Agent Insights: Wish You Were Here Vacations
Published on Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Katina Bradley, of Wish You Were Here Vacations, specializes in cruises, multigenerational, and group travel vacation packages. She's been a RoamRight partner since 2013 and takes travel insurance seriously. RoamRight interviewed Katina to learn more about how she sells travel insurance to her clients and why she chose us as her travel insurance provider.
Tell us a little about your travel agency.
Wish You Were Here Vacations, LLC is a small agency that partnered with some of the biggest names in the industry so that we can bring our clients the best of both worlds: amazing, personalized service along with the perks and price breaks that often come with the buying power a larger agency or consortia can bring.
Why did you become a travel agent?
I have always wanted to be in travel. Way back when I was in high school it was my profession of choice. When I spoke to my guidance counselor about it, she told me there was thing coming called the “internet” and it would make agents obsolete. Boy, was she wrong!
A few years ago, my husband and I got to where we could travel more. We booked a couple cruises on board and then started to shop for an agent that could give us some personalized service, was an expert in what we wanted, but was also able to throw in some extras. I could not find a good fit. I either found lots of perks with big online agencies, but I wanted a real person. We started looking into how to be what we wanted for ourselves for others. Four years later our business has grown leaps and bounds.
Do you always offer your clients travel insurance?
Every single one. At least once and often more than once.
How do you approach your clients about the topic of travel insurance?
I usually start by just including a quote. If we are on the phone I will say something like, “And of course the insurance is $XX”. If they balk at the issue, I try to find out why. Perhaps it’s just that they never got it before and haven’t needed it – that is the most common. I find that by educating the clients, letting them know their medical probably won’t be covered by their current plan if they leave the country, that alone is often enough to convince them.
Can you tell us about a time when travel insurance helped you or a client?
I tell clients that the amount they pay for insurance is the one part of their trip that they don’t have to make the most of – or even use at all. I find the peace of mind they get when they have it (and I get knowing they have it) is more than worth the minimal cost. One of the first policies I booked was for a client doing a cruise with her sister. They were in their early 60’s, both very spry and very healthy. The one client who booked and paid for everything ended having a calamity at work and was going to miss the trip. We had her booked with RoamRight's Pro Plus plan and she got every penny she paid back. I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve really had very few claims ever filed by my clients and I’d like to keep it that way. But when I have, they have been handled professionally and quickly.
When you tell a client that a $50,000 charge for an air evacuation is a conservative estimate, it helps them see the value.
How do you maximize your travel insurance sales?
I offer it every single time, at least once. I share personal experiences like the one above or the one about the mom and son from Ohio, when the boy had his appendix burst in Mexico. I’m not really going with scare tactics; I just don’t think people are really educated about what things cost. When you tell a client that a $50,000 charge for an air evacuation is a conservative estimate, it helps them see the value. Also, every email I send out ends with a recommendation for travel insurance, and when someone has declined I add that to the email too.
I also always help the client find the right coverage. Most of the time that is the Pro Plus plan with RoamRight. Sometimes it is the vendor coverage. I make sure they know I have their best interest in mind and not my bottom line.
Why did you choose RoamRight as your travel insurance provider?
The service I have received, especially from Lisa Minton is spectacular. Head and shoulders above anyone else.
What advice do you have for other travel agents looking to earn extra through travel insurance?
Don’t be afraid to mention it. Don’t be afraid to mention it again. It isn’t just an upsell, it really does bring value and peace of mind.