How Would You Respond To This Email From Travel Agent?

I think her response was rude. I understand the frustration of working with a client, putting in a lot of effort and time and having them take all of that information and knowledge and going elsewhere. I work 100% on commission. But still, her response was rude. I would move on if I were you.

I think there was some attitude in the email the travel agent sent and I don’t think giving customers attitude is very professional. Regardless of what everyone else thinks, she rubbed you the wrong way OP, and you shouldn’t feel like you need to keep working with her just because she is your FMIL’s friend (especially because you didn’t even ask for her help, she reached out to you). Personally I would reply thanking her for the time she spent and letting her know that you will book your own honeymoon.

Her response is a little passive aggressive but she is also protecting her time. I think the biggest thing in your email and hers is the context is missing. What you meant might not have been understood when she read it. And vice versa. I would not have thought you were backing out if I were her, but maybe she is also losing a lot of potential clients and took it a little too much to heart that you were questioning her quotes. If she can find something for you that fits better and you are still comfortable using her, then just explain that it was a misunderstanding. Ultimately, you need to do what you and FS are comfortable with.

I do think she could have worded things a little more delicately, but what she is saying is completely realistic.

If you want the guidance of a travel agent, book with her - if not, then book yourselves.

She was definitely fair. Your "hey look what I found on cheapcaribbean.com" was just as passive aggressive as her response was. You like the deal on cheapcaribbean.com better, go with that. There's a reason websites like that can afford to offer really cheap deals- it's the same as Wal-Mart versus a Ma-and-Pop shop.

You are being overly sensitive and you are being defensive in your replies now. I think she's perfectly within her rights to charge a deposit before she works with people. You made her fearful she was going to lose the sale which she depends on for her livelihood, even though she knew what she was getting into when she got into the career. She probably got screwed over one too many times by people and decided to change something about that.

I sense a tone in her e-mail. I don't buy the I work on commission line. Part of working on commission is knowing that you will do work and not always get paid. That's the risk you run with that type of business model. The fact that she works on commission is not your problem. I'd just move on and book the trip on your own.

View Quoted Comment I agree. If you work on commission you need to be very good at what you do to earn your salary. Most people who work on commission do not charge a “deposit” for their time - that would be like the car salesman charging you $50 just to talk to you and let you look at a car! I’m a teacher and I totally understand the frustration of not getting paid for all the work that you do because I work way more than my contract specifies, but that’s the nature of the job she chose.

As a side note, I have anxiety and receiving that email would have made me very upset and anxious and I would no longer want to work with that person.

View Quoted Comment Yeah I agree with this too. I feel like she can’t be that good of a travel agent if she has to make people pay a deposit, especially one that wasn’t originally mentioned. The travel agent FH and I worked with to book a cruise didn’t ask for a deposit and she didn’t get upset when my FH and I did some research on our own. She looked at what we found and gave us more advice about which hotels to stay in if we choose that itinerary, so we let her book our cruise for us even though we had found it, so she could get her commission since she had spent time helping us. But if she had been unprofessional about it like this lady was (in my opinion), we would have just booked it ourselves.

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Yeah this...

i understand the whole working-on-commission thing - it sucks, it really does, when you put in work and someone doesn't use your services/buy your product but its just part of it - sometimes you have to cut your losses and just respectfully let the client decline and walk away. but this doesnt sound like a polite response to decline here... its not your fault you are trying to overcome financial difficulty in this trying time of planning an expensive event... FH and I were just talking about this earlier this week, about how we dont even think we can afford a honeymoon at all, at least not when we wanted to take it. its not her fault or yours, and it sounds like they feel like they put in so much effort for you and wont cut losses.

i would decline their services and move on alone or with someone/somewhere else. i hope you find an amazing honeymoon without this person.

She's not working for free. She works on commission. Sometimes you close the deal and sometimes you don't. Do y'all think if you go to look at a car at a dealership you *have* to buy a car or else the salesman "worked for free?"

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Oh okay, I didn't know realtors and car salesmen charged a deposit for their expertise and time, but I guess I'll have to look into that. I guess when they have a gut instinct that they will potentially lose a client, they should threaten them with a deposit after the fact. Okay, makes sense. Thanks!

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I of course will agree with people who have my same point of view on the matter, but this is what I'm trying to say as well. This post is basically dead but I just wanted to say again...realtors and car salesmen don't usually charge a deposit for their work and I'm sure a lot of them waste time on people that come and go. My mom does it all the time as a real estate agent but she has never once became unprofessional. She just gets the hint and moves on. She knows it's the territory of the job, that is why I could never do a job like that. I understand she doesn't work for free and has every right to be upset about a client who doesn't move forward, but you don't go and threaten with a deposit after the fact. I'm not saying she isn't right to be worried and doesn't have the right to charge a deposit for future clients, but it was kind of too late to implement a policy that came into fruition after we started working with her.

