These span tour operators, cruise lines, accommodation suppliers, airlines, bed banks and experience platforms, to name but a few examples.
But while such wide variety allows agents to fine tune their clients’ holidays to the finest detail, safe in the knowledge there’s likely to be something out there for even the most discerning or picky of customers, it can be overwhelming – or even lead to choice paralysis for client and agent alike.
TTG spoke to several agents who have started reducing the number of suppliers they work with to prioritise those brands that better align with their needs and values, and to allow them to forge deeper relationships with supplier partners. Here’s what they had to say.
It’s all about the relationship
Daniel Hyman, co-founder of homeworking agency Blue Den Travel, says there are many perks to working with a smaller pool of companies – including access to more advantageous deals.
"You’re not going to be a top 10 seller of some of these big brands, but you could easily be up there if you make £100,000 worth of sales for a smaller operator,” he tells TTG. “And then you’re going to get better commercial terms than you would doing the same level of business for some of these mass market operators.”
Hyman also highlights how a closer agent-supplier relationship can benefit the customer, bringing more care and expertise and allowing both parties to service each booking better.
Travel Counsellor Marie Rowe agrees. "The best thing about working with fewer suppliers is the relationship you build with them – you have someone who knows you, so you’re probably going to get quicker, better service.
“Moreover, operators can get to know both you and your clientele better, so when they produce itineraries, they know straight away what and what not to include."
Balancing values and financials
Rowe, a TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassador, reveals she applies a strict set of criteria when it comes to choosing which suppliers she works with, prioritising brands that align with her values while also offering the best possible customer service.
"Personally, I have looked to streamline my core list of go-to suppliers this year as part of an evaluation of partners who focus on sustainability and fit my business ethos,” she explains.
Rowe adds being approachable and showing willingness to look after agents, not just their clients, were key values she seeks out in a supplier. Similarly, Darrell Toakley Williams, manager of Darrell James Travel, prioritises working with companies who are easily reachable.
He tells TTG it’s also very important that suppliers have a 24-hour customer helpline, and that the documentation they send over for clients is clear and precise – not just a scattered collection of emails.
Another agent, speaking on condition of anonymity, shares Toakley Williams’s frustrations. "Sometimes, we get completely incoherent documents," they say. "And we’re expected by law to pass them on, but some of these documents are not good enough to be passed on to the customer.”
Before choosing a supplier partner, this agent carries out their own background checks – such as examining their accounts – to verify whether they consider the business to be on stable financial footing.
"I check their financials to see if I believe the business will still be around in 12 months’ time and therefore whether my commission will still be available,” the agent says. "I then prioritise margins, including after any adjustments on what is not commissionable, as well as the discounts needed for price parity."
’Morals over money’
But how can agents deal with customers keen to book with a supplier they don’t work with? For the agents TTG has spoken to, the first thing is trying to switch-sell them to another supplier – and potentially even then to refer them on to someone else.
"If a customer requests to book with a company we don’t work with, we would either try to switch-sell them, or if they insisted we wouldn’t lose the business, we would try to get in touch with the supplier,” says Toakley Williams.
"If someone was very keen to book a company we had major issues with, I would just tell them we don’t sell that [supplier] and if they then don’t want to book with us, that’s fine. I don’t want to take on something I know I’m going to have an issue with down the line.”
Meanwhile, Rowe tells TTG she won’t compromise her values, or put "morals over money", for the sake of business. "It depends on why I don’t work with them [a specific supplier],” she says.
“If it’s because they breach my personal animal welfare policy, or there are other reasons why it’s not morally right for me to book through them, I would tell the client and then try to switch-sell them. If that isn’t possible, I have plenty of colleagues who would be more than happy to take these customers’ business.”
Sometimes, you just have to move on
When asked about how to go about reducing the number of suppliers they work with, agents tell TTG it’s important to remember they are these suppliers’ clients, not the other way round.
"Suppliers sometimes forget there are other companies out there selling very similar products,” says Toakley Williams. “If you’re not getting the service [you expect] you can just move on to someone else.”
For Hyman, agents looking to streamline their partnerships also need to think about their financial situation, and potential focus on booking fewer but higher-value holidays.
"If you can work out how to sell between 200 and 400 holidays a year and earn a good living, then that will inform your reasoning behind which operators you need to work with,” he reasons.
Rowe, meanwhile, is urging other agents to remember both the business and customers are theirs, and to therefore work only with trustworthy partners aligned with their ethos.
"It’s really important, especially at a time when travel agents are trying to be more niche, to stay true to your values when you’re selling travel,” she adds.
Have you reduced the number of suppliers you work with? Let us know in the comments below, or email feedback@ttgmedia.com with your thoughts.
