Knowledge and Trust
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
Knowledge and Trust are the cornerstones of our business.
Without these we will be out of business quickly.
So, let’s explore together and learn about how important these two items are to us and how they apply to the current travel situation since the pandemic has changed travel for the last 2 years.
Overview
We believe that if we have excellent knowledge about vacations you might want to take, and our clients can trust us, then we all benefit.
Knowledge of the vacations we sell, requires us to constantly keep updated about travel products, and the vendors who sell them. We must be able to match our clients to the best product for them.
Trust is the other cornerstone of our business—are we who we say we are, do we tell the truth, can you trust your hard earned dollars for a vacation we recommend?
Knowledge
There is a lot to learn about vacations offered by the various vendors. There are so many, I doubt that anyone could know it all. While we have planned a large range of trips in our 25+ years in business, where we really shine is European vacations and European River Cruises.
Maybe some facts about our company might help prove this point that we know what we are talking about. Here goes:
83 % of our clients do not live in the Houston area—they found us by search engines on the internet. We have to build confidence that our knowledge and advice will get them on the right trip that matches their travel style. We have been successful with those who reach out to us—most become lifetime clients.
Part of the reason we had over 18,000 visit our website in 2021—we have 2 articles on page 1 of Google (European River Cruise Line Comparisons and Best European River Route Guide). Last year over 12,000 folks read one of these two articles. The other major reason—this blog. In just December of 2021, 86 of our blogs were viewed by various individuals. This is pretty typical of our monthly total viewership.
I have given 2 webinar presentations to other agents about best practices to teach travel agents how to help their clients learn the benefits of taking a river cruise vacation.
Today (12 Jan 2022), we have an article about how to best match clients to a European river cruise line published in the online version of Travel Weekly. This is a pretty big achievement for a Mom and Pop agency like ours to be published in a well respected publication for travel professionals.
We have helped many dozens of folks take great vacations for 25 years.
We have written 50 European City guides for our clients.
We have written 51 port guides for most of the European Rivers used by the river cruise companies.
We can tell you the advantages and disadvantages of most vacations we sell, usually from first-hand knowledge,
We have sailed on 21 river cruises since 2009—we have first hand knowledge of the trips we recommend.
Trust
Actions speak louder than words—this is exactly how we expect to earn and keep your trust.
On our home page of our website we, provide you 6 reasons why you should use us. Here, word for word, is what we have written about trust:
“Trust — We will do what is best for you! We are honest, hard-working with one goal—to serve you—we will do what is best for you, not us. We help you avoid hassles & get the best value for your dollar–saves you time & money and we will help you protect your travel investment.”
There is a lot of information in this short statement. It means we must make choices that favor you and are in your best interests. It could mean saving you money, or protecting your investment or getting a vacation that meets your expectations, or usually all of these when we help you.
I like to say “we do what’s right when nobody is looking”. It just means we are more concerned about your vacation than making a huge profit—we put your interests first..
Now the Pandemic—How Does our Knowledge and Trust Benefit You in this Unique Travel Environment?
It goes without saying everyone is a little or a lot nervous about travel right now.
It is a time of candor, facts and our judgement to tell you when it is safe to travel.
We have to tell you exactly what to expect, when you will have to wear a mask, what the constantly changing government requirements are and help you reach the decision that is right for you.
In the old Capital of Egypt Memphis in December of 2021—we are having a great time seeing wonderful sites while wearing our masks for safety.
We need to inform you especially about vendor terms and conditions and our terms and conditions if we plan special trips we escort. Too many have lost money and gone through emotionally difficult situations by not knowing the rules they have agreed to with our vendors or us.
Some of our best clients also don’t want to travel with these restrictions.
We have advised some to cancel their plans, usually just moving them into a future trip, and we have told some it is okay to go.
Some have agreed with us; others chose to avoid the risks and hassles.
We have traveled twice since August 2021—once in Europe on a river cruise and once in Egypt on a combination land and river cruise. In both cases, it was a little frustrating but safe and worthwhile, in our opinion.
In Brugge outside a great restaurant where locals eat—we wore our masks until our meal and drinks were served. Great not to miss a fun trip for a few minor inconveniences. It was a wonderful meal.
Here is the bottom line—you need to be vaccinated and have the booster, you will have to wear a mask at some places and you probably will have to have a negative test to get back into the US for quite some time.
You could just avoid it all and stay home; some of our clients have decided to do just that.
Others have decided to travel and had wonderful times—we are in this category.
Another interesting picture—I felt comfortable without a mask but Anne was more cautious..
My Final Thoughts
Maybe you can see how important our knowledge and your trust in us are in these unusual times. While we respect differences of our clients, we also realize that at some point, if you want to continue to travel, you will have to accept some bumps in the road.
Travel has changed, but in the long run, many of the changes will make it safer for all of us—the common sense cleaning and protection ideas will remain not to limit you enjoyment but to keep you safer.
Chose to travel soon, just prepare yourselves. We believe the rewards far exceed the risk.
We will help you face the unknown; your fears; by providing you facts and reliable information. You can trust our knowledge to help you make the right decision for your vacation.
A final word—Thanks for your trust in us!—this is how we end each email or phone call with you. We really mean it—it may be the most sincere sentiment we have about our relationship with you.
I think you can see why we are in the business—it just is awesome to help folks have a great vacation, especially in troubled times.
We hope you enjoyed this candid report.
We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.
When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.
Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50+ years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent
