I have been with Groupit since January 2017 and Stacey is AH.MAZE.ZING.! I was previously hosted by KHM, which was good to get me started in the travel biz, but I wanted a smaller host that could give me more hands-on development. Stacey and Groupit have delivered!
This may not be the right fit for you if you're an absolute beginner to the travel business and have never run your own business before, as Groupit's regular training webinars and travel agent portal focus on making you a BETTER travel agent, rather than how to be a travel agent in the first place. If you are green and are willing to put in the work on your own to learn the mechanics of the business (i.e. the base selling skills to be an agent and back end administration for your business), then Stacey will take you and rocket you to be an even better agent!
The best thing about this host is, because it's small, the Groupit "family" really prop each other up with encouragement and tips via the very active agents-only Facebook page. And, of course, Stacey is totally accessible and highly responsive, always with sage advice and encouragement. She wants us all to succeed and it's clear that is her top priority.
If you're like me and only do the travel biz part-time nights and weekends and have a day job, then Groupit is the host for you. Stacey is often available during non-traditional hours and training webinars for suppliers and destinations are in the evenings.
Groupit also has a more well-rounded approach to travel destinations. My previous host, and many others that I looked at when I had planned on switching, seemed to focus on all-inclusive Mexico/Caribbean destinations and ocean cruises. There's nothing wrong with that, and I still do some selling on those fronts, but my focus is more international land trips to Europe and South America. Groupit's webinars with suppliers are much more varied and hits a lot more worldwide destinations, which is something I have found eminently helpful and truly enhances my skills by introducing me to new suppliers and giving me better insights and selling skills with suppliers I was already using.
You need to "fit" with your host-agency and know that they have your back when the going-gets-tough. Groupit and I fit like a glove and I know that Stacey and the rest of the Groupit crew always have my back!
I would put 0 stars if it allowed me to. This is a host agency I joined Aug 2018. When I got back off my cruise this year May 2019 and I got caught off guard with an email saying she was closing her host part of her agency. I know nothing about her travel agency part just the host agency part. I was told to get all my client's information, bookings and commission together and find a new host she would be happy to move them and pay me my commission. So I hurried and found a host this time I check and found some real great guys. I had to stop working with clients to do all this for her. I did as I was told to get the information. She dragged her feet in moving my clients and paying me the commission I did for my group. My contract she said was up Aug 26 2019. As the time got closer and I found that the cruise line had already paid her weeks ago not only my group but for 3 cabins that haven't sailed yet, I still wasn't getting paid. Any other time it would have been entered in TESS when they got it. Stress was mounting! Her excuse was I was emailing her to much so she slowed down more. Usually her accounting pays the commission into TESS but for some reason she was going to do it. Then other agents were telling me she was really busy so why didn't accounting do ti? I ask for the emails to see what she was talking about since she said it was 3-5 per day every day for weeks. I never received them. I wanted to get paid and have my clients moved she did neither. She said I posted private emails so that void my contract but my email nor her's is private we both let people see our business emails, it's a business with suppliers, promos. If it was sent to my personal email that would be different. When I got really worried and emailed to see if there was anything I could do to help make the process go faster I got no answer. I had contacted my new host and had them on stand by if she moved my clients in a group. It had to be done within 5 days Royal told me. Now she said I went against my contract by posting the email she sent me about her no longer going to be a host and cancelled my contract taking my commission and all of my clients for this year and next year booked. Now any email I get from her is she is going to sue me. No I would not recommend this agency! So much stress, created more work for me and I loss my commission and bookings! These are my local clients from my own home town that does not know her and she took them. I was told if I posted anything about her or her business she will sue. This is just what has happened to me this year and next year since she took my bookings for 2020 too.
Stacey is always working to stay up on everything to help us with our home-based business and is so helpful.
I am a lifelong traveler who always harbored a crazy notion of being a travel agent, but i honestly didn't think that travel agents existed anymore! After receiving a random spam email in early 2017 about becoming an at-home travel agent, i researched this space and almost immediately stumbled across Stacey Ray and Groupit Travel. After a facetime call with Stacey I new that this was the host agency for me. Fast forward to today, I am grateful, every day, that I found Stacey - she is amazing! I am a new and inexperienced agent with a full-time job and a toddler. Booking travel is my "side-job" - does this prevent me from accessing all that Stacey and Groupit Travel has to offer - NO! I have plans to grow my business and I need guidance - is Stacey (or one of her highly skilled colleagues) available - yes! Honestly I am so so thankful for Stacey and her growing team of absolute expert partners. Feel free to reach out if you would like to discuss further - especially if your travel business is not initially going to be your primary job. Thank you and good luck!
I am truly blessed to have found Stacey and GroupIt Travel. I have been in the travel business since 1999, and have had a couple of host agencies, where I was just a number, here at GroupIt Travel I feel I am being heard and my success is being supported by Stacey and her crew.
