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!
Let me start this off by saying that I think Outside Agents is a great company for someone breaking into the industry. They provide a good path to get you started, basic business training, etc. They are a family run business which is extremely important, but may also be to their detriment which I will get into later. Most people at Outside Agents genuinely care about you and your success and you can tell that in the pride that they have for the company. Obviously in giving a three star review, you can assume there may have been some negatives, which I will get into now.
Firstly, there is a gentleman that works for Outside Agents who while is extremely knowledgeable about the industry and the company, and has a good relationship with SOME agents, his demeanor and interaction with others is extremely unprofessional. I notice it almost daily on the Facebook group and within the message boards where he will lambaste agents for asking the wrong thing and the answer for mostly everything is refer to the LMS or why didn't you take the training. In one interaction, he explicitly called my advice wrong and said I should not be posting. As a representative of a company that both takes a monthly fee and part of your commission, he should be a steward for the agents and act in a professional and customer service-oriented manner. I can tell you without hesitation that he is the main reason I am moving away from Outside Agents this year.
Secondly, while the one owner focuses a lot in AI and innovation, the technology behind the company is sorely lacking. The CRM looks like something from the mid to late 2000's. It works for some and others it does not. If you bring up it doesn't work for you the answer is to do the training. The provided websites are basic at best and lack any advanced feature sets. They also all are the same Wordpress template which can be detrimental to SEO rankings. Their in person trainings have no virtual option for those that work for a living. When asked the answer was "we tried it once and it didn't work". Fair enough, but every company on the planet has some sort of virtual piece to them. Every training that I pay for for my day job is virtual and it works extremely well. I'm not saying go all virtual, but have the option at least for those that cannot spend the money to go. For a company that is centered around innovation, the lack of any sort of input from their IC's is troublesome. They are family owned, which gives them the latitude to do as they please without input, which as I mentioned may be to their detriment.
In conclusion, Outside Agents will work for many and will not be the right fit for some. I am part of the "some" and will be moving away this year. I wrote this review to be open and honest, and to show that while a company can be 5 stars in certain areas, it could use improvement for others.
Hi!
We really appreciate your detailed feedback on Outside Agents. Not only is it extremely helpful, it reflects your genuine concern for newcomers in the travel industry as well as OA as an organization.
Your experiences bring to light some areas that could definitely be improved. For example, good business and professional communication are (unfortunately) uncommon and can always be improved upon. We’ll do it, though, we promise.
Your feed back on tech / training options is also important. With the digital age we are in, you need to have powerful live, virtual, and hybrid training available to help everyone move forward.
Your input regarding websites has already led us to begin creating a bunch of new templates for specific purposes. From SEO to lead magnets, your site will sing with our new offerings.
Your thoughts on the influence of family ownership on decision-making are very insightful. Feedback like yours will be really impactful so that they can improve what they provide to their agents and make it more beneficial for everyone. Rest assured, your feedback will be carefully reviewed and acted on appropriately by our C-Suite executives including our Founder, President, and CEO Steve Muraca.
Thank you again for such a candid and thoughtful review. We hope your view can help us get better and help others with finding a great fit for them in choosing a host agency.
I can't say enough great things. When I started out I had no idea what to look for in a host agency or if that was even the route I should go. I reviewed a lot of host agencies and kept coming back to Outside Agents. There was no pressure, I could cancel at any time if it didn't work out so I gave it a shot and I am SO glad I did. They have thousands of agents and you can reach the owners at any time. They get back to you right away. Their staff is also great if you need to reach out to them. They are so helpful and also get back to you quickly. They also give you access to learning modules so you can continue to build you business and be knowledgeable in the industry. I have been with them since 2016 and every year keeps getting better and better. If you are looking for a host agency stop wasting your time looking anywhere else.
I've now been with OA for over 2 years and wish I had joined years earlier. They do everything they say they will do. They have excellent software and the monthly fee covers E and O insurance. Commissions are paid accurately and promptly. Their partnership with TLN offers lower group rates in many instances. I couldn't ask for more. Thanks for your support.
