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INDUSTRY
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 knew nothing about the travel industry except that I love to travel. I actually just wanted to monetize one of my websites that was offering some travel information, so I called different agencies for help. After several machines and recordings or 'online forms' with other places, I was able to talk to a real person at Outside Agents. In fact, I ended up talking for a long-time to one of the owners, Chad about how the business and industry worked. I signed up that afternoon, even though I had heard about all the scams, and didn't have high expectations, I figured, "What the heck, it's free."
Fast-forward 9 months later:
I have almost finished my CLIA ACC,
I have access to all the training I could ask for, plus some,
I have a great support team at Outside Agents,
I have 3 cruise GROUPS scheduled this year,
the other OA Agents don't feel like competitors, in fact we are always on the forum helping each other with tips, hints about great locations, and questions our clients have about locations that we don't know the answer to, PLUS
I know if I have any questions, the staff and owners, Steve and Chad, are only a phone call away;
and better yet, I don't pay a dime if I don't make money since they only get a small percent of our commission.
I am thrilled I stumbled into this career and working with Outside Agents. It is like any other business, you get out of it what you put into it, but I would recommend OA if you want to really get into the travel industry.
can you join without having passed the tap test?
I have worked for more than 5 years under Cruises and Tours Unlimited. There are no monthly fees and no start-up fees. They also provide a great deal of training and personal assistance. You are even given the cell phone of one of the owners to assist you at times when the office might be closed for the day. All in all, Cruises and Tours is a great host agency.
The Vacation Stop has had a hosting arrangement with OutsideAgents.com for at least 5 years. Their staff has always been very helpful on the few occasions that I have needed it. Chad Burt in particular has been very helpful with the technical end of things such as integrating booking engines into websites. I have been happy enough with OutsideAgents.com that I have recommended them to many other agents, at least 3 of which I know are current affiliates. The attractiveness of no monthly or annual fees along with a generous commission split and the helpful staff makes it an easy decision to stay affiliated with OutsideAgents.com.
I have been Outsideagents.com for over a year and just Love the support they all provide. I was with one other Host agency and they did not compare and they were costly! There is a large member base to run ideas off of...and get other agents opions on what works best and how to grow your Business! They made everything as simple as they could if you are not as season of an agent as you would like, There offer advanced training! I can't imagian working with a more professional group of people!
Gloria Darni
Expert Travel Now
Great agency to work with! Lots of support, great forum structure, NEVER had problems with commission pay out. Anytime you have a question it is answered in a very efficient manner. 80% commission with possibility to earn 90% and 95% is amazing!
Great people to work with, glad to be a part of an amazing team!
We have used a couple other host agency's in the past. Outside Agents has been, by far, the best host agency we have been with. They are always there to answer question, support us in any way needed and are prompt in paying commissions. We plan to stick with this agency until we retire!
Hi Karen,
Thank you for providing a great review! Just one question, why did you rate them at 4-1/2 stars, instead of 5 stars?
Thank you ~ A
This is Great Company to be a part of and I have been a part of for many years. They are efficient,helpful,courteous and most of all they are always looking out for the Agents. Encouraging them to be the best they can be. I give them (5)stars because the whole team deserves that.
This is a great host agency, I was with another host agency that fee'd me to death, i did all of the work and they took most of the money, not to mention i spent alot of time running down my commissions. Outsideagents.com is not at all like that, it is user friendly with all of the training you can want, they respond back in a timely manner and with them they assist you in reaching and developing your goals as an agent. do yourself a favor try this host agency they are a breath of fresh air.
Incredible support, a strong and lively forum, no monthly fees, a generous commission split, tons of available training -- what's not to love about Outside Agents?
This agency is great. They are very supportive in every aspect of your business and are there to help you succeed. They are not out to nickel and dime you with fees and percentage. I would recommend this host to anyone that is looking to branching out on their own.