It is time, don't you think, for travel agents in the throes of evolution to finally say that there are things we need from our employers and from our clients. Most of us now recognize that we will be replaced by a device our clients can fit in the palm of their hands or, looking ahead, perhaps it will be a device inserted in one's nasal cavity. In order to succeed, we are going to have to choose a path through the heavily wooded forest of techno trees to emerge unscathed.
And you know what? At the end of that path I am seeing streaming sunlight in the form of a new generation of agents turned consultants and consultants turned trusted family advisers.
We've been talking about this evolution in these pages for the past five years, but now the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Forbes and USA Today have all made note of the fact that consumers are, in ever-increasing numbers, "coming back to travel agents." They are waiting for us, just ahead, where the trail ends as we enter the clearing.
Much of the deadwood is gone. The industry has a higher percentage of professionals than at any time in the last three decades, and the consumer press has finally started to notice that we can be dream-makers, problem-solvers and hassle-removers of genuine value. But as much as our press coverage has improved, I suspect our self-image has not. We've been beaten down so much that sometimes we forget that we are the architects of the finest moments of our client's lives.
So perhaps it is time to feel good about ourselves and our future. Perhaps it is time to vocalize the fact that we are entitled to certain levels of respect for the valuable work that we do.
A really wonderful agent recently told me, "Richard, it's actually getting to the point where I sometimes tell the person seated next to me on an aircraft what I really do for a living. I used to say I was in ladies' shoes, since it was technically correct."
The travel agent has been beaten down for many years. But a new sense of pride and self-respect in what we do and how we serve is emerging. That is why I think this is the right time to suggest a document we might call our professional bill of rights.
The travel consultant's bill of rights
• I have the right to be fairly compensated for my time. In 2011, the average travel agent with full computer skills and two years of industry experience earned $29,000. That works out to just under $14 an hour. I have the right to do what I need to do to maximize my income. I have the right to be compensated for my research and advice as well as for making bookings.
• I have the right to work in a nonabusive environment. Dreams are best created in an atmosphere of calm and professionalism. Those who belittle, scream or punish have no understanding of what it means to create a series of special moments. I also have the right to receive the same level of courtesy and respect I demonstrate to my clients each and every day.
• I have the right to be successful and independent. I can work for myself, or I can be part of your team. But either way, I will exercise my right to be truly successful. This means that I have the right to expand my horizons as I see fit, and I have the right to work in my home or out of the corner table at Starbucks if that is my desire.
• I have the right to be truthful with my clients. Management that doesn't tolerate downside as well as upside discussion of a travel product does not deserve to have me on staff. My clients and my colleagues will judge me by my seriousness of purpose, my dedication to my craft and the truthfulness of the advice I provide. I have the right to work for management that supports my goals.
• I have the inalienable right to say, "I don't know, but I will find out for you quickly." I have made a choice to sell the world and to know as much as possible about its mountains, lakes, rivers, peoples, cultures, hotels, attractions and dining options. So, given that, I have earned the right to say, "I don't know."
• I have the right to learn from my mistakes. I can't see the entire world with my own eyes, and sometimes there might be a lapse of accuracy in what I find online. I will make mistakes. And that is just fine. But I won't repeat them, and that's also fine.
• I have the right to fire an abusive client. I know abuse when I see it, and I have the right to work in a "zero-abuse tolerance" work environment. I also have the right to help my employer by pointing out those clients who are a drain on our time and who might be adversely affecting our profits.
• I have the right to expect honest feedback and product descriptions from suppliers I support. That means pointing out the better rooms, the worst cabins and specific strategies to make my clients glad they know me.
• I have the right to my own free time. I am not a 7-Eleven franchise, and I am not open all night. But I will always be available for true emergencies. I have the right to keep careful records of the time I spend on each file, and I assert my right to charge accordingly.
• I have the right to strive to become the best possible travel consultant I can be. Management needs to acknowledge this right. But the responsibility to do it all and to learn it all is mine. I accept that responsibility.
Contributing editor Richard Turen owns Churchill and Turen, a vacation-planning firm that has been named to Conde Nast Traveler's list of the World's Top Travel Specialists since the list began. Contact him at rturen@travelweekly.com.