Despite advertising an agent website, E&O insurance and support for new agents, this host is not forthcoming about all policies prior to accepting funds from contractors.
Client Facing Website
The client facing website appears to be usable but I was made aware that it is only to be used by clients I knew personally. I was also reprimanded for using my website to book travel when I wanted to see the client's experience first hand. I received the following statement in an email, "Your website is NOT for you to use as a booking tool. Nowhere in our training do we suggest to use that platform as an agent."
Business Model
Despite having a robust CRM with usable automations, this host does not support agents who prefer to maximize automation. I was told they expect agents to follow a brick and mortar model with a high touch process. Administration explicitly stated they are not interested in supporting agents who aren't able to use that model.
Limited Supplier Access
This host holds a very negative view of air only travel and limits air consolidator access is to agents who have made at least $10,000 in commission. When asked about waiving this requirement in order to book a large group going to Israel, OA administration claimed this policy was put in place by the consolidators. I had already verified that this wasn't true. Limited supplier access is not mentioned prior to paying the host any fees.
Agent Financial Guarantor
This host also makes agents personally responsible for the costs of all bookings if a client disputes a charge and will cancel travel bookings if the agent is unable to personally cover all booking costs. I received the following in email, "You are responsible for any and all bookings that you make. If you do not accept responsibility, we will not be able to issue these tickets. Please let me know if it needs to be cancelled." Although the host advertises agents being covered under the E&O, and funds are paid directly to suppliers, agents are expected to cover the costs if clients dispute the charge. This policy requires agents to have working capital in the bank before getting started to prevent possible loss of personal assets. The host does not given any indication that working capital is necessary prior to signing up.
In summary, I would NOT recommend this host to new agents or those who don't have an established flow of incoming bookings.
We appreciate your feedback and regret the confusion. I would love the opportunity to speak with you. In the meantime, I’m hopeful that addressing each of your concerns below will clarify the issue.
Client Facing Website:
Regarding the B2C consumer-facing website, we strongly recommend using B2B tools so the agent can see all the details including commissions and private fares. While this was intended as a recommendation, I regret it if it came across as anything but supportive. Our goal is to help agents succeed, and we’ve found that relying on consumer-facing websites alone can be challenging. It’s just in the best interests of the client and the agent that agents use professional grade tools. Overly automated business models almost never work out for agents. There is just too much competition in that space (think Expedia), the risk of fraud is high, and customers are loyal to pennies rather than people. Instead, we encourage agents to use their websites as shopping engines and for lead generation since a good agent can almost always beat what a consumer finds online.
Business Model:
OutsideAgents.com is known for innovation and was even inducted into CLIA’s Hall of Fame for our vanguard efforts. Even in this age of automation and technology, though, we recommend agents leverage our advanced systems to free up time to reallocate to building relationships and serving clients. To be clear, agents are free to run their businesses as they like. We, however, have found that web-only agencies just don’t work for the reasons previously stated.
Limited Supplier Access:
The restriction you mention was put in place with the consolidators to curb fraud and protect our agents. This issue is closely related to your financial guarantor concern. Let me explain.
Agent Financial Guarantor:
Years ago, I was a waiter, and I broke a plate. By law and IRS rules, the employer couldn’t charge me for reasonable “breakage.” As a contractor, though, we must charge the agent for fraud and disputes or face the possibility of reclassification as an employer/employee relationship. In fact, one of their most critical considerations in determining the nature of the relationship is the contractor’s opportunity for profit and loss.
It is also important to note that OutsideAgents.com is contractually obligated to our vendor partners for fraud and disputes. So, in the event of fraud or disputes, we make the vendor whole and then we must collect it from agents. For this reason, we offer the industry’s only fraud protection program, which has reduced fraud by over 80% and refunds up to $500 of our membership fees if you follow the program and still lose a dispute (note “refund”). Agents that follow our fraud program recommendations have, in the past 3 years, had no instances of fraud.
