Top Review
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 have been with Outside Agents for Almost 3 years now. Once making the change to OA I went from a few clients to being in the top 30 Agents out of over 3000! They are always eager to help you with everything from small to large. I owe my success to OA and all their endless amount of training offered, the wonderful staff that goes above and beyond for each and every agent. As well as the endless contacts with so many Vendors from Cruise lines, Destination vacations etc.
If you want to succeed in this industry I would recommend Outside Agents!
I have been with Outside Agents for roughly 7 months. I am extremely happy. There is plenty of training. I wasn't promised to "get rich quick". I am working slowly, completing training, and there is always someone to answer my questions, whether it is an email or a phone call.
Commissions are paid in a timely manner and everyone I have spoken with has been very helpful, even if I am doing something wrong.
You get what you put into it. If you work hard and follow the advice in the training videos you will see your business build slowly, but I can honestly say it is worth the investment. I don't see me changing host companies and I have been approached by others with different host agencies.
OA has been my one and only host agency and I have nothing but praise for them. Easy to reach anytime, wonderful support if I have issues and technology that improves all the time. What was supposed to be a hobby for me has exploded into succes beyond anything I could have imagined. This is s family owned business and they all go above and beyond to offer training and tools for success.
I picked OA after 2-3 months of research and have never looked back. I truly cannot imagine paying a monthly fee to another host and receiving anywhere close to the service and support Chad and Steve provide to each of us.
Like anything, you have to work hard, pay attention and do the training and you will succeed!
Chad, Steve and Dan, along with all of the office staff bend over backwards. If you are looking for a get rich quick scheme, this is not the company for you. If you are willing to put in the work and want a team that is dedicated to you and want to build a foundation that will grow year after year, than Outside Agents could be the perfect choice. I could not be happier. Even with 5000 agent, there is no "you are agent number blah blah." That just don't happen here. They make it a point to know their agents and know them by name. Best thing of all is I can pick up the phone 24/7 and call one of the owners and they would be willing to talk to me about anything.
I am new to the travel industry, so I did a lot of research before I decided on a host agency. OA always came out on top, I had decided to call the agency to ask some questions, and the owner answered the phone! To me, that was impressive. Chad answered all my concerns, he was extremely helpful, and didn't pressure me. The training for someone new is outstanding, and there is a lot of it. The OA community is great, ask a question, and there is always someone to help and steer you in the right directions, all my fellow agents will go out of their way to make sure you succeed. There are no hidden fees, the technology is outstanding. OA also has the best relationships out there with all the vendors. Commissions are great and the OA/agent split can't be beat. I work this part time, but our business is growing at a better rate than expected. I don't ever see changing agencies, OA has it all, from great staff, to being low cost that helps you get started. Sihn up today, you won't regret it!
After decades in the travel industry, I left to pursue other interests, but continued to have former clients ask me advice.
I decided to go back into travel on a very part time basis, and help a few of my clients who couldn't get the service they were used to, when planning their complex custom trips. I signed with another agency who charged a hefty monthly fee, and were difficult to reach.
After about a year, I left that host agency and signed with Outside Agents.
There are a few cons, but having been in the business for as long as I have, they're not out of the ordinary. The requirement to change the Revelex password every so often (I rarely use it, so it turns out I need to change it every time I log in, at which time I've forgotten it anyway), that time my account was suspended accidentally because I was mistaken for someone else (it was reinstated immediately when I emailed to ask why), and when you work for yourself, your only coworker is the cat (and she is never going to grab lunch for me).
The pros, however, are countless. When I have an issue, I can look on the website and find the person who can help me. They email me back within the hour (during business hours), and after hours, the owners give their cell phone numbers, so help is available virtually any time. Who does that? I don't even give my cell phone number to my own family! That accessibility is everything. Then, the commission structure. I am no longer a high volume agent, since I now do this very part time. They don't care how much business I do, and treat me like I'm the most important agent in the company. In spite of this, I get the benefit of the override commissions of the agency as a whole. A small brick and mortar might get 10% with a vendor, yet a home agent with a low volume could get 16% or 18% with that same vendor. The E&O insurance is included with the lower priced premium package. That's a big deal. When I need access to a vendor booking system that I haven't used before (that doesn't have self registration), I get a login super fast (during business hours). Even when I worked IN a travel office, I would often have to ask repeatedly for logins before the right person would be found, promising to do it "after lunch" and I'd end up spending a week on the phone with the vendor, booking and altering that reservation, and playing phone tag with the client. Outside Agents really gets it. They know how agents work, and they want to make sure we can function in the ways that make sense. Commissions are paid twice monthly, and are easy to track with the new system. I can see what vendor has paid, which ones haven't, and then I know which ones to shake down for payment. My client management system is easy to use (with provided training) and I'm not using my rolodex anymore. The start up fee was low (and refunded after my first booking, a single hotel night) and the monthly is so low, compared to other host agencies. On demand training, recorded webinars, and continuing education. They really do have it all.
I was working with this hosting agency and learning the ropes of what it took to become a travel agent and out of the blue I was dropped. They originally told me that it was because of not bringing in a set amount of work (but I was doing a t least 3-5 trips plus my own while setting a trip for 20 to Aruba). Then I was told it was due to some other issue. I just didn't understand the situation but this experience made me leery of dealing with host agencies.
We appreciate your post and the opportunity to clarify the issue.
You we're suspended nearly 9 months ago for 2 reasons.
First, you were only booking yourself. This violated your contract with us as we require at least 3 client bookings for each self booking. We have this requirement as we're not a consumer discount organization.
Second, you posted spam from indiegogo which we took down as it was in violation of our Terms & Conditions. You then re-posted the same spam.
We communicated both issues to you via email and we received no reply so we terminated your account. We honestly had no other alternative.
As always, we're here to help if you need anything at all. We're just a phone call away.
I came from another agency that was not supportive, nor helpful. When I called OA, the first person to answer the call was an owner. Yes, an owner. He didn't try to twist my arm. He knew that I was just trying to get information. He was upbeat and personable. It did not take me long to join and leave my old host behind. They bent over backwards to help me and give me the OK on a CLIA card that I earned with the other company I was with and they would never allow me to have. My business has grown at my own pace. If I have questions, there are easy avenues to get questions answered. Form the chat system to message boards to live help - I am covered 24/7. I can also help others!
The new Agent Genie is a godsend! Industries best technology! Thank you OA!
Outside Agents is by far the best host agency out there today. They are always quick to help you out in any situation and I am amazed that I can speak directly to the owners! The technology is amazing and so easy to use. I don't have enough hours in the day to do all of the training that they offer. I could not be happier that I chose to become a part of their team!
They are extremely hard to get in contact with. They changed their website and now I can't log in. I am currently on here looking at new host agencies.
Dear Mr. Williams,
I apologize that you are having trouble getting in touch with us.
I checked our phone server logs and found no voice mails from your phone number we have on record and no support tickets submitted from you.
We've been sending out notifications about the change for weeks. You should be able to use your email to retrieve your password. If not, just give us a call at 866.208.5604. My personal extension is 210. I'll be happy to help.
Also, you should have received, as all our agents do, an email from Steve and I, the owners of the company, with our personal cell phone numbers. You're always welcome to call us with any question, problems, concerns, or just to say "Hi!"
If you are not receiving our email communications, please give us a call and we can check to see if it is a spam related issue.
As always, just let us know if you need anything at all.
Sincerely,
Chad Burt
Co-Owner, OutsideAgents.com