Disney Travel Advisor Spends Newfound Downtime Helping Others
by Jessica Montevago /![Disney Travel Advisor Spends Newfound Downtime Helping Others](https://i0.wp.com/wp.travelmarketreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/171589430766467823a12c0.jpeg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1)
“Even though I’ve had business down, it has been great to go and give back to others,” Brittney Smith told Travel Market Report. Photo: Shutterstock
Brittney Smith, at Main Street Memories, an affiliate of CTC, primarily books Disney destinations, so the past few weeks have been slow for business.
“Basically, until the parks reopen and the ships sail again, things stand still for a minute,” she said. “I think people are optimistic for fall and want to travel the minute parks open, otherwise people are just trying to see how it unfolds.”
So Smith decided to use her newfound downtime to help others and give back to her community. She’s volunteered to read children story books and share them with teachers, so they can have some much needed assistance as they navigate remote teaching, as well as organize drive through school lunches for kids that would not get a meal otherwise.
Smith also helped a big drive on social media, collecting money for sponsoring boxes of Girl Scout cookies that were then donated to doctors and nurses at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where they’ve been testing coronavirus antibodies.
“Even though I’ve had business down, it has been great to go and give back to others,” she told Travel Market Report.
Remaining positive, in business and in life, is in Smith’s nature. As for business, she said travel agents have “gone through hard things before, and we’ll go through hard things again, and be all the better for it.”
Smith said she has about 60/40% cancellations to rebooking, and even though she’s had a fair amount of cancellations, her client’s say they want to book, but they just don’t know when.
After 10 years in business, Smith has clients who she planned their honeymoons, their wedding anniversaries, and their first trip with children. She’s connected with her clients on an emotional level.
“You just have to take it one day at a time. It’s a little bit of an emotional thing I have to keep in check,” she said. “It’s disappointing for people, so it’s disappointing for me. In some cases I’ve planned these vacations for two years, so I’m very invested. I’m invested in these people emotionally.”
Smith said she has a good social media following, and is using it to stay in touch with clients, but for some email is best, and others she just has to pick up the phone and call.
“I’m not marketing right now from a sales perspective, but I’m keeping myself relevant and top of mind for people. Part of it is I’m communicating that I’m still here and available, I’m not sales pitching but letting them know I will be when they’re ready,” Smith said, adding she’s already had a couple of new bookings for October and November.
Just as she’s invested in her clients, they too, have expressed concern for her. “People have been so gracious and I’m honestly surprised how many, from the very beginning, have been reaching out in support of my business, asking how I’m doing and how they know this will affect me.”
This whole experience, Smith said, has reinforced the value travel advisors bring to the table.
“Personally, I’ve spent hours – I can’t even tell you the number of hours – on hold for one client. Yesterday alone, I was on hold for nearly two hours, just to have one question answered. When you multiply that by each question, each concern, it frees time the guest doesn’t have to spend time on the phone. And we have those relationships with suppliers, so I can say ‘Hey, we have been waiting a long time for this and I need answers.”
Smith said Disney has been an excellent partner throughout all of this, “they’ve been very understanding and accommodating, I think, especially considering the volume. Sometimes we forget – you’ve got a lot of things at play here, and they’ve been great from a travel agent perspective and a guest perspective.”
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