Car salesmen sit with you for an hour and they eithe sell to you or they dont. Realtors make you sign an agreement that they’re your only avenue for selling your house for a certain timeframe (usually 6 months) which means if you sell they make money. They also aren’t responsible for much until you put your house on the market. This is the second vacation this woman has attempted to plan for you, which I’m sure took considerable time and energy, and you are still choosing another avenue.

No one is looking to change your opinion, but you don’t get to be this livid that some people disagree with you. You suggested you were overreacting- your comments back to people who disagree with you proves how true that is.

I would cut ties and tell her you don’t need her services. She’s in sales, and that’s how commissions work.

Real estate agents also invest a lot of time in clients, work off commission, and don’t always get the pay off if a client decides not to buy after touring houses.

Commission jobs are jobs that require you make the sale (she chose this career-and it’s not like the internet is a new development at this point), and you should not feel like it’s your fault when they don’t. As the customer, you deserve to get the best deal that meets your needs.

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Mama, I didn't say I was gonna go down a different avenue, I was gonna use the darn lady but just showed her what I found for cheaper and wanted to see if she could give me the same deal. But anyways, I'm talking about on the other end when you show them properties, mainly rentals. Trust me, I know real estate...I've worked it and a lot of my family has too. A lot of people will use you and your gas money just so you can show them a few rentals. You are taking up not only time, but gas money. And ok, I am overreacting whatever. And I can express myself any way I like, I'm not going against community guidelines. Two wrongs don't make a right, but I see people be just as snarky. And don't tell me how I can and cannot be. I love being me, overly sensitive and all. Thank you and have a wonderful Saturday.

Okay baby girl (if you’re gonna call me mama I’ll address you like the little ones who call me that). You do you, overkill and all.

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My mother is a real estate agent and has been for a very long time. You cannot also assume that all car salesmen "just spend an hour" with someone. An hour is still an hour, and sometimes people drag you along for days in that career too. Do you know how many times I hear her say, "I spent all weekend driving this couple around and they decided to use Zillow or another agent." She just lets it go or tells them good luck in their future endeavors. If there weren't "failures" in her career, she wouldn't have the success she has. I really have no great sympathy for her, it sucks, but that is why I picked a job with a base salary. Not saying her job is any less than mine, but I wouldn't be able to give people my time without being paid...but guess what, I know the type of person I am (overly sensitive and impatient) and I don't want to subject people to that.

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I'm sorry you have to work with little ones, I dislike them greatly.

View Quoted Comment The little ones I’m referring to are my daughters. I’m a stay at home mom. Obviously I’m not sorry I work with them. Thanks though.

View Quoted Comment Everyone keeps mentioning realtor and car salesmen as a comparison. If you think about it, they also have ways of trying to protect their time. When you buy a new car, the salesman or woman will come out and give you some info and answer questions and let you take the car for a test drive. But, the first thing they do when the sit own with you to talk price, is check your credit. Something end dealerships will require a credit check before even talking To people or doing test drives. To make sure you can actually afford the car you are looking at and they are not wasting their time. Yes, it doesn't always work out, but they have tried to protect their time. Realtor also have ways of protecting their time. When we sold our condo and then our house, we had to sign a contract before they would work with us. Every realtor we talked to required this. They spent about 30 minutes withnus going over the terms of the contract and price they would list the house at. They wouldn't do any more work without a contract ensuring we wouldn't sell with another realtor or by owner in the next 6 months to a year (depending on the realty company). If we broke the contract, we had to pay a fee for all the work they put in. They are protecting their time and making sure we did not waste it by asking questions and benefiting from their expertise and then making a deal behind their back. Again, sometimes it doenst work out and the houses don't sell within the contract, but it helps protect their time and work.
When I wanted new floors, Home Depot wanted a fee before they would come out and do measurements. Many plumbers, electricians, roofers, etc will charge a small fee before coming to give estimates on more extensive projects. All of these professions are paid based on sales and how many jobs they get. They want to make sure you are serious about buying and not wasting their time.
Business owners have a right to decide how they will run their business. If they want to charge a fee, that is their choice. You have the choice to either pay the fee and continue working with them or find a different company to work with.
This travel agent was originally planning on not charging you her fee because you were working with her before the policy was implemented. Your email promted her to change her mind. You were not specific and clear about what you were asking/telling her. You made her think that you were continuing to ask questions and benefit from her experience while also planning to just book the trip online with out her. She needs to look out for her business and her own financial well being. She has the right to now charge you the fee if she wants. Either call her, explain the miscommunication, offer to pay the small fee and continue working with her, or don't. But you do need to take some responsibility for your own role in this whole miscommunication. As I said in my response yesterday, your original email was not specif and clear about your intentions. It sounded like you were questioning her expertise and planning to book on cheapcarribean.com. If your email had been worded differently, hers most likely would have been a different response. Stop whining about it and move on. Either with her or with out her.