Sign up for our newsletter
Get expert travel industry insights, host agency information and success tips - straight to your inbox
INDUSTRY
I'm five months into my journey with Outside Agents. I chose them because they were the best value as far as I could tell, and the woman who inspired me to pursue this career recommended them after doing her research after having started with another company that was an MLM that she doesn't want to be affiliated with. I'm taking her to lunch tomorrow in appreciation for the recommendation, I feel like OA was a good fit for me. So far they've been pretty hands off with me, but that's kind of what I wanted while I got the business parts completed ... setting up the business, figuring out how to organize things, getting the inital training done and getting familiar with everything, getting my website set up, the whole nine yards, dang no wonder I'm tired, lol. I kid. Not really but OA made it so much better than it could have been. They will not hold your hand, don't expect that, I didn't even want that and suspect you don't either. But as you have questions, they will answer the ones related to their business. If it's related to YOUR business, that's all you. You are assigned a mentor after your initial training and because I'm still pretty early, I'm trying to get a feel for how that works. It's pretty incredible what a great system they have set up, for so many agents from so many backgrounds with such different levels of knowlege and experience. And they make it work. Oh, you need to know, they have a great system for handling pretty much any question you have that you can't find yourself. MOST of it is already documented and it's pretty easy to find your way around after you get the hang of it. But when you can't find the answer or you need something, you just submit an SOS ticket. Their SOS team is on top of it, they're quick with a response! I'm coming from a corporate background and am super impressed with their SOS team in comparison to the responses I've seen in the corporate world. I'm super early in and will come back and update later on. My advice so far would be to bet on OA and go for it!
When I entered this Industry about 4 years ago I honestly knew nothing more than I wanted a change, I loved to travel and that this was something I had wanted to do most of my life. Additionally, I knew I needed help to get started, lots of it. I found OA through a site very similar to this, I read the reviews of OA and many others, but went with my gut and picked Outside Agents. I have never, not for one moment regretted my decision.
I decided to start very slowly and ultimately I wanted as much training as I could find, because I knew if I wanted to do this I wanted to do it well. The training is there, the support is there, the caring and encouragement is there. OA gives you every single tool you need to succeed at your pace!
I'm still not one of their highest sellers, though I do aim to be someday, but I do not think I am treated any differently than those who sell 10x more than I do. It has become a second family to me, one I can count on to answer my silly and not so silly questions.
I am so very happy I made the decision to join Outside Agents, it has literally changed my life in the most positive way possible. I love getting up and heading to my office to start my day and that is so very important!
I have been with OA for 18 months, and five years in the industry. You will not find a better host agency and the owners are available should you need any assistance. My only regret is not joining sooner.
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"!