Thola i-ejenti efanele

Uma ubhukha ithikithi lendiza elilula noma igumbi ehhotela olazi kahle, ungase ungamdingi umenzeli. Kodwa ohambweni oluyinkimbinkimbi, izinkambo, ukuhamba ngomkhumbi nohambo olubizayo, i-ejenti ingonga isikhathi, ubuhlungu benhliziyo - futhi yebo, ngisho nemali.

Iqhinga liwukuthola ofanelana nezidingo zakho.

Okokuqala, ama-ejenti akhokhelwa kanjani kulezi zinsuku?

Senze ucwaningo oluningi, endaweni kanye nakuzwelonke. Ezigabeni zokuhamba lapho amakhomishini asakhokhelwa - njengokuhamba ngomkhumbi nolunye uhambo - ama-ejenti amaningi azokweluleka futhi abhukhe uhambo lwakho mahhala.

Kodwa lapho kudingeka uhambo olungokwezifiso, noma lapho kungekho khomishini ezokhokhwa abahlinzeki, ama-ejenti amaningi manje akhokhisa imali yokubonisana noma yokubhuka engasukela ku-$25 kuya ku-$250 (nakuba iningi libonakala lingama-$100 noma ngaphansi). Uma ubhukha uhambo, izindleko zokubonisana zivame ukusetshenziswa ezindlekweni zohambo lwakho.

Ukubhuka amathikithi endiza alula usebenzisa i-ejenti cishe akukufanele; abanye bakhokhisa imali efinyelela ku-$50 ithikithi ngalinye. Kodwa ngokwandayo, abahambi bazimisele ukukhokha u-$50 kuya ku-$100 ukuze i-ejenti ihlele ithikithi lamahhala elihamba njalo elingafaka amahora ambalwa ocingweni, kusho uNina Meyer, umphathi wezokungcebeleka eTraveLeaders eCoral Gables, Fla.

Iseluleko sakhe: Buza ngeshejuli yemali ekhokhwayo - ngaphambi kokuthi uhlelele umsebenzi.

Imisebenzi

Abenzeli abaningi manje bakhethekile ohlotsheni lohambo noma izindawo ezimbalwa, ukuze bakwazi ukunikeza izeluleko ezinolwazi lwangempela kanye nesevisi yomuntu siqu.

Futhi ngakho banokuxhumana. Lokho kuxhumana kungase kukungenise ehhotela "elidayisiwe", ukuthuthukiswa kwehhotela, isaphulelo. Futhi bangase bakutholele intengo yehhotela eshibhile kunaleyo oyoyithola ku-inthanethi.

“Amazwe ambalwa afana ne-Italy, iSpain, iBrithani - awehlise ngempela amanani awo ukuze ahambele ama-ejenti okugqugquzela indawo okuyiwa kuyo. Sibone amanani okugibela ewebhu kuphela angaphezu kuka-$40 ngaphezu kwalokho engingakuthola njenge-ejenti,” kusho uGabrielle Conea weCorporate Leisure Specialists eNorth Miami Beach.

Ungayithola Kanjani I-ejenti

Buza nxazonke. Isincomo sakho esihle kakhulu kungenzeka sivela kumngane noma isihambi esihamba naye osondela eholidini ngendlela efanayo nawe owenza ngayo.

Uma uhambo lwakho lubheke phezulu, zama amalungu e-Virtuoso (www.virtuoso.com) kanye ne-Ensemble (www.ensembletravel.com). Lawa ama-consortia amalungu awo e-ejenti asebenza ngokukhethekile kwezokuvakasha okunethezeka futhi atshala imali emfundweni eqhubekayo ukuze azigcine enolwazi lwakamuva.

"Abasebenzi bethu bahambe kahle kakhulu," kusho okhulumela uVirtuoso uMisty Ewing.

Kodwa kuthiwani ngomuntu ohamba ngezinga eliphansi lentengo? Yebo, ama-ejenti azokwamukela - kodwa futhi, uzodinga ukukhokha imali.

Ungazithola kanjani? I-American Society of Travel Agents isingatha amawebhusayithi amabili. Ku-www.astanet.com, ungasesha umenzeli oseduze nawe. Ku-www.travelsense.org, ungasesha i-ejenti ngendawo yobuchwepheshe.

I-Travel Institute, ehlinzeka ngezifundo ezikhethekile zama-ejenti, iphinda ifake ohlwini ochwepheshe abaqeqeshiwe nayo. Iya ku-www.thetravelinstitute.com; chofoza okuthi “Ulwazi Lwabahambi” phezulu ekhasini.

I-Cruise Lines Industry Association nayo ibala ama-agent angochwepheshe kwezohambo. Iya ku-www.clia.org; chofoza ku-"Thatha umkhumbi" ngaphansi kwekhasi.

(Khumbula, eminyakeni yama-imeyili namaselula, i-ejenti enhle ayidingi ukuhlala eduze.)

Futhi ungakhohlwa AAA. Amamephu e-TripTiks aqondene nawe ayisevisi eyodwa nje. Amahhovisi e-AAA anamamephu ajwayelekile, athengisa izincwadi zokuqondisa (futhi ngokuvamile nemithwalo), angathwebula isithombe sakho sepasipoti (mahhala emalungwini) futhi akhiphe ilayisense yokushayela yamazwe ngamazwe. Ngenkokhelo, bangasheshisa ipasipoti yakho noma isicelo se-visa, kusho umkhulumeli uMike Pina.