Stacey works so hard for all of us and I feel like I’ve found a family with all of the agents in GroupIt.
Thank you Stacey Ray for being so supportive and for all your support!
I have been with Groupit Travel since early 2017. It was the best decision I made to go with Stacey Ray. After my last experience with a host I was ready to throw in the towel. After speaking with Stacey, she convinced me that I was worth more and and to give her one year to turn things around. And we did. I have doubled my clients and sales for the year and now there is no looking back. I changed my niche and she has been so supportive in this transition and pointing me in the direction I need to be in.
I didn't want to be a number with my host, I needed to know that someone was there for me and I couldn't ask for any more one on one than what I have had with Stacey and the team of Groupit.
I work another full time job, and Stacey holds her training webinars in the evenings so everyone can benefit from them. The extra training has been more than I could have imagined. She provides you with everything you need to succeed.
We have a Facebook page that is our lifeline in the industry along with other great ones Facebook. We are truly a family here at Groupit and everyone is there to boost each other up and always eager to help when someone has a question. There is no judging here, just support!
If you are looking for a new host or your first host, reach out to Stacey Ray and see for yourself what we all see in her and Groupit Travel Host Agency.
I decided to go with Groupit Travel - Host Agency because I felt I was getting lost with my former host agency. I felt I was just a number and not an agent to them. When I spoke to Stacey, she explained to me all about Groupit Travel - Host Agency and their philosophy. Stacey explained to me how the company handles commission structure, etc. I felt Stacey was warm and personable. I could tell she wanted to help me succeed in my business. After joining, I could see the passion Stacey has for her agents. I love the interaction between myself and other agents in the agent group Facebook page. We are able to bounce ideas of each other or try to get help with complex problems.
As a 'Sophomore' Travel Specialist, (I recently celebrated my one (1) year anniversary in the business as well as with Groupit), I have nothing but positive accolades to share about the agency.
Before joining, I interviewed with and considered other agencies, and although they all had their pluses, but I was won over by a few things:
1. My desire to focus/niche in Group Travel, (which none of the other agencies I considered focused on.)
2. Stacey's hour long (maybe a little less than that) conversation with me, BEFORE I signed up/joined. She spent that time not only learning more about me, but also about my passion, my goals (especially in relation to the travel business), and what I felt I needed from a host.
3. Stacey's passion and joy for what she does - it came shining through in our conversation.
4. Her assurance that should I join her agency, she was there for me, as little or as much as I needed.
After joining, what won me over was Stacey's hands-on approach to her agents - branded or not. The fact that she doesn't hover, but is close enough/available should I need her, along with her OPENNESS/WILLINGNESS to help, is another 'tiny' thing that has endeared me to her and the agency.
Hearing that a company is "Family" is an often thrown around cliche, but I can honestly say that Group it IS my Travel Family. My fellow Team Members have never made me feel as if any of my questions were dumb/stupid - even if they were (I've asked some doozies), are there to provide support/motivation when things may not be going your way, and the offer of mentorship within the group is phenomenal.
From a business standpoint, I am duly impressed with the:
- training/learning opportunities
- "meetings" with our supplier reps
- private Facebook group where we can talk/discuss/share
- CRM system, (that I found easy to learn/navigate)
I firmly believe that my desire to become a Top-Notch Group Travel Specialist can come to fruition and I believe that it's because of my alignment with Groupit Travel.
I am truly blessed to have found Stacey and GroupIt Travel. I have been in the travel business since 2003 and have had a couple of host agencies. GroupIt is the best!
Stacey works so hard for all of us and I feel like I've found a family with all of the agents in GroupIt.
With other agencies I found that I didn't get the support that I needed, training, one-on-one time, and anyone wanting me to succeed. Stacey cares for each individual in her group and is always available for one-on-one time, great ideas for everyone to succeed, and tons of training with top suppliers and other agents in the group.
Stacey has been a keynote speaker at seminars and has been asked to sit on several panels. She is highly recognized in the travel world.
No one can go wrong with Stacey and her host agency - GroupIt Travel.
I have 20 years in the travel industry. The majority of my business has been group travel. I have looking at "hosts" over the years but always found them wanting or couldn't offer anything that I didn't already have. I became aware of the Groupit Travel Agency at an industry conference two years ago. I traveled with them on a FAM to Iceland. I was impressed.
My own business has ramped up and with the addition of a second niche business, I felt like I couldn't keep up. I'm impressed by the level of support, marketing and back office offered. The access to the software and consortia rates have been icing on the cake.
I signed up in June of 2017, couldn't be happier.
This is most certainly an agency that is resourceful and supportive.
When you work with Stacey , you feel like your goals and dreams are not only validated but you also know that you have support.
