Agents Bark Back at Sandals Resorts Representative's 'Arrogant' Comments. By Joe Pike. In early March, Travel Agent published an article in which we conducted an interview with Kevin Froemming, president at Unique Vacations Inc. If you didn't happen to see the comments section below the story, Travel Agent figured we'd share some of the most impressive and passionate responses from agents. First allow us to give you the back story. Sandals announced in March the company’s decision to tweak its . Mainly, a host of agents are upset that the program, as of March 1, now requires written consent from the clients before the agent receives the commission. Other amendments that aren’t sitting well with some Sandals specialists are a new rule prohibiting agents from transferring the bookings to any tour operator and another capping these commissions at 1. There is not one property anywhere else that has this program. That’s $4. 00- $5. If that’s not worth a phone call, if that’s too much to ask of an agent, then they are not in the right business. If it’s burdensome for an agent to call their clients, if that one hour on the phone isn’t worth $4.
Vacation Planner Find The Sandals That is right for you; Compare Resorts Our Resorts are Uniquely Different. My coworkers have tried them on and as soon as they slipped them on they were amazed at the comfort as well. Solstice sandals are slated to come back into stock at least once. Affiliate Program; Retail Licensing; Blog. And that comment didn't sit too well with agents. One agent, identified only by the name, . Your arrogant comment of just making a simple call to earn $4. Your (Soon Come Back) program has always been more of a headache than it was worth. I am happy to call my clients any time to discuss ideas and options. With that said, if Sandals wants everything all inclusive, then they should include notification to the travel professional of a booking made on this program directly by Sandals to that travel professional on behalf of that person, as a courtesy. Cruises let you know that someone has put down a deposit. Just like politicians, Mr. Froemming speaks without concerns for those who put him there in the first place. He is obviously too far removed from caring about anything else, but himself and if he actually ever was in the position of the travel agent and not a figurehead of a company, he might figure out a way to re- track that statement. Several of Sandals’ top- producing agents were flown to Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma, The Bahamas, to discuss their concerns about the rule changes. Convened by Stewart following announced changes to Sandals’ Soon Come Back program, the meeting provided a forum for discussion between the resort company and the partners they deem critical to their success. There can be no misunderstanding in our motives, all actions we take to improve the customer experience at Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts are considered through the lens of our travel agent partners,” said Stewart in a written statement. According to Michelle Dion, ? For agents working towards the goals to attain it, the tool box is diminishing. If you're a top producer now, the company will likely keep them happy and restructure to provide them the top commissions. If you're not a top producer, you'll have a harder climb up and with fewer commissions, less marketing prospects to encourage that. Agents unhappy with changes to Sandals returning- guest program: Travel Weekly. Recent policy changes in a program run by Sandals Resorts International have caused an outcry among a number of Sandals- selling agents. The March 1 changes in the Soon Come Back program, which protects agent commissions on future bookings made by clients during a resort stay, cap these commissions at 1. The cap primarily affects Sandals' top- volume producers in the Chairman. The new rules require agency clients to send written instructions to Unique Vacations to indicate that they want the booking transferred to their agent. The changes are not sitting well with some agents, including the 1. Travel Agents of Suffolk County (TASC) on New York. Now Sandals wants to cut out our tour operator, thereby cutting our commission. Basically, they are stealing away our clients from us. Will it be the cruise lines who will cut our commissions when our clients book another cruise while sailing with them? Other suppliers might feel they don. We have found they do not offer better deals than what our agency can find, and our clients waste precious vacation time sitting at a desk without access to comparable rates. Maybe we took Soon Come Back for granted. All things change, and we have to change with them. Whatever Sandals has to do to stay alive and competitive in the marketplace, they must do.
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