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INDUSTRY
It has been a year since I signed up with OA. Now is a great time to share my experience with you if you looking for a new host ( like I was) or are a new agent looking to join the tourism trade.
OA is a GREAT host. No doubt. Before joining them, I simply picked up the phone and called them to speak with the owner. I had zero expectation of this actually happening but was pleasantly surprised when Chad Burt came on the line and spent a good half an hour speaking with me and answering all my questions. I signed up the same day. It didn't take me much time to understand their systems and if I had a question, the OA staff was very quick with their email replies. Best way to communicate with them. They have brilliant internal systems set up for just this purpose. Agency staff and higher-ups are almost always available for insight and help as and when needed. They are highly professional ( yet super funny on socials). I had a chance to meet most of the staff at one of their TA conferences and the vibe is that of one big family. For new agents, they have mentors for initial support. Though I have industry experience, I still set up a call with a mentor just to test the new waters. It was a lovely call.
They have great contracts with vendors, resorts, and consolidators across the world. Their payment system is top-notch with very little room for confusion. Payments have been on time on expected dates. The split is also one of the best ( that I know of) ( Ex host had a terrible split and I wish I had known of OA before).
All in all, I highly recommend Outside Agents. It has been a great year with them.
Happy Travel!
I posted back several years ago - nothing has changed - still the best host agency on the planet! From AWARD winning training to having the OWNERS cell phone numbers – from LOW FEES to earning over 80% of the commission! Support is second to none! Commissions paid on time – every time! New and seasoned agents alike will feel right at home here!
Perfect fit for me. The resources available are plentiful and easy to learn and use. Support when needed is prompt and thorough. I have been able to learn and grow at my own pace and I have zero complaints. Great company.
I started out with Outside Agents so I don't really have anything else to compare them to. I can say this though... I do not think I would have made it beyond a couple of years if it weren't for Outside Agents. Their structure, the accessibility, not only to the staff but, to the owners themselves, the training available, the continuous technology upgrades and the agent community itself have all been beyond spectacular.
If you're reading this trying to decide on a host, I can't speak of other hosts but you could not go wrong by choosing Outside Agents.
This is the 3rd host agency I have dealt with and the best. The majority of my experience has been part time but I have learned a lot. Outside Agents has packages that fit all levels of involvement in the travel business at reasonable prices. Hope to grow in the business now that I am retired from prior jobs and I know the ability to grow is provided by OA!
I have worked under OutsideAgents since joining the travel industry. They are by far the most helpful, knowledgeable, and most importantly caring host agency. The amount of training we have access to is beyond what I ever expected, and their willingness to always be available and help out goes above and beyond. They have provided their independent agents with the right tools (chats, forums, CRM, LMS, etc.) to be successful. If you are looking for a host agency, choose OutsideAgents...you will not be disappointed.
I cannot say enough good things about Outside Agents. I had been with another host for my first year and felt like I should be getting more. I felt like I was always having to track down my payments, I had to pay for a CRM, and the website given to me was terrible. Outside Agents is COMPLETE opposite. They are HALF the cost of what I was paying, they pay higher commissions (start at 80%), the training program they offer is phenomenal, they give us a great CRM tool.
Other things that make my life easier? Before customers had to fill out a paper with their credit card info. OA gives us a tool where we can send an email with a pretty web page form for them to fill it out which is completely secure and we get it back as a PDF that is password protected. You can set up emails to automatically send reminding them payments are due, or welcoming them back from their vacation. I've only barely begun to touch on some of the great benefits from my new host as I am still learning. The website they give us for clients to book off of is awesome - that alone was reason enough for me to switch. Clients can book and I don't have to lift a finger (if they don't want me to).
Check them out - for $12/month you get Errors and Omission insurance and all the tools you need to be successful. I pay for the $20/month to get the better website and few more additional features. It is FAR worth it.
I have been with this host for 7 years and every year it just gets better and better. The technology,CRM management, and support system make my job so much easier. And nothing is better than knowing when your commission check is coming. So glad I chose them from the beginning.
I switched to OA three years ago! What a smart move on my part. Outside Agents goes beyond what I could ever hope for. Their commission structure is excellent, they offer more training then I can ever hope to complete and they are always developing more. In addition, the technology and back office tools that we have at our fingertips is absolutely fantastic AND they keep adding to it! The relationships between them and our suppliers is such that it greatly benefits their agents in so many areas, contacts and swift responses from the BDMS, training, offers and commission. The two owners, Chad and Steve, personally answer emails from their thousands of agents and in a very timely matter! Dan, the Sales Mangager, is always ready to help and is the mastermind behind developing training both on line and in person in which phenomenal training workshops both on property and off are offered throughout the year. The behind the scene staff is great as well, responding quickly to whatever questions we may have. Being a part of the Outside Agents family can ONLY bring positive changes to your business! Thankful to be a part of their "family"!
Outside Agents is truly the best host agency for travel agents. They are constantly improving all aspects of the "nuts and bolts," travel professionals use. They offer on demand training, amazing CRM program, weekly paychecks, and the best part, they are available for help with any questions you may have. They offer workshops at their training center, they will call you if you request to speak to someone, their commission split is excellent, and I could go on and on! I'm so thankful I have Outside Agents as my host agency. They make my job easy!
Outside Agents ROCK.
We have been with this agency a little over two years and my sales went from a part time of $7,000 last year to over $200,000 this year just by using all of the tools that they have to offer. I have my website thru them, my O&E with them and the support is out of this world.