Next, you mention E&O insurance regarding fraud. While it’s a common misperception, E&O does not cover fraud. As mentioned, though, we do offer the only fraud prevention and relief program in the travel industry.
Finally, you mention needing working capital. While it’s always better to have some cash on hand when starting a business, it is not required. In fact, OutsideAgents.com started with $10.62. We will do a billion dollars in sales this year. We know what it’s like to bootstrap a business. Having said this, we always help victimized agents by working with the vendor to reduce the debt as far as possible and have even made payment plans with many in need.
At the end of the day, I deeply regret the misunderstandings and appreciate your bringing the matter to light. We are always looking for ways we can do better for our agents. As a result, we have coached our staff to be more specific on these nuanced topics moving forward.
I joined Outside Agents in late June and jumped in quickly to learn ALL I could learn. And while I’m a newbie who’s only currently sold $25k in August and September combined (I’ll get there!), I just wanted to come on here and type that I’m SUPER appreciative to all of the hard work that goes into these sites. If I need an answer to anything, it’s here! (Or in our Facebook group that I also adore!) Whether it’s in a training course, a discussion board, or within the suppliers themselves, I can find it here. And while I honestly feel like the best way to learn is to just get in there and start researching the suppliers and start booking, I would be remiss in not acknowledging how easy Outside Agents has made it for this old lady to finally pursue her dreams of being a part-time travel agent! (Hopefully FULL-time once I retire the 8-5 in 3 years!) I’ve ALWAYS loved travel all of my life and now nothing brings me more joy than helping others take that trip and make those memories.
Thank you for helping me get started. All of you!
We just finished our first year with Outside Agents after coming over from another host, and they have been fantastic. The ability to connect directly with the owners who treat you like family has been the number one thing we rave about. Since the our first call to them, they understood the importance of my wife and I maintaining the integrity of our agency as a true husband and wife team, not just an agent and a sub. Great job Steve, Chad, and family! Thank you for welcoming us!
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!
I am really glad I signed up for this Host Agency! Outside Agents has made me feel welcome. I am new to the travel industry. There is a lot of great resources that I can use online & in person. At first the computer system is a little confusing but there is enough community support, plus there is support from Outside agents.
I am updating my review since I posted it a couple years ago. nothing has changed except I feel more as a family member than a number. I am here to stay. I have to say this was the best choice I made years ago to join Outside Agents. Through out my years here the staff and owners have been amazing, always in contact when needed and also just checking in to see if they can help grow my business. The reason I am writing this today is an encounter I had just the other day, I get up very early and at 6:05AM I sent a message about some commissions I couldn't track down, I wasn't expecting an answer until late in the day, BUT to my surprise Allison responded in less than 5 minutes at 6 in the morning with answers to my questions and resolved my issues. This is the type of team work and effort they go thru to help us as agents to grow our business. THEY HAVE OUR BACKS 100% (response time not typical but wow I was surprised ) This is the best decision I made for me and my business I started at a little over $125,000 now over 2.5 million a year, Thank you for helping me grow.
I have been an agent for 3.5 years. Outside Agents has been with me from the very beginning. The support that is offered not only by the OA staff but the entire community of agents is UNBEATABLE. I am a USAF veteran and I know a thing or two about camaraderie... the staff and other agents really are like a big family.
On top of that, I love the structure that OA has built. There is no pressure to hit a certain sales goal, no pushing to "recruit" (which I personally find recruiting to be an off-putting practice), and the training, tools, and events that help each agent be a better business owner are top notch. The knowledge that as a business owner, I can still reach out for help / problem solving at any time is just so reassuring!
On top of all of that, I loved starting out with one of the highest commission splits in the industry... 80/20! It took some time and hard work but now I am enjoying an even higher commission split. Plus we get paid weekly unlike some other hosts. We are a family of 6 so those weekly paychecks (when applicable) have been amazing!
I have done multiple FAM trips with suppliers and engaged with agents from many other host agencies... and to me it sounds like I definitely made the right choice based in my needs and the things I hoped to find with a host agency.