by beth king

Created on: November 04, 2009

These days with the internet, phone and email, knowing whether the travel agent you're working with is good or not requires a whole different set of criteria. Long gone, or just about, are the days of walking in to a travel agency and sitting down with someone planning your trip. With the ease of finding information online, email and 800 # many people now book their trips with travel agents in another city or state. Even when booking with someone local they still manage to do most of the planning over the phone and via email.

Since the way we plan our vacations have changed, so then should the way we measure how well our travel agent is doing.

Although things aren't always black and white here are some signs to look out for that may signal it's time to fire your agent and find a new one.

1. Do they return your phone calls?

If they do not return your calls in a reasonable amount of time or when they say they will, this is a sign they will not provide the level of service that you deserve.

Sometimes people do make a mistake or perhaps they are involved in a time sensitive issue, if it's the first time this has happened, give the agent a chance to explain and see if it happens again.

2. Do they respond to your emails quickly?

This is something that should be done quickly since most agents are at their computer all day and should be checking it often. If you have to wait more then 1 day, this is a bad sign. The exception would be when you sent the email. Did you send it at 6:00pm and they leave at 5:30pm? Also, keep in mind the day of the week. While many agents do work on the weekends, some may not, or may not every weekend, so if you are emailing on a Saturday or Sunday, give them until the next business day to respond.

3. Do they answer your questions in the email?

This can be frustrating if you have emailed the agent several questions and you only have one or two answered. This may mean that your emails are not being read completely and if you are communicating this way, important information may be lost or not given.

4. Do they ask questions about your likes and dislikes?

If this is your first time with the agent, they need to know what sort of things you like and are interested in so they can suggest the best product for you. This is true even if you ask about something specific. Maybe what you would like would be something different then you thought.

5. Do they ask questions about past travel, if you or your traveling companion

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