Amusing & frustrating – Consumers buy on their own, then reach to non-expert advice for answers

Today … Many consumers think it’s just normal to buy their travel on their own.  WHY ? Cause they see others do it this way ?  Cause much info is now on the internet ?  Cause they think they get a better deal ?

Buying travel is not all about price.  And even if it were, the majority of the consumers don’t know where the best prices are located !  And even if there are better prices out there, if you don’t know where they are, it’s best to buy your travel local !

What does …  “Buy on your own actually mean” ?

To the travel industry, this means you need NO HELP ! It means you’re going to read all the information from that Cruise or Tour Operator, or search out information from expert Travel Writers.

Is this the same definition to the consumer ?

Apparently NOT !

More and more consumers are buying direct from Cruise and Tour Operators or “the net”, and instead of learning and reading information for themselves, they putting their responsibility, onto the back of others.  They reaching out to family/friends, and facebook for their answers !

Please know, if you find yourself having one question, you’ll soon learn you’ll have a second question … And on and on.  If that’s the case … Why not begin with a Travel Professional ?  And expert in the topic of your travel ?  Or with a company that has backing ?  Why start with no backing ?

It is true, if friends/family have been on previous cruises/vacation, you may want to ask their “take” on a topic.  But not all “takes” fits everyone.  And “takes” shouldn’t be the blood that consumers rely on. 

There are so many laws and rule in traveling, that consumers just don’t realize.  Just cause you give “your take” doesn’t mean the person you are providing the advice to, already knows these rules/laws for their specific travel !

And whether the info you receive is correct or not, your friends/family, nor facebook, will be liable for your vacation in times of trouble.  Again, this is WHY you don’t want to “Buy on your own” !  You want a Travel Professional backing ! 

Have you seen these FB groups like … Carnival, past, present, future … Or Royal Caribbean … Or similar ?

Personally, I don’t know why I join these FB groups.  I see questions, that lead me to believe, these folks should have never “Bought on their own” !  One minute I find myself laughing at the questions … Then I find myself frustrated over the answers that are given.

I read somewhere that facebook can be depressing.  For me, many times, it is !  I just cringe when I see folks who buy their travel on their own.  And cringe even more, when I see them ask questions, that they should be receiving from their travel professional, or from me, had they called me.

If I see one of my FB friends, buy their cruise on their own, I “unfriend them”. 

I have had folks get mad when I do this.  Why ?
That person is the one who decided they didn’t need my advice … It was not me, who turned my advice away from them, before they decided to … “Buy on their own”.

 

The Travel professional can’t help you out of a bind, after you “bought on your own” and put yourself there !  The time for a Travel Professional is “when you buy” !  So as long as you are only reaching to friends/family, and even facebook for answers “before you buy” … Remember when its time to buy … Call your Travel professional !