behind the scene" trip advisor as I take you through the process.

General comment: it is important to know that you should have cause for concern if your agent does not ask you certain types of profile questions.

You should wonder if the commitment is there to meet your needs and to solve potential problems (hassles), you might encounter.

What are these "certain other types" of questions, mentioned above?

The First Aim of a trip advisor is to gather information to get an understanding of "lifestyle". What do I mean by lifestyle?

This requires a bit of explaining.

I would not directly ask you (nor would you likely provide) information about how much money you make, how much you paid for previous trips/vacations, your credit card limits, if you are taking a spouse, significant other, or some one else.

Ok, Ok, I am going too far, but you get the point.

I need to learn certain information without necessarily asking you direct questions. As your professional travel planner, I am committed to satisfying your needs and helping you solve problems.

I ask lifestyle questions in order to provide you with excellent service - service far beyond your expectations.

After we have worked together on several trips, I may not need to ask certain questions again.

The Second Aim of a trip advisor is to use the information gathered (profiled) during the first stage to recommend (not now, but later) no more than three possible vacation/trip choices.

How do I know what to recommend? That depends on your answers during the first stage.

Take cruising for example. If your answers suggest high income, a person who has previously taken vacations at luxury hotels and locations, I would likely recommend a luxury cruise.

This of course would cost more money, but based on my profile of you, I have a good idea you can afford it.

I do not ask you directly how much money you make, how much you can afford, or how much you want to pay. Instead, I ask questions designed to determine your past vacation profile.

Your past behaviors are good predictors to use as a starting point for what I may recommend.

In addition, I would not recommend more than three choices because I do not want to make it difficult for you to make a decision.

I give you more than one choice because I want to provide you with a choice between something and something, rather than something and nothing. You may choose nothing.

However, more than three choices may create indecision.

The Third Aim of a trip advisor is to identify areas that may cause you problems (hassles).

Once the areas are identified, a trip advisor (travel agent) volunteers to assist you. Yes, I did say volunteer. You should not have to ask. After all, you do not know what assistance you may need. You are not the professional.

Identify the travel planner that's right for you, and enjoy hassle free trip planning.

Happy Traveling!

Continue This Page - Part 2