Today we’d like to introduce you to Deborah Conrad.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Deborah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The allure of travel to far off lands and adventures to unknown places lead me to take a chance and changing my profession!
I had, for the most part of my career been working in Advertising Media Sales. With the advent of online marketing, I found myself wanting change. I was offered a position with an online Travel Agency and after a week of training was thrown into the fire. Yet, I persisted and learned that what it took to succeed was a passion for helping people. Customer Service after the sale is the single most important determining factor in who succeeds and who moves on.
The position in online travel, gave me a base of knowledge to draw on and the courage to become the owner of my own Franchise Business with Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, Of course, as the owner, I now wear many hats and love operating my own business, while advising my clients on Land/Tours and Cruise Vacations. My dream of traveling myself has been realized while taking FAM (familiarization) trips to resorts and cruising the Caribbean. My next adventure will be helping to plan and attend my Daughter’s wedding on the Island of St Lucia. Just a dream realized by helping others along the way.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Working in Travel can be challenging with many variables that no one can foresee.
Anything can and will happen in travel, making it important to know how to respond in emergency situations for your Client’s sake.
Even giving the best support possible, a booking gets canceled or after weeks of research, a client changes their mind, which is why I never count my chickens before they hatch! Ha!
Keeping a level head and not overextending my business finances, growing my client base and working my business plan is all part of an overall strategy to counter the ups and downs any business might experience.
Please tell us about Cruise Planners.
Cruise Planners is an American Express Travel Representative having a tremendous reputation for quality, service, and very competitive pricing for ALL of your travel needs.
As a Franchisee, I work with clients, from high-end Luxury Vacations to a weekend get-a- ways and everything in between.
My tag line is; Creating Unforgettable Vacations. I accomplish this for my clients by first understanding that travel is about having an “Experience”. Talking to clients to discover who they are, what is important to them and what they have already experienced is my first step. Knowing exactly what it is they want to experience for this vacation helps me find the right ship or the right county and the right itinerary to fulfill their dreams.
Keeping everyone on the same page through the process so the client knows what to expect and doesn’t have any surprises on their vacation is my highest priority.
In all my years of working as a Travel Agent and now as a Business Owner, I have found my calling in life. I especially like to work with groups of people traveling together, be they planning a Family Reunion, Old Friends getting together for Class Reunions, Church Groups looking for a retreat or Businesses looking for a place to do a seminar. I have even done a fund raiser for a Charity Group. There’s nothing like a little down time together with Friends or Loved Ones to revive your soul!
As a Company, I’m most proud of, of all things, my home office! I have remodeled a room in my home to accommodate my command central; all things travel is at my fingertips as well as a spacious desk and computer to accomplish my bookings. It’s a work space that is organized and designed to be efficient in getting all the details taken care of.
Being in an industry that is very competitive, my edge is being associated with an award-winning company like Cruise Planners. Cruise Planners, is a top producer with cruise lines, tour operators, and land vacation retailers. There is Power In Numbers! I’m so happy to be part of this network, so I can pass on exclusive Cruise Planners promotions and pricing to enhance your vacation experience!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
In Childhood, my fondest memories are of being together with my Family during the summer, swimming, running playing and picnicking in the countryside of Michigan. My Father was a scuba diver so every weekend was spent at the lake with his scuba diving club. As we packed up the car to return home, the stars would be starting to twinkle in the sky and I would be dreaming of the far-off lands and a little girl, somewhere far away, looking up at the sky, seeing the same stars. The ride home was always quiet as all of us kids were worn out from the day’s activities. The important thing was, we were together, experiencing a get-a-way from everyday life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jetplanevacays.com
- Phone: 281-969-7719
- Email: deb.conrad@cruiseplanners.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jetplanevacays/
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