Ama-agent e-AAA ngokuvamile asebenza ngokukhethekile ekuhambeni komkhumbi. Futhi banikela ngamaphakheji e-Disney elungu le-AAA kuphela ahlanganisa ukuzizwisa kwamahhala kokuxoxwa kwezindaba, izindawo ezikhethekile zokubuka iziqhumane, izindawo zokupaka ezikhethwayo kanye nezaphulelo zokudlela nezokulala.

Futhi ubulungu be-AAA buhlanganisa izaphulelo emahhotela amaningi nasezindaweni ezikhangayo.

Ukuthola Okufanele

Ukuthola i-ejenti efanele kufana nokuthola udokotela noma umelaphi: Angase abe mubi kakhulu komunye umuntu, kodwa hhayi kuwe.

Ungalindeli ukuthi i-ejenti izokunikeza isikhathi sayo mahhala. Qonda ukuthi uma engakhokhiwe ikhomishini ngabahlinzeki, uzodinga ukukukhokhisa. Futhi noma ngabe uthola ikhomishini, ufuna ukuzizwa ukhululekile ukuthi iseluleko yisona esilungele wena - hhayi lokho okuzomzuzisa kakhulu. Inkokhelo isiza kuleveli leyo nkambu.

Enkampanini enkulu, hlangana kuqala nomphathi wezokungcebeleka, uphakamisa u-Nina Meyer we-TraveLeaders e-Coral Gables. Angakwazi ukuxoxa nawe kafushane, bese ekuqondisela kumenzeli olingana kahle.

Nansi imibuzo okufanele uyibuze:

• Ingabe i-ejenti ike yafika lapho ofuna ukuya khona?

• Iluphi olunye ulwazi olukhethekile analo ngaleyo ndawo? (Isibonelo, ingabe useke wathatha izifundo ezikhethekile ngakho?)

• Ingabe uhambe ngendlela ofisa ukuyihamba (ngohambo lwesikebhe, uhambo oluphelezelwayo, ngephakheji noma uwedwa)?

• Yiziphi izinhlangano ezisebenzayo kanye nezinhlangano i-ejensi enazo, futhi ingabe i-ejenti inakho mathupha?

• Unesikhathi esingakanani ebhizinisini le-ejensi yezokuvakasha? I-ejensi inesikhathi esingakanani isebhizinisi?

• Ingabe iningi lamakhasimende akhe liyizihambi nje? Imindeni? Izihambi eziyinkimbinkimbi?

• Ingabe ujwayelene nenani lentengo ofuna ukuhamba ngalo?

• Yiziphi izinkonzo azenzayo, futhi yiziphi izimali azikhokhisayo ngalezo zinkonzo?

• Ingabe zikhona izinkampani angenzi nazo ibhizinisi ngokomgomo?

• Ingabe uyayithola isinxephezelo kumhlinzeki wesevisi, futhi uma kunjalo, ingabe uthola isinxephezelo esithe xaxa, ukusuka komunye umzila wokuhamba ngomkhumbi kunomunye? (Uma “engumphakeli othandwayo” onenkampani eyodwa hhayi enye, buza ukuthi kusho ukuthini lokho.)

• Ingabe ubudlelwano be-ejenti nomphakeli bungakuzuzisa izinzuzo, njengokuthuthukiswa noma amakhredithi okuvakasha?

• Ingabe i-ejenti ingakusiza ngemva kwamahora ambalwa uma kuphakama inkinga, futhi uzoyithinta kanjani? (Nokho, ungamhlukumezi lowo othintana naye. Kulondolozele izinkinga zangempela.)

Ukuxhumana kubalulekile. Umenzeli kufanele akubuze imibuzo eminingi, ukuze aqiniseke ukuthi usekhasini elifanayo. Kuleyo ngxoxo, kufanele wabelane ngolwazi olulandelayo:

• Iminyaka kanye nezintandokazi zephathi yakho. Cacisa ngangokunokwenzeka. (Uma izingane zakho ziyintsha enamandla amakhulu, enolwazi, ungacabangi ukuthi izinhlelo zezingane ezijwayelekile zizokhanga.)

• Ukuzinikela ngokwezimali kohambo.

• Ijubane lohambo lwakho. Ingabe uyasizonda isikhathi sokuphumula, noma ufuna ukuthatha izinto kancane?

• Umgomo oyinhloko. (Ukusondelana nomndeni? Ukuvakashela zonke izinhloko-dolobha zaseYurophu? Ukuphumula nokuphumula?)

• Isitayela sohambo olufisayo. Cacisa ngangokunokwenzeka.

• Isici sokuhlupheka. Ingabe uluhlobo lwesihambi esizohamba izinsuku ezimbili ukuya endaweni eyihlane? Noma ufuna ukunamathela ezindizeni eziqondile kuphela? Qiniseka ukuthi umenzeli uyaliqonda izinga lakho lokunethezeka.

Ngemva kokuxoxa, uma ungazizwa ukhululekile ngomenzeli, ungahlali naye. Buyela kumphathi wezokungcebeleka bese uchaza ukuthi kungani isimo singakhululekile. Tshela umenzeli ukuthi akuzwakali njengokulingana kahle. Noma uma unamahloni, yithi izinhlelo zakho zishintshile.

Akekho umenzeli ofuna iklayenti elinganelisekile. Futhi akekho umhambi okufanele abe neholide elibi ngoba ubengafuni ukuthi, “cha ngiyabonga.”

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