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 can't speak highly enough about this company! They are very helpful through the learning/education process, they are quick to handle any issues and the tools that they offer are unmatched. The sky is the limit with this host! I have no idea whyI didnt go to them earlier.
I like working with a family business like Outside Agents. They strive to get to know you personally. They welcome you to visit their office. They always take the time to respond promptly to my questions. They are eager to provide expert advice to help you with your business. I went from zero sales to Master Cruise Counsellor in less than two years thanks to their help and support. You cannot go wrong associating yourself with an outfit like this.
On a scale of 1 to 5 give Chad, Steve, Marty, Heather, Sheryl, Allison and the rest of the Outside Agents team a 10 - yes a TEN! or a 20... Really what else can be said about such a helpful staff that provides the tools an agent needs to be successful without the nickle and diming that can be common in this industry. From paying commissions on time, which is big when you are self employed, to always answering the phone when questions come up, the the community they've built this is a great host to land.
This agency has been a God send! I worked for a cruise line years ago and last year lost my job. Knowing that I wanted to start my own agency, I was ready to put in the time and willing to work hard at making a go of it. Then I stumbled onto OutsideAgents. They were the only one out of several agencies that I inquired about that actually answered my emails, responded quickly, and personally took my calls. The other agencies told me that "I was not what they were looking for" or didn't even bother sending me an email regarding my inquiry. Any time I have felt lost, not sure how to move forward, or just needed to know a procedure, OutsideAgents has been right there with me! I am now going into my second year as a Travel Agent with more confidence due to the invaluable training, the ease of setting up vendor contacts, and receiving tremendous tips from OutsideAgent colleagues through our Forum topics. The support and "phone call away" attitude has allowed me to grow my business, take bigger steps towards bigger commissions, and made me feel like someone has my back. Oh, and the friends I have made! Everyone is willing to share their personal tips, stories, and "years of experience" knowledge. No one feels the need for secrecy or to hold things close to their chest because we are a "family". At the end of the day we all want to grow, prosper, and continue to move forward; OutsideAgents helps you do just that! Thanks OutsideAgents!
Great agency ! No fees of any kind and they are there to help you and the commission structure is better than other agencies. They have a great "home page " that is very user friendly. I'm glad I found them and highly recommend them !
I have my good friend, Kathy W., to thank for referring me to OSA. It has been GREAT! The agency is a "package" of REAL PEOPLE, doing hands-on work on personal levels; not computer-generated voices having us push buttons to keep us busy until we give up trying to get answers. Steve, one of the owners, even gave me his cell phone number in case I had issues outside of normal business hours. Neither Steve nor Chad are strangers to making the personal phone calls to ensure they understand the situation and give the correct answer(s), guidance, and support. All the ladies in bookkeeping/accounting are very helpful and willing to work out any kinks we may experience. I am VERY happy with the company and proud to be affiliated with such fine people.
I love Outside Agents. I love the fact that I get paid 80% of my commissions with the travel vendors and DO NOT have to pay any monthly fees! They have wonderful training and a wonderful forum to talk to the other home-based agents, similar to a social networking/blogging platform. I searched and searched for a host agency with a good reputation who had the home-based agents best interest at heart and this is what I found with Outside Agents. They teach you how to succeed at the rate you are comfortable with, whether you are part-time or full-time.
If you had to choose one word to describe Outsideagents.com, I would choose the word "support". I cannot think of a time when I did not receive a quick response to a question or an issue. For a newcomer, that is HUGE! They provide you with a lot of training opportunities, information, and all the tools you need to be successful! I could NOT have chosen a better host agency to work with! Not only do I want to succeed for me, I want to succeed for them!
If someone was going to get into this business & looked for a hosting agency, I would recommend OA in a heartbeat!
Outside agents is the BEST host agency! They have top notch support! The training is awesome. I've been with a few other host agencies and they don't compare to Outside agents!
I am very new to this business! Started out in October with my wife and decided this is what we want to do in our retirement in the next five years. We researched hosting agencies and settled on Outside Agents. I am glad we did, the owners and staff are so very helpful at all times and responsive to agent needs and wants. I am glad, being new to the business that we chose OA. The other agents are great and very helpful as well. Wouldn't be any other place!