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've been affiliated with a few other host agencies and Outside Agents is by far the best host agency I've worked with. There are no startup cost, low monthly fee, an excellent CRM and agency tools, high commission, weekly payments, regular training, great support and much, much more.
I'm so happy I made the decision to make OA my host agency and have never regretted my decision.
I recently put out a forum request because i felt as long as I had been with OA I should not still be struggling. I got very interesting responses and unfortunately they were either condescending or outright nasty from the white people and all the Black people reached out to me on Facebook and explained that the6 too had the problem and explained how to handle it!
They have this so CALLED poster child who just told me that I was not'CUT OUT'to be an Agent yet she didn't take the time to see what could be hindering me!
Now, I had been with another Host agency before this one and funny but I made money with them! EVEN Dan took almost a week to respond and it was very weak. So, maybe its because my niche is with Blacks, africa, Meditarrain and The Near East that I get no help. They only cater to people who want to go on safaris, and tour Israel, Egypt, Rome and Greece....etc. But there are many black people interested in their cultural and spiritual roots also. I get no help from OA, while they praise their pets! Thid is a business not A PETTING ZOO!!!
Dear Ms. Mileon,
My name is Chad Burt. I'm one of the owners of OutsideAgents.com.
I carefully reviewed each and every one of your posts in our agent forum, interactions with my crew, support requests, and mentoring requests. I'd like to address each of the assertions in your review as they are wholly erroneous as supported by the following facts:
1 - You assert that you made a forum post and the "...responses were...nasty from the white people and all the Black people reached out to me..." This is interesting as one of your final posts on December 25, 2017, just 7 days after your original post, was "THANKS, EVERYONE SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!! I am going to leave this up so other people can use it also. I am sure there are others that need this information. All of you have made some great suggestions, especially for the Newbies! I am getting ready to start on all of your suggestions!"
2 - You claim that one of our top agents posted the you were 'not CUT OUT to be an agent' (your quote and your caps from your review above). Her actual reply was "Melinda – I am sad for you, too. It sounds like you have done everything you needed to do – except get clients. As much as you may want this career for yourself, this industry isn’t for everyone, and believe it or not I have had MANY friends try it and end up in the same boat as you – no clients. I wish I had an easy fix for you!" While her reply may have not been what you wanted to hear, it sounds to me like she was empathizing with you, not belittling you.
3 – You mention that Dan, our National Sales Director took a week to reply. This is true but out of context. Our forum is an open environment. Our staff does not monitor every post. We have support channels and direct access to our entire staff to help you. We could not possibly monitor every post for help requests. You made no attempts to reach out to us through our established channels during this time. In addition, your original post was made the week before Christmas and the week that Dan had eye surgery. He responded to your post the day after Christmas, just a few days after his surgery, by offering his personal help.
4 – You assert “...maybe it’s because my niche is with Blacks, africa, Meditarrain (sic) and The Near East that I get no help.” We choose not to dignify such a baseless and offensive allegation with a reply.
5 – You claim “I get no help from OA…” This concerns us deeply. After careful review, I see no instance in which we failed to reply to any request for help. I’m happy to document this. In fact, our National Sales Director reached out to you personally and you have had the direct numbers for the owners of OutsideAgents.com, including my personal cell number, since the day you joined. I deeply wish you would have called us if you felt adrift.
In closing, let me frame this in light of your original post in which you wrote “I am so sad, as now my bills are piling up and I just got my phone cut off and my Car may be repossessed in a minute.” It’s my sincerest hope that this review reflects what must be a truly trying time for you rather than what you honestly think. Regardless, we wish you all the best. If there’s anything we can ever do for you, please feel free to reach out to us. We're here to help.
I started in this business with Outside Agents and am very grateful that I picked them as my host agency. The training, support, and technology are more than I ever anticipated receiving. Any question or concern the staff replies immediately to help. They also encourage support between fellow agents which has been invaluable. I had no idea what to expect when I started in this business but thanks to OA my business has grown steadily every year. Could not be happier.
I have been with Outside Agents for almost 6 months and I am very impressed with their dedication, services, and overall platform of software included in their membership.
I had no IDEA what I was doing when I decided to start my own travel business (which was less than 6 months ago, in September '17). I came across Outside Agents and based on the reviews decided to sign up with them. They give you absolutely everything you need to be successful in this industry; the experience, the knowledge, the continuing education, the software, marketing tips/supplies, etc. I mean seriously, EVERYTHING. I have been so pleased with Outside Agents.
You may be wondering why I didn't give them 5 stars if I am so happy with them. I won't go into detail but I will give you a brief explanation as to why. Just this week I had a huge issue arise for a group booking I was working on. This was the first time since I had started my business that I had to contact them directly regarding any issue. I was pleasantly surprised to call the phone number on the website and be sent directly to one of the top managers in the company. After explaining my issue, the manager immediately walked me thru what to do and made me feel assured that the issue would be resolved. I followed the steps provided to me and unfortunately it wasn't resolved. The manager then took it upon himself to work on the issue with the vendor directly. I believe that the manager took the better half of his entire day to look into this for me. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get it resolved to my satisfaction and I had to continue to work on it on my own to eventually get the issue resolved. However, I truly applaud the time and effort spent on this by the managing office and it was something I had never expected to receive. The level of service and dedication you get from Outside Agents has to be above all else.
I have no other host company to compare them to so my review may be biased. However, I am so happy with the direction my company is now headed simply by utilizing their services, that I never intend to have another company to compare them to because I don't plan on ever leaving.
There are things, I myself, never even considered while starting my business that Outside Agents completely trains you on. The cost of this service is worth EVERY. SINGLE. PENNY.
I can't recommend them enough!
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!